Category: In English

What kind of world to expect after this pandemic? – Part II: Education

The current coronavirus pandemic has affected different spheres of our lives across the world. On the second part of the series we take a look at the effects the pandemic has caused on education.

In English

TEKSTI Pablo Santur

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

One of the sectors mostly affected by this pandemic has been education. All formal learning organisations have veered towards online learning. This sudden shift, however, has been full of challenges both human and technical. Maybe you have experienced it by yourself when attending your classes.

However, this is only the tip of the iceberg if we pay attention to the impact that this has had on many other different contexts in different countries.

To discuss the topic, I talked with Elina Lehtomäki, Professor of Global Education and Chair of the University of Oulu multidisciplinary working group on sustainable development. She has also participated in several working groups such as the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture working group on internationalisation of higher education, and the advisory board of the international Academic Network on Global Education and Learning (ANGEL).

How would you define the situation formal learning systems faced due to this pandemic?

“Clearly, formal learning systems have been challenged, as most teaching and learning have been organised online which has meant changes in designing learning, rechecking pedagogical approaches, and most likely, rethinking what a safe environment for learners and learning means, what individual efforts are required, and how important peers are in the learning process.

Also, one of the exciting positive things of these situations is the increasing emphasis on research and informed decision-making. For formal learning systems this means that we need to further develop our ways of working, and to improve our readiness to respond to complex societal challenges such as the COVID-19 health crisis. Learning aims to equip people and promote their agency, but do we teach and learn sufficiently about collaboration and solidarity?”

Do you think that the changes implemented in the formal educational systems (e.g. schools, universities) will be permanent?

“In formal learning systems, there may be no way to go back to the previous ‘normal’. Most likely there will be more flexible, flipped learning options, increased use of digital platforms, and new designs to promote student engagement.

However, moving all the teaching and learning to digital environments would limit the use of multiple channels in communications and senses in learning. You may also ask who would like to be constantly online or in virtual reality. I guess we will seek a balance between digital and face-to-face teaching and learning while at the same time, increase the use of digital learning opportunities. Flexibility may be more emphasised as it seems evident that education systems that are flexible can better function in a time of crisis.

The connection and co-efficiency between education and health is evident. Health is an important precondition for learning while good quality education provides learners knowledge and skills to take good care of one’s health. An important issue to consider is how interconnectedness is approached in the future. The pandemic has increased gaps between learners and inequality in societies. Education and health are fundamental human rights, and they both need sufficient funding to secure a more equal world.”

So, this situation is not an opportunity for the educational sector?

“Conditions that create or contribute to inequality are more evident in this pandemic. UNESCO and many governments, including Finland, have recommended digital learning solutions, which will certainly support learning in contexts that have the good bandwidth, equipment, educated and innovative teachers, responsible leadership, professional development opportunities and even technical support widely available. Even in countries with limited resources, there are pocket areas or privileged groups that have access to digital learning and safe environments, while majorities may not have these. But learners in poverty experience further challenges when households face, for instance, lack of clean water, physical space, power cuts, and unemployment.

In the course on Global Education Development we have students with information and experience from different parts of the world. We talked about alternative solutions for learning such as the use of mobile phones, libraries, family members, and community workers, yet concluded that many solutions would still require resources, people with skills, and access to equipment and software. We agreed that questions that require serious attention and that may not be fully solved by digital learning alone include wellbeing, nutrition, protection, the vulnerability of female students, finding ways to respond to the needs for support, collaboration with families, and assessment methods.”

What differences do you find between countries in response to the challenges posed?

“One significant difference between countries is in perceptions of the overall purpose of schooling. In most countries, education systems, curricula and teaching are inflexible, because education selects and categorises. Consequently, schools and teachers are to perform according to given instructions and timetables. Teaching aims to prepare students for standardised tests, leaving little space for flexibility in timing, testing, and learning. In such systems, learning may be perceived as the test results. Countries in which education systems have flexibility may reflect on changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing minor changes in timetables and learning modes. Human, financial, and technical resources and moreover, well-informed decisions matter in our capacity to respond. 

In Finland, and in countries in the so-called Global North, there have been several online webinars and discussions on the influence of COVID-19 on education and learning. Well, we have the tools and time for this, and it is important to share information and promote knowledge on informed decision-making. However, we fail students and teachers in most low-income countries and areas in conflicts, where the webinars and discussions are not accessible. Globally education as a field is under-resourced and a lesser priority sector than others, particularly arms and defence industry.”

How do you think this pandemic will impact the educational sector overall?

“Solely in the school year of 2018, nearly 260 million children and young people did not have access to school, and among those who were enrolled many did not complete their education or reach the expected learning results. According to UNESCO, due to this pandemic, 177 countries have closed schools, affecting 72.4 % of the student-population and leaving 1.26 billion learners out of school.

When I discussed these figures with our students, we observed, however, what school closures mean across countries. In Finland, closing buildings has not stopped teaching and learning, while in some parts of India, for instance, children have not had the necessary space at home and equipment for learning. In Finland, one concern has been child protection, as for some children home is not a safe place and teachers may have meant important contacts with safe adults. In India, especially girls have faced additional risks of abuse during the pandemic. From research, we know that in most low-income countries, children who drop out from school may never return to school.”

Read the other parts of the series: Part I: Economy, Part III: Health, Part IV: Environment and living, Part V: Culture.

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Pablo Santur

Learning specialist in thesis writing mode. Former TV scriptwriter. Foodie. Anime lover. Twitter: @pablodsantur

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What kind of world to expect after this pandemic? – Part I: Economy

The current coronavirus pandemic has affected different spheres of our lives across the world. To elucidate its potential effects, we explore its impact on five different fields. On this series, researchers of the University of Oulu give us some hints about the impact of the pandemic on economy, education, health, environment, and culture. We start our series with the effects on the economy.

In English

TEKSTI Pablo Santur

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

Even though this is a sanitary crisis, to control the contagion, the measures taken undoubtedly affect the economy. In different countries, governments took actions to make working conditions more flexible or to reactivate the economy. With the upcoming summer, this has affected our chances to get a summer job, and also create an uphill scenario if we were about to graduate.

However, amid this difficult situation, not all companies have been hit the same. For example, industries related to cloud computing, electronic payment, or online grocery delivery have benefited from the effects of COVID-19.

So, to explore the effects of this pandemic to the economy, and picture potential scenarios, I talked with Andrew Conlin, PhD in Finance from the Oulu Business School. Based on his expertise in finance and business, we explore the impact of the pandemic in the overall economy, the sectors most benefited and harmed and potential scenarios for the worldwide economic recovery.

How do you think this pandemic is going to affect the overall economy of the different regions worldwide?

