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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 28April, 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

Julkaistu 29.4.20201.2.2023

Anni Hyypiö

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.

Julkaistu 23.4.20201.2.2023

Pablo Santur

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

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The University closes its doors on 18.3. – 24/7-cards no longer in use, libraries, Linnanmaa Sports hall to close

Suomeksi. The University of Oulu released a statement saying it would close its doors until the 13th of April yesterday. All university teaching will be organised remotely. The decision was made as a result of the Finnish government’s measures released on the 16th of March. The University will close campuses starting tomorrow, the 18th of […]

Yleinen

TEKSTI Iida Putkonen

Suomeksi.

The University of Oulu released a statement saying it would close its doors until the 13th of April yesterday. All university teaching will be organised remotely. The decision was made as a result of the Finnish government’s measures released on the 16th of March.

The University will close campuses starting tomorrow, the 18th of March. As the campuses close, all university teaching will be organised remotely via Zoom and Teams applications.

Students will no longer be able to enter campuses before April. The 24/7-cards will stop working on university premises on the 18th. The University says students should retrieve what they need from the campuses during the course of today, the 17th of March.

The University started special arrangements due to coronavirus last week. Then the instructions were to move to remote studies and stop exchanges as well as big events. Now the measures increase in intensity as the Finnish government decided to close all schools. At the same time they banned public gatherings of over ten people and decided to close public hobby and leisure centres.

The limitations mean that instead of previous information, the University will close completely. The University libraries, Linnanmaa sports hall and gym as well as the botanical garden will close. Many interest societies at the university have also cancelled events due to the limitations.

The university libraries will close until the 13th of April. When the library is closed all loans will be renewed automatically. No late fees will be charged.

Campus restaurants have also had to adapt. The CEO of Uniresta, Kaija-Liisa Silvennoinen says that all campus restaurants except Medisiina will be closed this week. This means Kastari, H2O Campus and Campus shop will be closed on the Linnanmaa campus.

Vanilla, Uniresta restaurant in the city centre, however will stay open. Vanilla and Medisiina will continue to offer student priced meals also with take away -options. Kela has given campus restaurants permission to sell student lunches as take away -products until the end of May.

Uniresta Oy is owned by the Student Union of Oulu and Oulu ylioppilasapu ry.

Juvenes Oy is also keeping restaurant Foodoo open. Students can pick up prepackaged student meals from Foodoo in Linnanmaa, the restaurant provider said on the 19th of March.

Read the latest updates about corona on the University’s website.

Updated at 13.25: Added comments from the Uniresta CEO.

Updated 19.3. 11.17: Added information about Foodoo by Juvenes.

Julkaistu 17.3.20201.2.2023

Iida Putkonen

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Tiedeviestinnän maisteri ja glögin ympärivuotinen kuluttaja. Etsii revontulia, riippumattoja ja juuri oikeita sanoja.

Lue lisää:

The University of Oulu and corona: how to secure studies, what about student organizations Wappu?

The University of Oulu aims to move to online teaching and studies to stop the spread of coronavirus. The guidelines set by the university affect both studies and free time.

Ilmiöt Yleinen

TEKSTI Iida Putkonen

The University of Oulu has updated its guidelines regarding the COVID-19 virus on the 12th of March. Earlier the university informed students and staff that travelling should be limited and people returning from areas with corona should work from home. Yesterday the university released a statement underlining the importance of distance between people in order to stop corona from spreading at the university. In practise this means working remotely for both for students and teachers.

Behind the university’s decisions lie the cases of corona in university students in Oulu. 17 new cases were found in University of Oulu students on the 12th of March. The cases are connected to ski resorts in Austria. The students exposed to the diagnosed patients have been quarantined on the 13th of March.

Also affecting the university’s decision is that The Finnish government decided on measures against corona yesterday, on the 12th of March. The Government recommended that all gatherings of over 500 people be cancelled until the end of May. Travelling and organising other events should also be considered carefully.

