Pre-arrival Information Session for International Exchange and Visiting Students, autumn 2021
.
MEETING ETIQUETTE
• Please mute your microphone when you are not speaking (to avoid background noise).
• Try to avoid talking over / at the same time as other participants
• You can write your questions in the chat throughout the presentation
• We will answer your questions in the breaks we reserved for questions and answers (Q&A)
• Use the Raise hand function during the Q&A break to ask questions
• Please type your name and which city you are at the moment in chat.
• It would be nice if everyone puts the cameras on in the beginning, so that we can see each other ☺
PROGRAMME
• Welcome by Ms. Minna Koutaniemi, Head of International exchange services and education cooperation
• Introduction of the International exchange services and education cooperation
• IT user accounts and other important paperwork
• Registration for courses
• Registering with authorities
• Housing
• Effects of COVID-19 pandemic
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SERVICES AND EDUCATION COOPERATION SPECIALISTS
• General guidance related to your exchange
• Signatures for Learning Agreement
• Arrival and departure certificates
• Extending or shortening exchanges
INTERNATIONAL
EXCHANGE SERVICES AND EDUCATION COOPERATION
Chat Service: Mondays 13-15 and Thursdays 10-12 E-mail: studentexchange@helsinki.fi
Phone number: +358 2941 22401, Mon-Fri 10-15
Events for exchange students
• We will send you all important information regarding your exchange in the form of newsletters
• Make sure to read them carefully or you might miss very important information!
• The first newsletter on June 24th included important information on how to apply for your username and password
• Please check the newsletter archive, if you have not received one yet.
NEWSLETTERS
ACTIVATE YOUR USER ACCOUNT
Did you send your username application as instructed in our first Newsletter on June 24th?
- If not, do so TODAY!
- If yes, follow the instructions you received from the Helpdesk by e-mail!
Please contact Helpdesk for all questions related to your user account:
1. Chat on webpage: weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chatbot 24/7.
2. Tel. + 358 (0)2 941 55555 (local network charge/mobile call charge)
3. helpdesk@helsinki.fi
After receiving your user account, you may like to get familiar with the IT terminology and guidelines at the University
of Helsinki
Please find information through our web page on Digital
Learning Environments, You will be using them for the Online courses.
W e would like to recommend you to look at the course material of the Digital Skills Online Course in advance already, so that you get familiar with the IT services, registering for courses in the Sisu system and so on.
You do not need to take the course, you can just glance through the course material.
DIGITAL LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
Your study right starts on 31.8.2021
It means that you can register for courses in Sisu and start using your student benefits from that day onwards, such as HSL travel card discount for buses, and student benefit for food at the Unicafe student restaurants.
YOUR STUDY RIGHT
After you activated your user account and your study right is active you will need to print your certificate of student status from Sisu to take with you to
migration services or the population registry.
It will be good if you take a printout already at home and take it with you even if your study right is
inactive at the moment. The study right will be active on 31.8. for most of you (exception visiting students and interns)
PRINTING YOUR CERTIFICATE
OF STUDENT STATUS
• Registering for all courses takes place in Sisu.
• Course registration does not guarantee you a place in the course.
• The selection of participants are done by lecturers/coordinators.
• Wednesday 1.9.2021
• REGISTERING FOR COURSES IN SISU, 10:00- 11:00 (for exchange students!). Link to the event
• Check course information pages for details.
COURSE REGISTRATION
• Signed preferably after the beginning of the term as changes are very common
• Learning Agreement is not a registration for any course nor a guarantee that you are accepted to the courses in the agreement
• -> Register for the courses in Sisu
LEARNING AGREEMENT
FOR ERASMUS STUDENTS
Your home institution may ask for an Arrival Certificate (also called as Certificate of Stay / Confirmation of Stay)
We will sign these forms after your arrival to Helsinki.
Please send an e-mail to us
(studentexchange@helsinki.fi) where you attach the form itself (you get the form from your home
university) and a copy/photo of your flight ticket to Helsinki.
ARRIVAL CERTIFICATE,
FOR ERASMUS STUDENTS
ORIENTATION WEEK TUESDAY 31.8.2021 TO
FRIDAY 3.9.2021
It is important that all exchange and visiting students arriving during the Autumn term participate in the online Orientation meetings. Even if some of you arrive later for internship or for research, you will receive essential information during the orientation week, meet tutors and each other.
