We lack the human resources who can contribute to maintaining our future welfare state. Finland needs more people of working age, more talent and more immigrants. Universities are the gateway to Finland from the outside world and this channel should be increasingly used to attract international talent to our country.
The international community is important to the university, and we are lucky to see it grow every year. Currently, 10.8% of his master’s students and 22.6% of his postdoctoral fellows are from countries other than Finland, with the most common nationalities being Chinese, Russian, and American. The university’s goal is to significantly increase the number of international students in the coming years.
But charm alone is not enough. Attractiveness is also needed to keep students in Finland after graduation.
The importance of international students goes far beyond the walls of higher education institutions. Students from all over the world have a strong influence on Finland’s economy, growth and development. International students, researchers, professors and other staff bring diverse expertise and international networks, as well as valuable perspectives and cultural diversity, to the University and society at large. Keeping them in Finland will not only fill our skills gap but also play an important role in increasing our popularity and international competitiveness.
As evidenced by a Finnish article in the Helsingin Sanomat daily on January 10, many factors are currently influencing the prospects of students considering whether to stay or leave. Many of them are very impressed with Finland’s safety and reliability. Effective and well-managed infrastructure and public transport, generally high safety awareness, and low social class.
At the same time, factors such as the difficulty of finding employment in Finnish companies, the introverted nature of Finnish society, and the difficulty of making friends with Finns are factors in favor of leaving.
Finland needs immigrants. That’s why we should all support their arrival and attachment throughout society, everywhere: in educational institutions and businesses, in decision-making places, in neighborhoods and hobby groups.
The Finnish government needs to take urgent steps to increase immigration for education and work, and develop a comprehensive plan to attract and retain talent to Finland. The international community desperately needs positive signals from Finland. Otherwise, the experts we need will go elsewhere.
Hannah Snellman
Vice President of the University of Helsinki
Ekaterina Rodina
Student, member of the International Committee of the University of Helsinki Student Union
This opinion article was published in Helsingin Sanomat on January 29, 2024.