Aalto University Student Union
Statement 7.3.2016
For immediate release

The report of the investigator Roope Uusitalo on student financial aid reforms was published on Tuesday, 1.3.2016. Aalto University Student Union (AYY) is extremely concerned about the conclusion of the investigation. Even though, according to the proposal, the total monthly amount of student financial aid would rise, a smaller amount of student grant, an emphasis on loans and the raising of the performance requirements are a great threat to creativity and innovations. In the future, six academic credits would have to be achieved per every month of financial aid claimed. From here on, there would be 45 months of financial aid available for a degree of 300 academic credits, and in total a maximum of 54.

Aalto University has been a good growth platform for creativity, innovation and start-up companies and 70-100 companies a year have been set up in its ambit.  It’s not just a question of a degree, but of creating networks during the period of study and creating something new together. Austerity does not create innovation. A flexible financial aid system, on the other hand, provides the possibility to learn, make mistakes and try out at entrepreneurship even when it may be difficult to predict one’s own career path.

“Would, for example, Slush, Aalto on Waves or the success in international competition of many students have arisen if students hadn’t been allowed some flexibility with their academic credit requirements – without losing their source of income?”, ponders Milja Asikainen, the Chair of the AYY Board.

The cuts remove even the last element of flexibility from the student financial aid system. If the studies are prolonged for some reason, the financial aid months will get used up quickly. AYY is disappointed that student financial aid cuts force students into narrow-ranging degrees and that the opportunity to find one’s own direction, make mistakes or set up one’s own company alongside the studies will disappear.

Aalto University invests particularly in the cross-disciplinary nature and entrepreneurial spirit of studies. Therefore it’s also important from the university’s point of view that the opportunities of students to acquire a diverse range of experience are not reduced through the student financial aid changes.

Further information:

Milja Asikainen, Chair of the AYY Board, tel. 050 520 9420, milja.asikainen@ayy.fi

Elli-Noora Kaurila, Student Advocacy Specialist, tel. 050 520 9445, elli-noora.kaurila@ayy.fi

Aalto University Student Union

Statement

11.11.2013

A working group of the Ministry of Education and Culture wants to increase the number of international students in Finland to 60,000 students. As the most important means, the working group proposes tuition fees for students coming from outside the EU/EEA area. Aalto University Student Union also wants to have more international students. ”At an international university, networks are created, ideas are processed in multicultural groups and the future success of Finland is constructed”, says Chairperson of AYY Board Piia Kuosmanen. “Tuition fees, however, do not implement this objective. Direct expenses of international education are already covered by the students’ own consumption and, moreover, are a very profitable investment.”

According to the International Student Barometer, free education is the most important reason to come to study in Finland, along with the quality of education and research. Finland’s competitive advantage is the reputation of a reliable and equal country of education. When tuition fees were tried out in Finland, only 6% of international students required to pay tuition fees accepted their place of study at Aalto University. Not even all of those students, who received a full scholarship covering both the tuition fees and the living expenses, came to Finland. In Sweden and Denmark, the number of students coming from outside the EU and EEA countries has collapsed along with tuition fees and has not recovered in spite of a massive increase in scholarship funds. Tuition fees in general are not expected to generate revenue due to expenses caused by scholarships and administration, among other things – the expenses of Aalto’s tuition fee trial are almost twice as high in comparison with the revenue.

Education export discussion should take into account the benefits brought by international students to the Finnish economy. International students finance their living with savings and scholarships and use Finnish services during their study period. According to the report of the Education Exports Vision Working Group of student organisations, the consumption of 20,000 international students who currently study in Finland, brings approximately EUR 170 million to our national economy on an annual level. Half of the international students are employed in Finland within one year of their graduation. They bring new know-how, cover with tax revenues their education and the education expenses of those who have left Finland, and patch our negative dependency ratio. According to the survey conducted by AYY, two-thirds of international students would like to be employed in Finland and only 16% are planning to leave Finland after their studies. Even if students are employed elsewhere after their graduation, their education cannot be regarded as a poor investment. ”The current leader of the African Union, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn, for example, is a former student of engineering in Tampere” says Kuosmanen. ”Personal contacts and ties to our northern country of those who have studied here are major opportunities for Finland and the Finnish export industry.”