“We’re seeing the effects already: The three big regions (USA, Europe, China) have all seen huge drops in activity. Unemployment is up; both services and manufacturing are down. Forcing people to stay at home and/or forcing stores to close obviously slows down economic activity. I think the developing world will be hit harder. Not in “dollar terms” – the decrease in wealth will be greater in the USA, Europe, Japan, and China simply because they are richer countries. But I think poorer countries will face greater difficulties – the relative loss of production and income is much greater, which means a lot of people may face even harder times in terms of access to food and healthcare. Quite a sad situation.”

How do you think consumers will react when the isolation measures are lifted and how that is going to affect the market?

“If restrictions are lifted soon and we don’t see a resurgence in infections, then we should see an attempt to return to “normal”. At this point, I think people would be excited to go out for entertainment. There would be a spike in that activity for a little while, at least. There could be some longer-term changes, too. Firms may realize that they can be as productive with less office space – more telecommuting. People may travel less.

Of course, if restrictions are lifted and we see infections rapidly rise then things will be shut down again, probably for even longer.”

How long do you think the economic recovery process will take?

“In the best-case scenario, where we don’t see a rise in infections after restrictions are lifted (and there’s no second wave in the autumn) it may take between maybe 6 months or a year to get back to “normal.”

There are frictions with getting back to normal. Some workers will have found a new job. Some might have gone back to school. Some might choose to not work for family reasons. Businesses may have closed permanently, and getting licenses, permits, leases, etc. back in order takes time.

In a worst-case scenario, where we see a rapid rise in infections after reopening the economy (or a second wave in the autumn), then it will take many years to get back to where we were. I mean that in terms of Gross Domestic Product. We may never get back to where we were in terms of the structure of the economy. Bars and nightclubs? Sporting events? Any large gatherings? Unless we get a truly effective vaccine, the recovery could take a very long time.”

In the process of economic recovery, which companies do you think will play a fundamental role (by size or category)?

“In this case, the firms that will profit the most from the situation and/or recovery are not necessarily the firms that will play a key role. For example, Netflix is doing great during the lockdown, but it is not comparable to the role of healthcare and pharmaceuticals, which care for the sick and develop a vaccine, respectively. Also, mental health issues can grow the longer the lockdown continues.

Since it is in our nature to be social, companies addressing these problems are also going to be important. Large food producers and logistic firms (to get the food to the stores) seem to be key. Maybe we’ll see a rise in local food production – the oil price drop means fuel is cheaper for delivery to stores and directly to consumers’ homes.“

As in Nokia’s collapse, do you think there will be an entrepreneurial boom? If so, do you think it will be promoted by the government?

“Will there be entrepreneurial activity? Yes. Will it feel like a “boom”? Maybe not.

The Nokia shock was in slow-motion compared to this. With Nokia, displaced workers could form firms that sold products or services to Nokia, to Nokia’s customers, or to the wider economy. With this severe, economy-wide drop in demand, the markets for new firms seem to be quite limited. A quick “V-shaped” recovery could seem a boom in start-ups, where people choose the entrepreneurial route instead of going back to their previous job. A long drawn-out “U-shaped” or even an “L-shaped” recovery will still see some entrepreneurial activity, but it’s harder to call it a boom.

The support from the Finnish government so far seems to be centered on preventing collapse rather than encouraging entrepreneurial activity, in other words the support is mostly in the form of loans so that firms can keep paying expenses, such as wages, rent, insurance, etc. If firms can keep their premises and keep their workers, it’s much easier for them to get production going again rapidly. If the recovery is long and slow, however, more firms are likely to close permanently. If this happens, the government support should shift towards encouraging entrepreneurship.”

Read the next parts on this series: Part II: education, Part III: health, Part IV: environment and living, part V: culture

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Pablo Santur

Learning specialist in thesis writing mode. Former TV scriptwriter. Foodie. Anime lover. Twitter: @pablodsantur

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OYY’s corona survey: the exceptional spring has made studying harder and increased workload, satisfaction in teaching and communication varies between faculties

In a survey conducted by the Student Union, the students at the University of Oulu stated that their studies had become harder due to, for example, lack of equipment needed for the courses, increased workload, and uncertainty regarding income. Flexible solutions in organising the courses and well-functioning courses have helped the situation.

In English

TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö


In Finnish

The exceptional spring has caused stress, additional work, and slowed down studies for many university students in Oulu. The students have needed guidance and support as they have been forced into lockdown and isolation, lacking communality, and also to alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty the situation has caused.

However, most people have been satisfied with the quality of the remote teaching, and in some cases, the exceptional circumstances have even made studying easier.

This information is evident from a survey done by the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY). The questionnaire was answered by 1,603 students, which is roughly 12 percent of all the students of the University of Oulu. The survey was open for all degree students, doctoral students, and students in the open university.

Nearly half of the students (47 %) who answered the survey felt that their studies have become slightly harder due to the circumstances. Almost a quarter (24 %) of the respondents felt that the exceptional circumstances have had a major impact on their studies.

However, a bit over half of the respondents (57 %) answered that they felt they had the opportunity to progress their studies as planned, regardless of the exceptional circumstances. Out of the respondents, 32 percent felt that their studies had not progressed the way they wanted.

On the other hand, 13 percent of the respondents felt that the circumstances have helped their studies either by little (9 %) or greatly (5 %). Additionally, 15 % of the respondents answered that the circumstances have had no noticeable effect on their studies, neither improving nor worsening them.

The University of Oulu moved to remote or distance learning in a short timespan due to the restrictions placed to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The gradual easing of these restrictions began on 14 May, but remote learning continues for now. The Oulu Student Magazine wrote about the online learning experiences of four students in an article published on 31 March.

LABORATORIES BEHIND LOCKED DOORS

The chance to advance studies as planned has varied from faculty to faculty. According to the survey, the students in the Faculty of Medicine have managed to progress their studies the best. Comparatively well did also the students in the Faculty of Education, the Oulu Business School, as well as the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

According to the survey, below-average progress of studies has been possible in the Faculty of Technology. Students have faced the most difficulties in advancing their studies in the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, in the Faculty of Humanities, and in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

According to the Education Dean of the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Tuomo Glumoff, an obvious reason for this is the nature of the studies in the Faculty: biochemistry is something that is done in a laboratory. As the doors to the campuses were closed in March, the teaching laboratories were closed as well. Two courses carried out in a laboratory environment were left incomplete, and their completion was moved to May. However, an exceptional arrangement is still in place: at all times, the maximum number of students allowed in the laboratory is nine students and one assistant.

For some students in the Faculty, the experimental work for their pro gradu theses was also halted. Glumoff states that the students who would graduate on 31 July at the latest have been granted a special permit to enter the laboratory already a few weeks ago, and the rest have been able to continue their work on 14 May.

“You cannot learn laboratory skills via a correspondence course, you must be able to do the work yourself.”

Glumoff continues that some of the courses this spring have been modified so that they can be completed online. For example, some practical work has been modified into problem solving exercises, which can be figured out outside the laboratory.

“You cannot learn laboratory skills via a correspondence course, you must be able to do the work yourself.”

