Why I choose to study at the University of Oulu

Photo: Katja Lösönen/Kuvatoimisto Keksi/Finland Promotion Board.

Science with Arctic Attitude: Founded in 1958, University of Oulu is one of the biggest Universities in Finland with around 16,000 students in eight faculties and 44 programmes. The University of Oulu contributes to global challenges with five focus areas:

• Creating sustainability through materials and systems
• Molecular and environmental basis for lifelong health
• Digital solutions in sensing and interactions
• Earth and near-space system and environmental change
• Understanding humans in change.

The focus is on making a sustainable world, healthy and intelligent, with the guidance of the University's values.

Main campus of University of Oulu. Photo: University of Oulu.

University of Oulu operates on two campuses: Faculty of Medicine and Biochemistry is located next to Oulu University Hospital near the centre, and rest of the faculties are situated five kilometres north of the city centre in Linnanmaa. (Buses run between Linnanmaa and centre very well, and cycling in Oulu is fast and pleasant.)

The educational field in Finland is going through changes, and University of Oulu is not immune to this. In autumn 2020, Linnanmaa campus will also host most of the faculties of Oulu University of Applied Sciences. This major change will make Linnanmaa campus a place of study and work for over 20 000 people, talk about concentration of knowledge! The new campus will give more opportunities for students to pick studies and courses cross-discipline, and it will enhance the cooperation between university and university of applied sciences.

 

TellUs Innovation Arena. Photo: University of Oulu, Ville Pohjonen.

International Master’s programmes can be found here. The quality of Finnish education is top notch, and Finnish university degrees offer a distinguished advantage in global job markets. University of Oulu offers a great combination of cooperation between studies and research, and newest research results are quickly adapted to the studies. Studies at the University of Oulu are relevant, interactive, and of the highest quality. University’s high rankings on multiple international university rankings prove it!

University of Oulu also actively supports entrepreneurship and working life connections. Entrepreneur studies are open to students from every faculty, as University of Oulu believes that entrepreneurship as a career is an option for every degree! Also offered are multiple activities such as mentor programmes, associations and events, which bring entrepreneurial-minded people together to share ideas and knowledge in a multidisciplinary environment.

 

Engineering students in Vappu (Mayday) parade. Photo: Oulun kaupunki.

The city of Oulu is a great place to live and study: Either you are a nature lover or a city person, Oulu has something for everyone! Rent level is quite low for a university city (by Finnish and Australian standards) and with many housing options available. Student life in Oulu is very active, and myriad activities and events to make sure there is something to do all year round. Numerous different student associations and clubs connect people with shared interests together (e.g. Friends of Heavy Music Örmy, and Scout Troop SOOPA).

Logo of University of Oulu. Photo: University of Oulu.

Overall Finland is a great place for students: Low level of hierarchy makes interaction between students and university staff easy, Finland is very safe and friendly country (do not be scared by quietness of Finnish people! We warm up slowly but Finnish friend is a friend for life.), and of course Finns understand the importance of coffee (it is available everywhere, and no one forgets to keep coffee breaks even in the middle of long lectures!). More reasons to study in Oulu and international student stories can be found here.

Lastly, former President of Finland and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari studied in University of Oulu, one more reason why you should consider it too!

Author Information: Katja Palosaari is an intern at the Embassy of Finland in Australia