Link to the programme of the Orientation Week
Please first select your study programme to find faculty specific information
Your tutors will help you with practical questions, registering for the courses and finding your bearings.
If you have any questions about the topics above;
we will have a few minutes break now to answer your questions, please write them either in chat or use the Raise hand function to speak.
Q&A 1
• BA and MA level exchange students get a student discount (45% on season tickets).
• We will send the HSL (public transportation) discount form by mail to your Finnish address.
• We need your permanent address in Finland for this!
• Fill in the e-form you find in our first Newsletter of Autumn 2021 latest by August 22nd!
• If you don't have a permanent address yet, please send it by email to
studentexchange@helsinki.fias soon as possible
DISCOUNT FORM FOR PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION
• Read carefully all messages from your housing provider!
• UNIHOME and HOAS will send you guidelines on how to get your keys during office hours
• Reserve at least two hours for reaching the housing provider’s office from the airport. If you arrive after office hours, you will need to
arrange your first night’s stay at a hostel independently.
• If you arrive in Helsinki earlier, you can contact the housing provider and ask about the availability of your room.
• Remember that once you sign the fixed-term
tenancy agreement, you will need to pay the rent until the end of the agreement even if you decide to leave earlier.
• HOAS-INFO (STUDENT HOUSING SERVICES), on Wed 1.9. at 11:00-11:45 (for all new international students), Link to the ZOOM event
HOUSING
REGISTERING WITH AUTHORITIES
Nordic Countries
Book an appointment to
DVV:
- Apply for a personal identity
code
EU / EEA Countries
Fill in MIGRI’s ”Right of residence” online
application
- Book an appointment for EU
registration (do not worry if there
are not times available)
Non-EU Countries
Do you already have a personal identity code?
(a number sequence with 11 characters, formed on the basis of your date of birth.)
YES
You’re all set!
NO
Book an appointment with DVV:
- Apply for a personal identity code
If you have any questions about the topics above;
we will have a few minutes break now to answer your questions, please write them either in chat or use the Raise hand function to speak.
Q&A 2
HOW STUDIES ARE ORGANISED
IN AUTUMN 2021?
• Teaching, guidance services and events are organised both remotely and face-to-face within the guidelines of corona
restrictions. You can find information about how the course is organised in course information pages .
• Safety precautions are followed in contact teaching and guidance situations to ensure the safety of students and staff:
• E.g. safety distances, larger teaching facilities, intensified cleaning, use of face masks is strongly recommended at university premises.
• Additional support for student well-being and remote studying is available. More about this during the Orientation week!
ARRIVAL TO FINLAND
FinEntry: register to online Finentry service before you travel to Finland – this will make entering Finland much easier.
Latest travel instructions of the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare.
If you have a certificate of an approved full-course COVID-19
vaccination (no less than 14 days from the last dose) you may not need to quarantine after arriving in Finland.
CORONAVIRUS:
INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
Helsinki.fi
➢ Coronavirus: Information for Incoming Exchange Students
➢ Coronavirus situation at the University of Helsinki (instructions for both staff and students)
➢ The University’s website also has a list of faculty- and unit-
specific instructions on coronavirus. You can find up-to-date information about your faculties coronavirus measures from there.
Studies.helsinki.fi
➢ The effect of coronavirus on your studies (Q&A for all students) If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please contact
HEALTHCARE
Important: Exchange and Visiting students do not pay the KELA healthcare fee and they cannot use FSHS (Finnish Students Health Service)
EU/EEA citizens: Please make sure your EHIC card is valid. You can turn to Mechelininkatu student health station in Helsinki
(Mechelininkatu 46, 4th Floor) or refer to your own private healthcare insurance.
Non-EU citizens: Please refer to your own private healthcare insurance. You can turn to any private healthcare providers e.g.
Mehiläinen, Terveystalo, Aava and Pihlajalinna.
Instructions for Students →
Instructions for
exchange and visiting students
Remember to log in or select your degree programme from the menu!
WHERE TO LOOK FOR
INFORMATION?
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Any other questions?
Please write them either in chat or use the Raise hand function to speak.