Aino Rossi, the specialist in academic affairs of OYY, states that about four percent of the studies this spring could not be organised remotely, for one reason or another. Thus, they have been either moved to another time or organised on campus with exceptional permission. Rossi also says that relocating the studies from the planned timeslots makes advancing studies harder.

The Student Union’s specialist in social affairs, Sanna Kangasniemi, says that some students are worried about their income as the coronavirus has affected employment. That in turn influences how their studies can be progressed, or if they can be advanced at all.

According to the survey, the uncertainty of livelihood had hampered studies slightly for 23 percent of respondents and significantly for 13 percent of respondents. Personal reasons were cited as something that hindered studies slightly by 31 % of respondents and significantly by 21 % of respondents.

The open answers revealed that the personal reasons listed as having a negative effect on the studies were, among others, factors related to stress, motivation, and the wellbeing of self or others.

Changes in the availability of study material and the learning environments, lack of equipment required for the courses, increased workload, difficulties in the practicalities of the course, uncertain income, and personal reasons were among the negative effects the exceptional circumstances have caused.

A child staying at home and difficulties in receiving information and guidance were also listed as things that make studying harder.

However, making things easier were the flexibility of the courses and how well they were executed.

STRAIN FROM THE QUICK CHANGE

A majority of the respondents estimated that the move to remote learning and studying online was slightly, reasonably, or very stressful.

Many respondents felt that moving to remote studying and online learning in general was strenuous. Of all the respondents, 26 percent felt this change was moderately stressful, and 16 percent of respondents felt it was very stressful. The situation was ‘slightly stressful’ for 28 percent of respondents.

Contrary to that, 28 percent of respondents viewed that the shift and studying online did not increase their stress at all.

“Weekly tasks were mentioned multiple times in the open answers. If a student has many courses with weekly exercises, it is a large change compared to having just lectures and a learning diary or an exam.”

According to the specialists of the Student Union, the experience of stress and increased workload can be explained by the changed methods in completing the courses.

“Weekly tasks were mentioned multiple times in the open answers. If a student has many courses with weekly exercises, it is a large change compared to having just lectures and a learning diary or an exam,” says Aino Rossi.

The suddenness of the change as well as its execution have also increased the strain towards students.

“As the exceptional circumstances have forced performing this so-called digital leap quickly, there have been problems in organising the studies and uncertainty how to do the assignments. That is something that affects one’s perception of the workload,” Sanna Kangasniemi states.

DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION IN THE FACULTIES

Communication is often criticised in exceptional circumstances. Especially at the beginning of the crisis the communications from the University of Oulu were criticised in social media and on Yle’s article (13 March).

According to the recent survey, most respondents felt that the policies and instructions from the faculties and the University as well as information on completing the courses were communicated to them well or very well. Half of the respondents deemed they had received information well, and 19 percent extremely well.

However, 11 percent of the respondents felt they received information poorly, and 3 percent answered extremely poorly. 16 percent stated that they felt they did not receive information well or poorly, and 2 percent were unsure.

The survey reveals that there are differences between the faculties on how well information is relayed between various parties.

In the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, there were no students who felt they received information poorly from the Faculty. The Faculty also performed well in communicating how to complete the courses.

Tuomo Glumoff states that the Faculty has organised weekly briefing sessions on Zoom since the crisis started.

“Apart from conveying information, the idea was that communality clearly suffers as students are unable to enter the campuses. At least now we can meet once a week on Zoom. This has had multiple benefits: the students receive up-to-date information and answers to their questions. Additionally, thanks to suggestions from the students, two courses are now held as summer studies, and we would not have done this otherwise.”

According to the survey, communications were handled reasonably well in the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Medicine.

The survey shows that communicating policies and instructions was done moderately in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Technology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Faculty of Humanities.

Comparatively, the survey reveals that the poorest faculty in terms of communicating the policies and instructions was Oulu Business School. The Faculty also received negative feedback on informing the students how to complete the courses.

Why has there been disruptions in the flow of information?

Janne Järvinen, the Education Dean of the Oulu Business School and professor of accounting, states that the Faculty has many subjects that vary amongst themselves, and the courses are completed in multiple ways. This might be the reason for the confusion in communications, Järvinen ponders.

The responsibility of relaying the information to the students has been on the teachers of the courses. Information has also been passed on through the student society Finanssi.

“[The Faculty] did not organise our own info sessions, though we could have. Also, FMBB is a smaller faculty than us. We have been in contact with the student society and we thought that information will be passed on through them. We have had some constructive discussions with Finanssi. For sure, [communications] could have been done differently,” Järvinen says.

Järvinen also remarks that the quickly changing situation not only stresses the students but teachers as well. In such a rapid change, additional resources or a few helping hands would not have gone amiss.

“Everyone has been busy with teaching. I had a few courses that had to be moved online within a few days. There can be a large bachelor-level course with hundreds of students, and the alternative teaching methods had to be invented in a few days. I understand that the situation has been extremely challenging, but we made through it reasonably well.”

Lotta Leinonen, the board member in charge of academic affairs for the student society Finanssi, says that the organisation is also gathering data through their own survey, made in collaboration with the Business School.

The survey, aimed at members of the student society, is open until the end of May, but based on the answers so far, few points seem to be repeated.

According to Leinonen, the general picture on how the teaching has been organised is a positive one. In particular, streamed lectures and thesis guidance have received positive feedback. “Especially in master’s level there are courses that have received commendations.”

Leinonen continues that especially for first-year students there have been some courses with very little online teaching, or courses where an exam has been replaced by weekly assignments. Leinonen says that these lower the overall grade of the feedback.

“If you cannot get in contact with [the teacher] of the course or the workload has increased, it reflects instantly in the results of the survey.”

Situations in which students have been informed late on changes in exam practices have received criticism in the survey by Finanssi. There is also some feedback that on some courses the teaching has been organised almost the same as in normal conditions, but on some courses, there are no lectures at all.

“Why are there courses where the teaching could be transferred completely online, and others where this could not be done?”

STUDIES ARE NOT FLEXIBLE FOR EVERYONE

The increase in workload and the flexible arrangements of courses also varied between the faculties.

The detrimental effect of the increase in workload was experienced mostly by the students of the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and Oulu Business School.

The best comparative results were achieved in the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine as well as in the Faculty of Medicine.

The Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine was also above the average in the flexibility of the courses, along with the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. The lack of flexibility seemed to affect the students in the Oulu Business School and in the Faculty of Humanities the most.

In Oulu Business School, 19 percent of the responds estimated that the lack of flexibility had made their studies more difficulty, and 14 percent thought their studies were significantly harder due to the lack of flexibility.

The Education Dean Janne Järvinen states that the structure of the studies has an effect on their flexibility. On bachelor level, there are less opportunities to have flexible studies or alternative methods for completing the courses.

Järvinen says that many of the respondents have been precisely bachelor-level students. That influences how the workload of the studies is perceived. Overall, the need for support and guidance is greater at the beginning of the studies, and in these exceptional times this demand only increases.