As a result of the limitations, the university has for example moved this spring’s Doctoral Conferment Ceremony to Autumn 2020.

Teaching to happen online, laptops to teachers

The University of Oulu recommends increased remote work and says they will increase online teaching. People with flu-like symptoms can not participate in classes, exams or come to campuses.

The university’s Chief Information Officer Kari Keinänen says that the university is preparing to offer all teachers a laptop to guarantee education.

“We ordered 209 laptops: everything the supplier had in storage. We aim to secure computers for teachers if they were to need them to teach online”, Keinänen told the Student Magazine on the 13th of March.

The CIO says they estimate around 300 teachers might need a computer. If the new laptops will not be enough, the university’s laptop vendors will be employed for use in teaching.

“The laptop vendor computers are available for students to use and will continue to be as long as there are computers. They currently hold 140 laptops that are in circulation as usual.”

To guarantee smooth teaching, the university is arranging training for the teaching staff, Keinänen says.

“We are going to have webinars next week where we aim to train teachers to use online teaching tools. We are also reforming the IT support services so we can continue to help teachers as they work remotely.”

Students who don’t have their own computer for remote work have also been taken into account. The Vice Rector for Education Helka-Liisa Hentilä said on the 12th of march that teaching will be offered in a way that suits mobile devices. Students will receive more information and support regarding this.

The university library released a statement of friday the 13th of March saying the customer service will end at libraries starting on the 16th. Using the library spaces, loaning books and returning them will function like normal with the current automated services. The Pegasus library will be open on weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm. The library will be closed on saturdays starting tomorrow. The libraries of Kontinkangas campus and OUAS will continue to be open normally.

Studies at a normal pace

The University of Oulu aims to guarantee teaching so that nobody’s studies will be delayed because of the epidemic.

Kela released a statement on the 13th of March saying delays in studies caused by corona will be taken into account when deciding student benefits. Student allowance will be given even if the amount of completed studies slows down. More months for student allowance can also be granted.

The start of studies should also not be delayed due to the virus. The university stated that even though entrance exams are also an event of over 500 people, they would be organised so the amount will not reach the maximum capacity. The decision for how to organise the exams will be made together with other Finland’s universities. The first entrance exams are to be held in Oulu on the 23rd of April.

Exchanges cancelled

The policy for the University of Oulu is that all current exchange students of Oulu university are to return to Finland. This decision has been made due to the Finnish Institute for Health and Wellbeing (THL) stating that clear lines for where the epidemic is in effect can no longer be drawn and all travel is risky.

Upon returning from an exchange the University of Oulu will pay for all extra expenses caused by travelling back, if the expenses are not covered by travel insurance or grants. According to the university students can keep the grants they have received for the exchange, even though the exchange period has been interrupted.

The University of Oulu as well as the Oulu University of Applied Sciences (OUAS) recommend that exchanges planned for spring 2020 be cancelled and no students go out on exchanges.

Upon returning from an exchange students must study remotely for 14 days. Longer instructions for returning have been sent out to students through the SoleMove-website on the 12th of March.

Wappu and free time remotely?

The measures taken affect free time as well as studies. The Student Union of Oulu University OYY informed student organisations on the topic on the 13th of March. OYY recommends that organisations carefully consider organising events. In future events they should secure the option to participate remotely as well as ensure good hygiene. The OYY office will also be closed for the time being.

OYY advices student guilds to close their guild rooms and to hold their board meetings remotely. The reason for this is that virus infections spread effectively in small, closed off spaces.

Cancelling events of over 500 people also affects the traditional student event, wappu. The Technical students association of Oulu OTY gave a comment on this on the 12th of March.

“OTY is following the situation regarding corona. There is no reason to worry about Wappu, as it will happen either way. If needed it will be organised completely remotely through Twitch, Snapchat, Instagram and other social media. More info will follow in the near future, said Riikka Haataja.

