How Finland attracts international students

The number of international students coming to Finland is increasing, said to be due to the government simplifying visa requirements and wanting to attract talent to stay and work.

From 2022, international students in Finland will be able to apply for residence for the entire duration of their university studies, instead of having to apply annually as before. They will also be able to increase their working hours from 24 to 30 hours per week, stay in Finland for two years after graduation and bring their family members with them.

Finland also uses a common application form for universities, with each applicant being allowed to choose up to six subjects. International students can take the university of applied sciences (UAS) exam at home online to apply.

“These things are really attractive to international students. Before Finland was just about attraction, but now we are talking about attraction and retention,” says Hanna Isoranta, academic leader of Study in Finland.

As a result, more than 7,000 new students were granted residence permits, an increase of about 54% compared to 2021, reaching a record level in the past 6 years. The five countries with the highest number of students granted permits are Russia, China, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam.

Aalto University campus. Source: Aalto University — Aalto University campus. Source: *Aalto University*

Harri Hälvä, an official from the Finnish Education Agency, said efforts to promote Finnish education and life opportunities are starting to pay off.

“Finland not only encourages more international students to come and study, but also welcomes them to stay, work and start families,” he said.

The country has drawn up a research development plan for 2024-2030, planning to spend 280 million euros (about 310 million USD) on technology research. However, with a population of only about 5.5 million, the government wants to double the number of immigrants looking for work, triple the number of international students and retain 75% of them by 2030.

In addition, Finland also focuses on recruiting skilled workers from four countries, including India, the Philippines, Brazil and Vietnam.

However, the biggest barrier for international students wanting to stay and work after graduation is language. While major companies use English, the majority of the population speaks Finnish, a language that is notoriously difficult to learn.

Finland has 35 universities, with tuition fees for international students ranging from 5,000 to 18,000 euros (135-485 million VND) per year, depending on the field of study. The fields most chosen by students are Social Sciences, Journalism and Information, Information Technology and Communication.

The University of Helsinki is Finland's highest-ranked university, ranked 99th in the US News university rankings.

Doan Hung (According to The Pie News, University World News)

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