According to Lotta Leinonen, the lack of flexibility as well as the cancellation of work practice and internships has also affected the studies.

“Worry has been caused by the coronavirus taking away student’s internship, and by the fact that the mandatory work practice cannot be replaced by any other course: hopefully this will not affect students’ graduation.”

Järvinen says that the competitive nature of the bachelor-level courses also influences the experience.

“How one manages on some of the courses during bachelor’s level decides the entry into the most popular major subjects. Some students experienced that their workload increased, and at the same time, they have had pressure to get good grades.”

This competitive aspect is something the Faculty is unable to change: “There are limited number of places in the major subjects, and if there are more applicants than places, there is a competition that will be determined by the grades. I think that those with not that high level of academic proficiency view the situation as stressful.”

Lotta Leinonen says that changing the way the courses are completed, with weekly assignments instead of an exam, has been a cause of stress for bachelor level students.

“Previously, with only an exam, it has been relatively easier to estimate how much one needs to do to get a good grade. Now, with weekly assignments replacing the exam, it has improved learning, but if a student has high ambitions, that has increased the pressure. The weekly tasks make it harder to estimate what are the requirements for a good grade. Therefore, it has caused even more stress for those who already stressed about the situation.”

WHAT ABOUT REMOTE TEACHING ITSELF?

The survey shows that remote or distance teaching has worked comparatively well in the University of Oulu, but the results vary between the faculties again.

Out of the respondents who have had online courses, 67 percent felt they worked well or extremely well.

However, 12 percent of respondents deemed distance learning to have worked poorly, and three percent answered that it has worked extremely poorly. Based on the survey, above average results were achieved in the Faculty of Medicine, and the worst results were in the Oulu Business School.

The Finnish Medical Journal Lääkärilehti reported on 24 April that medical students around Finland have been reasonably happy with their studies and how they have been organised.

Maintaining routines, organising schedules, and managing life in general are among things that are made harder by studying at home, according to many respondents of the survey.

Other challenges listed in the answers of the survey show that especially things related to mental health, life management, income, and organising teaching had made studying harder.

The answers also were related to employment: the respondents had difficulties in organising work practice, problems in acquiring income, and fears of delaying their studies and graduation. There were also mentions of the difficulties in communications, receiving information, and contacting the teachers responsible for the courses.

Maintaining routines, organising schedules, and managing life in general are among things that are made harder by studying at home, according to many respondents of the survey.

The survey also investigated the functionality of the various ways of completing the courses.

Home exams along with exams in Moodle were deemed to work well, as well as other written assignments, such as essays, reports, referrals and summaries. Doing remote group work was evaluated as the worst option.

Apart from the challenges, the survey also aimed to bring forth some successes during the spring. Most of the positive comments from the students were related to remote teaching and online lectures and seminars, and the respondents complimented the fluency of the courses and the knowhow of the teachers in managing the necessary tools.

Especially recording the lectures was deemed important, as the possibility of returning to the things discussed during the lecture was seen as making learning easier, as well as bringing flexibility to the time management of studies.

Special praise was also passed on to some of the tools and spaces for online studying, such as the arrangements in the IT services and the library Pegasus, and the online environment Moodle as well as the conference tool Zoom. Individual teachers and faculties were also complimented for working exceptionally well.

ADVANCING IN STUDIES AND RETAINING HIGH QUALITY

Even though the survey by the Student Union reveals that communications, flexibility, and stress have received criticism, the students in Oulu Business School have managed to advance their studies and their graduation has not been delayed.

This is something Janne Järvinen considers important.

“Following the weekly assignments, it seems that the percentage of submissions has been high, and they seem of high quality. From a Faculty point-of-view this is a good thing.”

“There were some perceptions that the workload had increased. Let’s put it this way: working is good for you. Or was someone expecting things to get easier in a situation like this?”

Could the Business School introduce some more flexibility in the future? According to Janne Järvinen, there is a large difference in how the bachelor’s and master’s studies are organised. According to him, the bachelor’s program is a clear “pipeline” that cannot be altered with the current number of students and teachers.

“The teaching is practically controlling large masses of students. In the bachelor’s studies, the challenge is that the teaching should be of high quality regardless of this. I am sure that our studies are high-class, but their size brings forth the special characteristics.”

However, the “master-level studies can have completely different systems in use.”

As an example of alternative ways of completing the courses during master’s level, Järvinen mentions the master’s seminar he held online. Participating remotely works well for those who work along their studies, as now they do not have to take a full day off to participate in the seminar.

Janne Järvinen says that introducing alternative methods for completing the courses is hampered by the requirement of being effective. One must achieve results, which means finished degrees.

“Having different methods for completing the courses would create additional delays in the process. We must put out a large number of students quickly and with high quality. That is the reality of the situation, as the field of business has a small multiplier in the financial model of the University.”

The cost for the University of arranging teaching varies from field to field. For example, the equipment the teaching requires, and the amount of contact teaching the courses have affect this. Some degrees are more expensive than others for the University, and these are taken into account in the funding model by a larger multiplier.

If remote teaching continues in the autumn as well, the survey by Finanssi reveals that their members would like to see more online lectures and more information on how to complete the courses and their structure and scheduling. On the other hand, streaming lectures could be used in corona-free times as well, as they allow students who work to participate on courses that have mandatory attendance, Leinonen says.

Janne Järvinen says that the Business School will examine the results of the surveys in the bodies of the Faculty.

“We are very interested in hearing what the surveys show.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

The results from the survey by the Student Union require actions, Sanna Kangasniemi judges. The results have been forwarded to the University, and the report has been published in its entirety on OYY’s website as well.

“Of course, at the moment we only have data on these exceptional circumstances. It would be intriguing to have information from normal times as well. There are some results that have been reacted to even before the survey was made. Now more emphasis will be placed on them.”

“We do not know how long the situation lasts. The students have wished that practices that work well in these times would be continued even after the coronavirus has passed.”

The flexibility of the studies that was praised in the results of the survey is in accordance with the Student Union’s policies, says Kangasniemi. OYY will continue to push more flexible studies in the future as well.

“We do not know how long the situation lasts. The students have wished that practices that work well in these times would be continued even after the coronavirus has passed.”

Has the Student Union received feedback on advocacy work during the pandemic?

Sanna Kangasniemi says that the open answers in the survey only had a few questions regarding why OYY does nothing.

Aino Rossi says that she has not received any direct feedback. There have been some requests for help, and those are desirable. Rossi has been answering questions about exams and theses, for example. “Theses are critical when you are graduating.”

International students have been worried about tuition fees for the upcoming autumn period.

The socio-political problems the students have faced are, according to Kangasniemi, student grant, layoffs, and for students with families how to raise the student grant if one is forced to stay at home with a child.

Kangasniemi says that a similar survey would be an interesting thing to do in the autumn, whether the remote learning continues or we are back into regular daily life.

“That would show what changes have been made.”