The University Sports of Oulu OKKL has also stopped all of their activity for the time being starting Friday the 13th.

The University of Oulu released a statement regarding the new actions against corona on the 12th of March. The University will have a group of people meet every day to discuss future actions. Follow the latest info on the University’s website.

More information about corona can be found here. In case you get sick you can check out the information by the city of Oulu and Finnish Student Health Service.

Julkaistu 13.3.20201.2.2023

Iida Putkonen

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Tiedeviestinnän maisteri ja glögin ympärivuotinen kuluttaja. Etsii revontulia, riippumattoja ja juuri oikeita sanoja.

Lue lisää:

Linnanmaa, the city center and student experience – what will happen to the campus?

Last Autumn the University of Oulu informed the media they would start an inquiry into the future of the Linnanmaa campus. It was brought up that the campus could be moved to the city center. According to the rector, building a new campus in the city center would be an investment in students, the environment as well as the city.

Yleinen

TEKSTI Iida Putkonen

Read this story in Finnish.

The relocation of Linnanmaa campus caused a lot of buzz last autumn. In November the university started an inquiry into a real estate strategy project. The options are the following: renovating the old buildings, a completely new property built in Linnanmaa or the relocation of the campus to the city center.

The reasons behind the inquiry are the aging campus and the high rent of the property that would rise even higher if the current campus was renovated.

The question is: would the university campus really move to city center? Yes, it would, says the head of the real estate strategy project, rector Jouko Niinimäki.

“There is more to it than the high rent,” Niinimäki starts.

According to the rector, the rent of the property is negotiable. However, there are other problems with the old campus.

“The life cycle of the property is coming to its end. The current campus has functioned well for almost 50 years but the aging means that renovations are needed. It’s either renovation, building a new campus or relocation.”

Why move?

Why then is relocating the best choice?

Niinimäki says that the decision concerns the future of the university and the future generations of students. The amount of students is dropping as age groups approaching university education are smaller. That means that there will be more competition between universities.

“The University of Oulu has to be even more attractive so we can get students from other growth centers as well. The new campus and new location would help the university become a nationwide topic in media”, says Niinimäki.

The relocation to the city center is more a question of reputation rather than property to the rector: it is a way to make the university more appealing. In his speech he repeats the words student experience.

“Nowadays more and more students want to live in the city center. If the university, their hobbies and living would be in the same area, the students would experience the university as more pleasant as well.

According to Niinimäki, it’s important to have easy access to the campus. The new location is planned to be near the railway station which would make it easier to commute to the campus when arriving from another city.

“Aalto university and all the other big universities are easy to travel to. A central location would attract more students from the north, south and east alike”, says Niinimäki.

Concerned with carbon

When making plans for the new campus, the environment and carbon emissions will also be considered.

“The Linnanmaa campus is old and the shape of it is flat. We have big glass walls, and the building is far from being energy efficient”, says Niinimäki.

By moving the university to the city center, the need for traveling by car would decrease. That would in turn decrease the carbon emissions of the university.

“The current public transport won’t be able to keep up with combined University of Applied Sciences UAS and University campus. I already get feedback from students about how the buses are too full. We can’t rely on people driving their own cars to campus if we seek carbon neutrality.”

Niinimäki sees transport as a crucial problem regarding student experience. He has read that in Helsinki only one third of the young people get a driver’s license. Niinimäki believes the future generations of students want to continue using public transport to commute to their studies.

A project for the ages

The inquiry into the campus properties is meant to be ready this spring. Niinimäki says that he intends to present the subject to the board of the university in April. The board will decide whether to renovate, rebuild or relocate.

If the board will support the relocation, there is still years before the move would eventually happen. The moving would happen one faculty at a time in the time frame of 2026–2040.

“Most of the current students would not see the new campus as students anymore by the time the relocation happens”, says Niinimäki.

Even though the new plans might feel daunting, Niinimäki is excited. He hopes that the students feel the same positivity.

