Marianne Autero

GREET 24 September workshop, session 2

Agenda for the workshop, 90 minutes in total

• Who are we in this session (5 mins)

• Short introductions and group division

• Introduction to some practices in HEIs in Finland (10 mins)

• Gathering the current practices in different countries (30 mins)

• Coming up with the brighter future (30 mins)

• Summing up the session outcomes and feedback (15 mins)

What are the themes to tackle?

In university – concentration on the topics once

admitted to higher education

• Learning the language

• Technical knowledge

• University system

Supporting Immigrants in Higher

Education in Finland – SIMHE

– my home base

• Guidance and Counselling Services for immigrants not enrolled on Finnish HEIs

• The goal is to

• recognize prior skills and competence

• guide to education and work life

• In the Helsinki regionSIMHE services are provided in English and Finnish by

• Metropolia University of Applied Sciences

• University of Helsinki

What is SIMHE (Supporting Immigrants

in Higher Education)?

Oulu UAS

Karelia UAS

Helsinki Uni and Metropolia UAS

Jyväskylä Uni

Turku Uni

SIMHE universities 2017-2020

Piloting in 2016

• Metropolia UAS

• Jyväskylän Uni

SIMHE 2017 onwards

• Helsinki Uni

• Turku Uni

• Karelia UAS

• Oulu UAS

• Metropolia UAS

• Jyväskylä Uni

6

http://www.cimo.fi/services/services_by_sector/higher_education/heis_supporting_immigrants/simhe_services

Helsingin kaupungin aineistopankki / +ina+

Examples from higher education in

Finland

Short introduction to practices in Finnish HEIs

GENERAL

• Dual model: universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS)

• Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees – variety in the application

procedure; joint application to most programmes on Bachelor’s/Master’s

• Degree studies are offered on all levels in Finnish, English or in Swedish

• Eligibility criteria varies in terms of language level and how it is tested;

usually minimum B2-C1

• NOTE! The same practices apply to all international students regardless

their background. There are no separate services (yet) within universities

for refugees.

Learning the language

• Language of tuition defines the language studies in degree

programmes

• Finnish language courses are offered in English-conducted

Bachelor’s programmes – not always on Master’s or Doctoral level

• Studying in Finnish-conducted degree programmes requires high

level of Finnish language skills (B2-C1 to start with)

• Licences for OLS for Refugees on-line linguistic support in use in

some SIMHE universities for recent immigrants to Finland

• Possibility to take language courses from other universities/UAS via

open university or the new CampusOnline (UAS courses)

Short introduction to practices in Finnish HEIs

Technical knowledge

• Recognition of Prior Learning takes place once admitted as degree

student at HEI in Finland. Practices vary between the

universities/UAS

Extract from Metropolia UAS

• Recognition of prior learning (RPL) refers, as a whole, to the practices

that enable competence acquired by students in various

circumstances to be recognised and accredited as part of their

studies and degrees. The goal of recognition of prior learning is to

promote the progress of studies and to enable students to take an

individual study path. Students' prior learning is recognised regardless

of how, where and when they have acquired it. Source: https://www.metropolia.fi/en/apply/general-information/manage-your-studies/recognition-of-prior-learning/

Short introduction to practices in Finnish HEIs

University system

• Orientation course/s in the beginning of studies

• Study counselling throughout the studies (mode and

implementation varies between HEIs and programmes)

• Student well-being services

• Other services provided by HEIs: library, student unions,

career services, international services, alumni

association etc.

Short introduction to practices in Finnish HEIs

Finding out the practices in other HEIs

in Europe – the group work

Group work 1: Current practices (30 mins)

• Discuss what kind of current practices there are in HEIs in different

EU countries and universities in terms of:

Learning the language (language requirements; language courses

etc.)

Technical knowledge: especially RPL

University system: services provided for all/particularly for refugee-

background students

Write the practices on flip chart paper on your table

- Allocate the time as 20 minutes for all three topics

- We will use 10 minutes for sharing the outcome

Helsingin kaupungin aineistopankki / Lauri Rotko

• Brainstorming the ideas

Coming up with brighter future

Group work 2: Future best practices (30 mins)

• Discuss what kind of best practices we could introduced on the

European level to smoothen the paths for refugees (and immigrants)

studying in higher education in terms of:

Learning the language

Technical knowledge

University system

NOTE! You are allowed to be very innovative here!

Write the practices on flip chart paper on your table

- Allocate the time as 20 minutes in total for all three topics

- We will use 10 minutes for sharing the outcome

• Where to go next

Summing up the ideas

Where to go next? (15 mins)

• How can we influence decision-makers in universities,

other authorities?

• What kind of cooperation would help to reach the

goals?

• Possibilities for cross-national cooperation?

THANK YOU!

www.metropolia.fi/en

www.facebook.com/MetropoliaAMK

etunimi.sukunimi@metropolia.fi