OYY’s corona survey

»A survey about the effects of the coronavirus was open between 3–11 April. The survey was sent via email to all students at the University of Oulu (degree students, doctoral students, and students at the open university)
»The survey was answered by 1603 students (12 percent of all students of the University)
» A vast majority (93 percent) answered in Finnish, only 7 percent in English
» Responses were received from each faculty
» According to OYY, the survey findings are presentable especially regarding the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. Slightly over-represented in the survey were the students in the Faculty of Medicine, and slightly under-represented were students in the Faculty of Technology and the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.
» The University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS) was marked as their faculty by 2 percent of the respondents. The results of the survey are grouped by faculty, and it includes doctoral students as well.
» The whole survey can be found on OYY’s website in both Finnish and in English

Read more: 5 reasons why remote studying is terrible

Translation: Kalle Parviainen

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Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio

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Anni Hyypiö

5 reasons why remote studying is terrible

Should we continue studying at home even after the coronavirus crisis ends? If we ask Anca M. Catana, the answer is a resolute no.

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TEKSTI Anca M. Catana

Lately, I found myself bombarded with messages, stories, advices, and whatnot regarding the extraordinary opportunity of studying online. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely happy that I have the chance to finish the courses and receive the credits, given the circumstances, and I do think that remote studying and online working are going to be more popular in the future.

But some of the stories I have seen end somewhere between the lines of “I hope this will become normalised” or “I wish this will continue like that after the lockdown”.

Well, I hope not! And this is why…

It hurts!

Remote studying hurts, physically. After little over three weeks of remote studying, my back hurts from the weird positions I put myself into during the day, while being glued to my laptop. My eyes and head are killing me in the evenings, after having various screens on my face for hours and hours.

I can’t focus

I think I always fell in the category of people with normal attention spans. In the lectures, I don’t find it very difficult to keep my attention on the lesson, except if it is a terribly boring lecture.

But at home? I get distracted every 5 minutes!

The sun outside is lovely, let me check my emails, I need a drink, let me check my emails, I need to use the toilet, let me check the private messages, I could use a snack, what’s in the news…
Finally, the lesson has ended. Wait, what was it all about?

It’s invading my space

“My house, my rules”, remember? Well, the only space that used to be mine and over which I had absolute control, and where I felt so comfortable, is now invaded every day by 20+ uninvited guest from yet another online class.

There’s always a security risk

You know Edward Snowden? Of course you do, otherwise why would you cover the camera of your laptop with a band aid? Oh wait, now you actually have to uncover it every time you have online meetings. Gotcha!

Sometimes, technology just lets you down

A seven-year-old laptop, a 10 Mbps connection, a smartphone that needs an update right now, a low battery, an expired license, a Windows update… it will happen. Technology is going to let you down, probably in the middle of the most important exam.

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Anca M. Catana

Education student, theater enthusiast, nature lover. Curious, spontaneous and ambitious, open for new challenges.

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Anca M. Catana

The University Board of Directors made a decision: project planning for a campus in the city centre begins, planned location is the shopping mall area of Raksila

The Board of Directors of the University of Oulu decided on Tuesday 28 April to start project planning for a new campus, located closer to the city centre. There are hopes that the new campus increases the attractiveness of the University when competing for students, as well as decreases carbon footprint, and improves accessibility.

In English

TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish

The University of Oulu will begin project planning to build a new campus near the city centre of Oulu. The Board of Directors decided on the issue in their meeting on 28 April.

According to the bulletin by the University, the planning stage is estimated to last for about a year. The University will propose to the City of Oulu that the local plan for the Raksila area will be changed.

Architect Rainer Mahlamäki, who has also acted as a professor at the University of Oulu, has created a preliminary plan on how the new university campus would fit in the shopping mall area of Raksila. According to these preliminary plans, the buildings that create the campus would fit inside this area.

There is also space for future projects in Raksila, though decisions on these would have to be made later and separately.

The decision made on Tuesday means that the University wants to build a new campus nearer to the city centre. However, the scale and timetable for the move from the Linnanmaa campus is unclear at this moment. The agenda for the board meeting mentioned only building the first stage of the campus, and that construction would take place gradually or in stages during the next 5 to 20 years.

The project planning starting now is for a campus of a floor area of 30,000 square metres. The University currently utilises 114,000 square metres at Linnanmaa. The difference is enormous. 

The decision does not mean that all the activities of the University would be concentrated at the new city centre campus. It is also guaranteed that studying and research at Linnanmaa will go on for years.

There are plenty of open questions, as now the project planning stage is only beginning. Rector Jouko Niinimäki estimates that acquiring the necessary building permits might be some 3.5 years away. The construction phase itself should take a few years.

Thus, if everything goes according to plan, studying at Raksila could begin at 2027, or at the latest in 2028.

Niinimäki says he is really excited about starting the project planning.

“There have been some worries that we would leave Linnanmaa in one fell swoop. That is not happening. With the project scale being smaller, the worries should be alleviated.”

Rector Niinimäki, the Chair of the Board of Directors Sakari Kallo, and the Director of Urban and Environmental Services for the City of Oulu Matti Matiheikki informed the media on the decision on Tuesday 28 April right after the board meeting.

The new university campus is proposed to be located in the area between the wooden houses of Raksila and the Oulu cemetery next to the Kajaanintie street. Picture: Ville Honkonen.

THE PROPERTY ANALYSIS STARTED IN NOVEMBER AS THE BASIS

The now-made decision was based on the property strategy analysis the University conducted. The aim of the analysis was to find “financially sustainable, long-term university property solutions that support the University’s operations.”

The analysis included three options: maintaining the current building stock, partial demolition and reconstruction of the current buildings on the current campuses, and new construction near the city centre of Oulu. The analysis evaluated the financial, functional, and societal impacts of all the alternatives.

According to the University, the comparison between the alternatives proved that the most viable options were upkeeping the current Linnanmaa building stock and new construction near the city centre.

The cost analyses for the different options were based on the calculations by construction management consultant companies A-insinöörit oy and WSP Finland oy which were conducted individually and without connection to each other. A comparison was also carried out to the actual costs of a similar-sized project from Helsinki, as the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences acquired their new premises in 2019 in Myllypuro.

According to Jouko Niinimäki, the result of the analysis shows that by building new in the city centre there is a chance of achieving a solution that is neutral in terms of investment costs, compared to the upkeep of the current Linnanmaa campus.

Calculations show that the rental prices at the city centre campus would be on a lower level than the current projections for the prices at the Linnanmaa area.

There are multiple options for financing the building project, according to Niinimäki. The landlord and owner of the Linnanmaa campus, the University Properties of Finland (Suomen Yliopistokiinteistöt, SYK), will be an “important partner for the University” in the future as well, continues Niinimäki. There are multiple alternatives for the new campus, such as building it without partners, in co-operation with someone else, or with a leasing agreement. Niinimäki states that the funding for the project will be preliminary discussed during the project planning phase.