“Whatever the decision will be, we are always thinking of the well-being of our students. This decision is being made for the benefit of students and their experience.”

The future campus

Even though plans regarding the new campus are still only in the hypothetical phases, ideas regarding the design have been thrown around. Being located near the railway station seems to be fairly set.

Niinimäki thinks having the university in the center of the city would also help bring new life into Oulu.

“Even though the vitality of the city isn’t really a part of university’s tasks, by relocating we could help bring some energy into the city center and make Oulu more appealing as a city.”

Niinimäki mentions the Myllypuro campus of Metropolia as an inspiration for the new property. The brand new Myllypuro campus was designed by Oulu-based architect Rainer Mahlamäki.

So far no official plans for the design of the new university have not been made. However, architect students in Oulu are designing a hypothetical new campus as a part of a course lead by Mahlamäki.

Niinimäki states that the coursework is purely playful, but who knows.

“The new campus would be an investment for the future. I would ask the students not to worry!” Niinimäki concludes

Julkaistu 27.2.20201.2.2023

Iida Putkonen

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Tiedeviestinnän maisteri ja glögin ympärivuotinen kuluttaja. Etsii revontulia, riippumattoja ja juuri oikeita sanoja.

Lue lisää:

Time to say goodbye – how it feels to leave Oulu

In this article Pablo Santur interviews former students, tells their stories and explores how it feels to be leaving Oulu and say goodbye.

In English

TEKSTI Pablo Santur

Many of us came to Oulu excited for the new path unfolding in front of us. Since the moment we decided to come, we knew a journey was beginning. Only at the very end can we say if we got what we were looking for.

We may have begun seeking a better future, a professional improvement, or just a new beginning. Still, we can never be fully aware of the potential hiding behind our expectations. The unexpected parts are the places to discover, moments to live, or challenges to overcome.

Once someone told me that the difficult part of going back home after staying somewhere for a long time is realizing that you have two homes. You are going back to your family and friends, but also leaving behind new friends. In this article we are going to discover pieces of the journey of some former students who already left Oulu, and hear how it feels to say goodbye.

Every journey begins with a step

To reach the university, we all had to take many different steps. Some reached the university in a rush, without too much planning. This was the case of Héctor Pijeira-Díaz, Vasiliki (Vaso) Mylonopoulou and Tiina Strand.

Héctor was still working on his master’s thesis in Spain when he found out about a PhD position in Oulu and decided to apply. Similarly, Vaso was in Sweden looking for a job when she was accepted as a doctoral student. That was the beginning of the journey for them.

It was a little bit different for Tiina. She was originally planning to go further down south from Sodankylä, her hometown. However, her plans changed when she was accepted to the university of Oulu. Even then, she thought it was only going to be for 5 years. In the end, it turned out it would take longer than that before she continued the journey she had in mind years earlier.

Feeling lonely and friendless was the hardest thing I faced in Oulu.

Not everyone’s path was full of unexpected turnarounds. There are those who were able to picture the path they were going to follow and execute the plan with surgical precision. That was the case for Axel Cima, Lourdes Malacara and Kassandra Hernández. From all corners of Hispanic countries (Argentina, Mexico and Spain, respectively), they did an extensive search for programs that matched their interests.

While Axel was focused on economic geology, Lourdes and Kassandra were interested in education. Lourdes was interested in the links between education and technology, while Kassandra wanted to look into the pedagogic strategies of Finnish teachers. After a lengthy process reviewing several programs in different cities, they choose Oulu as their destination.

Fatema struggled to make friends at first.

Looking for company for the ride

As main characters of our own story, we accepted the solitude in coming to Oulu and leaving behind our familiar lives. Even though every journey began individually, we needed to build bonds with people to overcome the challenges along the path. For some it was easier, while others struggled.

The sense of community is very precious thing and it’s hard to come by after you graduate.