According to Sakari Kallo, the Chair of the Board of Directors, the decisions regarding the funding and finances of the project will be made in time in the board meetings. When the project planning is finished, it is time to make decisions.

An outline by architect Rainer Mahlamäki displaying how the campus could fit inside the Raksila shopping mall area. The buildings in the picture are not what the campus would look like, but they are there to show whether it is possible to fit the wanted square space on the plot of land in the first place. On the foreground there are the planned Tervatynnyri buildings (“Barrells of Tar”) that won the design competition for the station area.

NEW CAMPUS HOPED TO INCREASE THE APPEAL OF THE UNIVERSITY

In November, the bulletin by the University and an article in the newspaper Kaleva (13 November 2019) that broke the story stated that the primary reason for the proposed analysis was the high cost of rent the University is paying for the properties. According to the University, the price for the properties is their second largest expense, after human resources.

After November, it has been brought up more and more that the new campus and its location would increase the appeal and attraction of the University.

For example, Rector Jouko Niinimäki stated in an interview for the Oulu Student Magazine (27 February 2020) that in order to attract students, the University should increase its appeal. A good student experience is an integral part of the attractiveness. Other reasons for the project, as mentioned by Niinimäki, are also the decreased carbon footprint and easier access to the campus.

On Tuesday 28 April, Rector Niinimäki brought up again the attractiveness of the new campus, the smaller carbon footprint, as well as improved accessibility compared to the old campus as the deciding factors, along with the issue of high costs. The population projections as well as expectations towards the University also play a role.

Utilising the spaces on the new campus can be very different to the current premises at Linnanmaa, Niinimäki ponders.

The corona crisis has moved learning and teaching to virtual spaces and online environments, so why not carry on with these new practices after the situation has passed?

“There is a good reason to ask if the world is heading the way that the time of mass lectures is over, and we are moving more and more towards small group teaching and student-centred situations. The project planning phase will be fascinating.”

The plans have also received a fair share of criticism. The ex-rector of the University, Lauri Lajunen, has written opinion pieces to both the newspaper Kaleva as well as Forum24, criticising the project. A cause for worry has also been the co-operation between the University and the companies in the Linnanmaa area, as well as what can be done with the emptying campus in Linnanmaa.

Pertti Huuskonen, the former CEO of Technopolis, pondered in an interview in the newspaper Kaleva (7 March 2020) that the Linnanmaa building could host the “largest flea-market in the Nordic countries.”

SYK IN DISCUSSION ABOUT CO-OPERATION

Sanna Sianoja, the CEO of the University Properties of Finland (SYK), said that the company has been doing their own “scenario analysis” after the possible move by the University became public knowledge.

SYK owns, builds, and develops building stock for higher education institutes outside the capital region of Finland. The company is co-owned by nine universities outside the Helsinki area along with the State of Finland. The University of Oulu has a 10.41 % share of ownership.

Therefore, the University of Oulu is a tenant under SYK, but also partly owns the company. According to Sianoja, both parties have had discussions how to increase the attractiveness of the University.

“Building something new is a process that takes multiple years. It is a good thing that we can think this issue together and in a controlled fashion. You could say that the future looks interesting. It requires plenty of work, but now something new and good can be created.”

“Furthermore, from the viewpoint of SYK, we still own the Linnanmaa campus and rent it, and this means plenty of discussions.”

SYK presented its vision for the Linnanmaa campus during the spring. The plan by an architecture company, titled the Heart of Linnanmaa (Linnanmaan Sydän), was shown in the Kaleva on 4 March. Sianoja states that SYK thinks that the activities in Linnanmaa could be concentrated near the centre of the building, and this location could have modern, new architecture.

Sianoja says there are multiple benefits for modernising the current spaces.

“We should take advantage of what we already have and build something on top of that. The effect will be ‘wow’! So, let’s base our plans on the old, but with good architecture. SYK wants to be a responsible company, and the best way to achieve this is if we can use the existing frame to create something great, fit for future users as well.”

In November 2019, the focus in the meeting of the University Board of Directors was placed on the rental costs the University is forced to pay.

Has SYK negotiated with the University of Oulu during this spring about possibly lowering the rental prices?

“The signals from the Rector have been that the situation is not about decreasing the rental costs but increasing the attractiveness,” Sianjoa states.

According to Sianoja, the stakeholder agreement defines the criteria which are used for calculating the rental prices. The criteria are same for all the universities. Although Sianoja also says that when comparing the universities with each other, there are usually also examples of premises and spaces that that are more expensive than normal.

“However, looking at the average rental price, the University of Oulu and all the other universities are on the same line.”

“What we as SYK don’t see is what the University charges internally. Occasionally, we receive feedback from individual Faculties that a space can be expensive, but it is hard for us to comment on the internal pricing of the University.”

OULU UAS CONTINUES WITH THE MOVE, DESPITE THE NEWS

The Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oulu UAS) decided to move to the Linnanmaa campus in October 2016. The campuses from Teuvo Pakkala and Kotkantie are moving to the Linnamaa campus during the year 2020.

The University of Oulu is a majority shareholder of Oulu UAS, and the two higher education institutes are part of the same group. The higher education institutes have been planning how to organise shared services and teaching. Rector Jouko Niinimäki is also the Chair of the Board of Oulu UAS.

The Rector of Oulu UAS Jouko Paaso states that the decision made by the University Board of Directors does not affect the move.

“We are continuing on with the actions that we have planned for a long time. During the summer, we will move to Linnanmaa, apart from the social and health care departments that will stay in Kontinkangas.”

Oulu UAS has a rental agreement with SYK that lasts until 2040. Paaso states that the plan is to adhere to the agreement and commitment to the location.

“If you think about the University moving closer to the city centre, it will happen in multiple stages. Of course, the University is a majority shareholder of Oulu UAS, and it will remain to be seen how that will affect the location of us. So far, we have no other plans. If the owners declare that we should move, the decisions will be made later.”

The plans by the University have not affected the plans of Oulu UAS.

“The main idea behind the decision [to move to Linnamaa] was that the end-result will be an innovation hub, and a strong collaboration between different parties. At this moment, the planned move by the University is an entirely different matter from our plans and aims for the future.”

Even though the corona crisis has affected working at the campuses, the renovations of the Linnanmaa campus for Oulu UAS have not been halted.

“At the beginning of March, we visited the new spaces, and information technology has already moved there. It seems that the renovations and modifying the spaces for us have stayed on schedule. The current plans outline that the move will be done during the summer in multiple stages,” Paaso states.

NOT JUST LOCATION BUT COMMUNALITY AS A FACTOR

Most of the activities of Oulu UAS will be moved to Linnanmaa during this year. There have also been a few internal relocations within the Linnanmaa campus. In the past few years, the architecture students moved from the city centre to Linnanmaa, and the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Education relocated inside the campus building.

The Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY) has previously stated that the Student Union views the changes in a somewhat positive way. This statement is echoed by Eetu Leinonen, the Chair of the Board.

One positive possibility of the move is the increased communality between the students of the campuses of Linnanmaa and Kontinkangas, as the distance between the two campuses would decrease by multiple kilometres.

“Now would be a time to deliver the goods and include all the parties and users of the premises in the discussions.”

Leinonen elaborates that as different working groups are established, each one of them must have student representatives from various faculties. The Student Union as well as the student organisations and the staff must be involved in the process, as well.

According to Leinonen, the location of the campus itself does not increase the attractiveness of the University. The premises must also be fit for the purpose of studying and conducting research, but also to increase communality.

“The communality of the higher education institutes plays a major part in increasing the attractiveness. This means good spaces for teaching and learning, but also communal spaces, such as guild rooms for the student societies.”

Leinonen says that he has not heard much feedback from the students regarding the plans. Some students have wondered at the timing of the plans: just as Oulu UAS is coming to Linnanmaa, the University itself will move away.

“What I understand is that the shared campus will remain, and that is important. It is also vital that different faculties will not be spread out all over town.”

Eetu Leinonen also notes that the University has given rather few options what to do with the emptying spaces of Linnanmaa.

“I think the University should act responsibly in this matter. Sure, the premises are owned by SYK, but the University is one of the shareholders of the company. Responsibility is something that must be kept in mind from the start of the project.”

SHIFT OF FOCUS FOR STUDENT HOUSING

There are large-scale projects in the Linnanmaa area, as the area is being prepared for the shared campus for the two higher education institutes. The preparations for the growth of the area include improving the public transport as well as improvements regarding cycling.

The decision reflects also on student housing. Juha Aitamurto, the CEO of PSOAS (the student housing foundation), states that the changing situation forces PSOAS to adapt as well.

The focus on student housing moves from Linnanmaa to the city centre and Raksila: “Let’s see if we could build housing right at the centre of the campus.”

According to Aitamurto, PSOAS has multiple apartment buildings in Linnanmaa on both Paavo Havaksentie and on Yliopistokatu. The rental agreements for these buildings will end by the year 2037. It would have been more expensive to renovate them than to build something entirely new. With the recent decision by the University Board of Directors, the new houses will be built to a new location.

In the student housing area of Välkkylä, PSOAS has been planning a high-rise project called Uno. The plans for Uno are well underway, and going forward with the project can happen rather quickly now, according to Aitamurto.

In 2018, PSOAS bought an empty office building from Technopolis in Linnanmaa, and this building has been renovated to house exchange students. The reason for acquiring this building was the move by Oulu UAS to Linnanmaa.

According to Aitamurto, the apartments in Tutkijantie 2 are not wasted, as they guarantee enough housing options for the transfer period. He thinks it is essential that during the transitional period student housing is also ensured.

WHAT HAPPENS TO LINNANMAA?

Director of Urban and Environmental Services Matti Matinheikki says that the decision of building a new campus is a large opportunity for both Oulu and northern Finland.

The campus solution will affect the housing market, city planning, and traffic flows.

On Tuesday 28 April, the city of Oulu informed that it will support and assist the project plan by the University. During the planning, the city, in conjunction with the University, will explore the possibilities and the preconditions the planned move includes.

The city says that the location of the campus will influence the design and planning of the shopping mall area of Raksila, as well as the sports park of Raksila. During the planning phase, there will be multiple challenges that the city wishes to overcome, in order to help the University to move to the area.

Matti Matinheikki also calls for everyone to keep their cool: the decision for planning was just made, and there are plenty of things to figure out yet.

“As we think about developing the city centre, we must also keep thinking the development of Linnanmaa.”

Jouko Niinimäki also emphasises that the University is not leaving Linnanmaa any time soon: “Linnanmaa has served us well and will continue to do so.”

The University is dedicated to the development of the area, Niinimäki says.

If the new campus could be taken into use within the next 7 or 8 years, when would the last students leave Linnanmaa? This is something Niinimäki does not want to get into at this point.

STREET PLAN CHANGES PLANNED AT KONTINKANGAS

The decision made by the University Board of Directors does not include the Kontinkangas campus located near the Oulu University Hospital. The Kontinkangas campus houses both the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

There is also a planned change in the street plan of the Kontinkangas area.

The change is based on two applications: the University Properties of Finland has applied to develop “the university campus into a diverse entity in collaboration with the parties at the campus, as well as to support the development projects of the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District.” The Hospital District has applied for changes in the local plan of the area for the construction of a new parking building as well as a hotel for patients. These building plans are part of the Future Hospital 2030 project.

The news was broken by the newspaper Kaleva (7 April 2020). In the interview, Rector Niinimäki stated that at the moment the University does not have building plans at Kontinkangas. Nevertheless, “at some point” a property analysis will be started for the Kontinkangas campus as well. This analysis will be used to identify and explore future options.

Niinimäki confirmed this in a statement during the media briefing held on 28 April. Thus, there are some preliminary musings regarding the Kontinkangas campus, but no decisions will be made on the matter yet.

Translation: Kalle Parviainen

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Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio

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Overcoming obstacles and finding new paths – examples on how study dreams can become true

Pablo Santur compiles five stories with unreal challenges students faced to study in Oulu.

In English

TEKSTI Pablo Santur

We are living an extraordinary time, facing a worldwide challenge that demands us to follow the rules, stay at home, and not gather with friends. It is difficult to remain focused when the landscape is uncertain, giving us no clue of what is coming next. But previously I have faced many similar times, and I guess you have, too. 

For me, the most challenging decision I had to make was to leave South America and come to Oulu, a place that I had no ties with. No friends, relatives or even acquaintances. Zero.

I came here following the dream of studying in one of the best educational systems, and the principle of Finnish society granting equal education opportunities for everyone. From where I come from, that is not taken for granted. Despite many beautiful things Peru offers, good public education and equal opportunities are not among them. It is a hierarchical society, where private education is valued and expensive. Knowing that, my parents paid for my education. They also had a dream of all their children becoming professionals.

It was not easy to come to Oulu. First, I had to embrace the idea of leaving my parents, friends, and the life I had built at that point, and also to save the money needed to live here for a couple of years. A climate crisis in Peru in early 2017 and an accident made the journey more exciting but not less challenging. 

When talking about my experiences with my classmates and other students I found similar stories. In some cases, they faced obstacles way tougher. 

When an interviewee requested to remain anonymous, I created a pseudonym for them. So, you can identify them with this symbol (*).

Life is about creating yourself

Everything we have achieved was by trial and error: walking, completing a video game, or riding a bicycle. If we have mastered something, either injuries, embarrassments, or discouragements were involved in it; and perseverance was a keyword when sticking to our goals and when we kept pursuing them. Perseverance was also a keyword for our interviewees.

Miikka Enbuske dreamed of joining the International Business Management program since 2008. After his first application received a negative response, he gained admission to a university of applied sciences. However, every year he kept applying to the same program. Although the answer remained the same, “we regret to inform you…”, Miikka still had the feeling that he could perform well. He only needed to get in. However, many years had to pass by before he was able to do it.