The latter was the case for Fatema Tuj Zohora, then Master student in molecular medicine. Even though she found many opportunities for her research interests at the university, she had a hard time developing connections. As she remembers: “In the very beginning, I didn’t feel welcomed. It was very hard to find a friend in the classroom. Feeling lonely and friendless was the hardest thing I faced in Oulu.”

Some other students were lucky enough to be able to find a group of people that accompanied them through the entire journey. Axel is grateful for the solid group of classmates who stuck with him during his 2-year programme.

“Since the very beginning we formed a wonderful group of international people from every continent and we stuck together. Multiculturalism and friendship were great pillars for this experience.”

Likewise, Tiina highlights the relevance of people in her university experience. Vappu has especially been a very special time for her.

“It felt like all the students were out and about and you could make new friends everywhere. The sense of community is very precious thing and it’s hard to come by after you graduate.”

Hector’s biggest challenge was his multidisciplinary PhD.

Surprises along the path

A Finnish expression says: “Elämä ei ole ruusuilla tanssimista” – literally, life is not dancing on roses – meaning life is not exempt of troubles. Indeed, the troubles faced along the way also left deep traces in us.

One challenge for exchange students was the cold and long-lasting dark season. Lourdes knew about the cold weather before arriving, but she still felt sad and lacked energy to do her research during the winter.

“I wanted to sleep most of the time and did not want to do my assignments”, she says.

Despite the struggle, winter changed Lourdes’ view about locals for the better.

“Before moving to Finland, I had the notion that Finnish people were ‘cold’. Instead I found that while Finnish people take their time to know you, once they trust you they are really friendly and nice. They really care for their friends, and they support you in difficult times but also in happy moments”, she says.

Sometimes the biggest challenge was else, something you could not see coming. That was the case for Vaso, for whom her studies became the biggest challenge to overcome.

“I think the PhD itself was difficult. I have not yet met a doctoral researcher who is doing perfectly well mentally. A PhD takes years, and one really only believes that they can make it at the defence. The years before are full of uncertainty, doubts, and random deadlines.”

Similarly, his PhD challenged Héctor to reinvent himself. Coming from a totally different academic background, he had to work extra hard to fully embrace the multidisciplinary nature of his research.

I have not yet met a doctoral researcher who is doing perfectly well mentally.

“I had an engineering background and came to work in educational psychology. My thesis had a very strong component of physiological data. So, you know psychophysiology, educational psychology, computer science, that mix was difficult.”

The end of one journey is the beginning of another

At the end of the journey, new decisions had to be made for the future. In the case of some our interviewees, their studies in Oulu gave them clarity of mind about their perspectives and priorities.

Axel for one discovered his deep bonds with his home country.

“I realized how much I was missing my family, friends, girlfriend and culture. I decided to finish my degree, pack my stuff and return home.”

Similarly, Fatema’s desires and goals lead her to Germany to continue her PhD. However she left with some mixed feelings.

“I’ll miss Oulu and my friends over here a lot. But my career goal is leading me there.”

Vaso also felt like her path lead her further away.

“After spending a few of months in Oulu, I realized that I would leave it either for Helsinki or most possibly for another country. I did not know when and where, but both my partner and I felt like this”.

Some, however, left with less clarity, not knowing if they would be back or not. That was the case for Tiina, who moved to Helsinki.

“Oulu is a good place to live. I have nothing against moving back to Oulu, it’s just that I have to be somewhere else for a while.”

Some say goodbye, hoping to come back and visit former friends. For others, leaving is not so easy. As Kassandra says:

“I feel very sad about leaving Oulu, because it has felt like home all this time. It’s difficult to me to say goodbye to people without knowing when I will see them again, or even worse, if I ever will.”

“When you miss a place, what you really miss is the time that corresponds to that place; sites are not missed, but times. ”

Jorge Luis Borges

Julkaistu 5.2.20201.2.2023

Pablo Santur

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