“Getting accepted to the program was the easiest step, challenges started after that. The main ones were paying the tuition fees and the residency permit.”

On the other side, Abdul Kur(*), a master student of Learning, Education and Technology (LET), had a totally different experience.

“Getting accepted to the program was the easiest step, challenges started after that. The main ones were paying the tuition fees and the residency permit.” 

The economy of his home country was collapsing, and the currency was losing value rapidly. However, he remained committed to the idea of starting his studies on time. 

“I was sure that if I didn’t manage to start my higher education abroad then, it would be impossible in the near future, so I tried my best to overcome the challenges.”

To face such a daunting situation is not easy. After getting rejected the easiest step would be to quit. Just forget the thing and jump to something else. But, on the other side, those challenges could also be understood as a way to demonstrate our commitment to the goal.

Miikka had one child, a second one coming, and a job, but he was still convinced that university would change his life, and he persisted. 

Likewise, Abdul got two jobs and started his own small handicraft venture, all to get the money he needed.

”I and a friend were making fancy paper bags. We bought the paper waste from a paper-box factory, used it to produce the bags, and then sell them to gift shops.”

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

Rohit Mishra and Taslima Uddin(*) were also thinking about Oulu to follow their studies in Education and Architecture, respectively. With a background in engineering and many years as an educator, Rohit found the LET program was the best fit for him for including both self-regulation theories and technology-enhanced learning. By her side, Talisma was looking to dive deeper into architecture as well as a closer contact to nature. 

“Since I began my professional studies, different styles of architecture were an inspiration to travel. Finland was a great choice as the architecture here is quite contrasting to what I am used to practicing in Southeast Asia.”

“I felt trapped in a phase and I couldn’t get myself out.”

Considering their dreams, they both became extremely happy after receiving their acceptance letters. So, they started to plan their lives in Oulu, without expecting the bad news about to come. 

As Rohit explains: “After getting admission, I started the process of the residence permit (RP) quite late, thinking it won’t take much time. I quit my job and accepted the offered housing, bought flight tickets, and started other processes before thinking about RP. A terrible mistake.”

For Taslima, the shock of such a defining moment also had emotional and practical consequences. As she explains: “I quit my job because I knew I was about to leave, so being unemployed turned out to add more stress to the situation. I had all the time in the world at hand but nothing to do or plan, as I could have received the decision any day and fly out the next morning. I felt trapped in a phase and I couldn’t get myself out.”

So, both Rohit and Taslima had to deal with something beyond their control. Setting up their plans for years, just to fall so close from the top of the mountain they were about to conquer. A little bit further in the journey, Masud Mohamed(*) faced a similar situation that he was not able to foresee. He was in Egypt, in his hometown, in 2013, when the military coup took place. Witnessing the injustice and the feeling of helplessness pushed him to look for new horizons abroad. 

Three years later, already as a master student in environmental engineering, he thought the crisis was gone, but one night it suddenly struck back. 

“It happened three months after I came to Finland. I had all my savings in Egyptian pounds (EGP) because it was nearly impossible to make the change to Euros. So, one night I went to sleep, with the equivalent of € 10,000 in EGP in my bank account, but the next morning the currency value was slashed in half, and so were my savings.”

Recalling this event, the sadness and anger Masud felt at that moment becomes evident. A lot of effort invested, lost in the blink of an eye. It is just heartbreaking. Despite how arduous that moment was, Masud found the strength to keep going from his family.

“My mom recommended me to focus on what I came here for, and not to worry about the money. She told me I will get the financial support I need to pursue my dream, even if that meant selling everything they own.” 

Similarly, Taslima, Miikka, Rohit, and Abdul also found in their families an invaluable support to keep pursuing their dreams. 

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.” 

In such a short phrase, Mahatma Gandhi was able to summarise that whatever situation you are facing, it is your reaction to it what shapes it.

In the end, are not the circumstances, but our response to them what defines us? In the case of our interviewees, the challenges faced led them to unexpected situations.

Even though the negative response, Rohit decided to create alternative paths before applying again to the master’s program. 

“Despite the odds, I took it as an opportunity to put the theory of Self-Regulated learning in practice. I set a goal of completing my proposed research idea by collecting data through a pilot project. I intended to present it in an international conference during the early stage of my master’s program to collect feedback and to refine it.” 

However, his strong will was about to be tested again. 

“The year 2018 was not an easy one; my friends and family were sceptical and concerned seeing the effort I was putting in for attaining the goal in absence of any assurance of result. However, for me, there was an assurance: an assurance of learning.” 

Luckily, one year later, his efforts paid off when he was able to present his research in an international research conference.

But Rohit was not the only one who throve under hard circumstances. Similarly, Masud also found a reason to persist in difficult times.

“The challenge gave me the motivation to work harder so I would not disappoint anyone who supported me, and so all the troubles I went through wouldn’t be in vain. I was given an opportunity that millions around the world only dream of; I did not want it to waste it. I was determined to succeed.” 

The life-changing experience led Masud to devote himself to studies and his dedication was rewarded when he got two internships and the funding from the City of Oulu Internationalization Scholarship in 2017. 

As he explains with a big smile: “The experience brought out the best in me. I was able to achieve things I did not think I was capable of.” 

Taslima had to defer the beginning of her studies by one year. However, the waiting process helped her to realize that spending time with her parents is what she valued the most, especially now she is in Oulu. 

“I am really happy that I finally made it to Oulu. Compared to the first time, I value the opportunity more now. It also made me aware that situations may change and not take the expected course. But at the end of the day it also passes away, so I accept feeling sad or scared too. Every experience leaves a mark on us, and this experience made me mentally stronger.” Luckily, the conquered challenge brought wisdom and joy to her.

For Miikka, thinking about this experience made him thankful for the support he received from his family and friends. Especially from his wife, who always pushed him forward. 

Reflecting about his previous effort also helped him ponder about his future. 

“I think everything has a purpose and I have gained valuable working experience before my studies, and I can reflect on that. I also know what I do not want to do in the future professionally. My challenges also taught me how to overcome my past weaknesses and that I can demand a lot more from myself than what I had demanded before.”

***

It may be that we are at the beginning, the middle, or the end of the journey. Wherever we are, new challenges will always show up. For me, arriving in Oulu came also with new challenges to overcome, such as improving my communication and intercultural skills, learning how to deal with the local weather, and more currently: writing a thesis and dealing with the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

However, if you are facing an extremely discouraging moment, I hope you got as inspired as me when finding the wisdom in the stories above. So, rely on your beloved ones and find the strength to keep going forward. As Odin said in ancient Nordic mythology: “Strength and virtue must be challenged, or they will not grow.” 

After this time is gone, we will all be stronger.

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Pablo Santur

Learning specialist in thesis writing mode. Former TV scriptwriter. Foodie. Anime lover. Twitter: @pablodsantur

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