Similarly to Ms Lipponen’s working group, AYY wants to make Finnish education a success in international education. We want to see that Finnish education is exported to the world as consultancy services, training abroad organised by university training companies and as open online teaching.

Piia Kuosmanen, Chairperson of AYY Board

Janne Koskenniemi, Secretary General

Further information: Specialist for International Affairs Milla Ovaska tel. 050 520 9446

The evidence, which we have obtained to this date, does not suggest that fees have brought improvements to the quality of studies. Some new resources have been channelled to fee-charging programmes. However, also without the fee trial, these resources could have been used to improve the quality of teaching in all programmes. On the positive side, students who study in paid programmes, receive health insurance and an additional language course. However, it would be much better if all students received the same level of improvements to their conditions, and students in the paid programmes would not become a privileged group compared with the other students.

The extra funds, earmarked for improving the quality of paid programmes, have been partly spent in a different way than what was intended, such as marketing. There is a risk that the repellent effect of the fees on some students, combined with the internationalisation goals, creates pressure to target such funds on marketing, which could otherwise be used as reasonably as possible to improve the quality of education for all students.

If students belong to scholarship categories on different levels, it creates a new dividing line among students, which makes them unequal and, on the other hand, emphasises the difference of international students in relation to other students. That is why it certainly does not facilitate the interaction between different groups, or improve the conditions for the internationalisation at home for the Finnish students.

The tuition fee also puts an unreasonable pressure on a student to complete studies in the given schedule, especially if a compulsory course is offered only once during the whole year. If the student fails, one may have to pay the tuition fee for the next year, which easily wrecks the student’s finances. The median consumption of Aalto’s international students in Finland is 600 euro per month, so an additional tuition fee may more than double the student’s annual cost of living.

In addition, the tuition fee has brought ideas to the planning of university operations, which have not been previously common in the academic world in Finland. Business aspects have become more common in the planning of academic education, especially on the international side. The way of thinking, in which tuition fees are used as tools in shaping the university’s brand, has become more common. Students are rather regarded as customers than equal members of the academic community. AYY is concerned about this development, as we want students to be equal members of the academic community, not paying customers whose wishes and needs are evaluated mostly from the perspective of financial benefits and costs.

Approved by AYY Board

In Espoo, 28 Nov 2012

Aalto University Student Union would like to thank for the opportunity to comment the implementation plan of Aalto’s language policies and states the following by request:

1. Trilingualism everywhere    

The implementation plan includes several favourable and even ambitious objectives for improving the position of the English language, in particular. In AYY’s opinion, it is crucial for Aalto’s success that the university takes big steps towards trilingualism and ensures adequate resources to implement this objective. 

AYY considers, however, that the presented investment in the Swedish language is very modest and wonders the reference concerning the fact that the use of Swedish is still outlined separately. The clearest and the best solution would be to take into account the position of Swedish in all language policies from the very beginning and not pursue the parallel use of Finnish, Swedish and English as equal languages always when possible.

The leading idea in AYY’s own trilingualism work is that language minorities are interested in the same material as the Finnish-speaking students are. Therefore, only if certain information concerns for justifiable reasons only the members of a certain language group, translating it into three languages can be considered unnecessary. AYY wishes that Aalto would adopt the same principle as the leading idea of its own trilingualism.

AYY states that the best solution is to aim at providing communications with as similar contents as possible in all three languages. In this way, the overall management and updating is easier, and the time-consuming routine work can be outsourced to translators.

1. Adequate staff resources 

The plan does not define adequate translator resources. The university’s own translator service is only mentioned in connection with research. Several sections also suggest that persons in various positions produce summaries and translations of their documents by themselves.

AYY reminds that the cheapest and most effective way is to hire an adequate number of own translators and let them routinely translate all essential documents and let the staff focus on their actual duties instead of writing summaries and translations. Having own translators is also much cheaper than purchased translation services. In addition, this enables the extensive use of Swedish, as producing three language versions is as fast and easy as producing two language versions.

If we want to secure the participation opportunities of the members of the international community and, on the other hand, the position of domestic languages and their development as the languages of science, using the various languages side by side is necessary. Making the whole staff committed to this very demanding goal is impossible unless commissioning translations to professional translators is made easy enough.

It is particularly essential to appoint the persons in charge. In addition to the aim of committing the whole Aalto community to the objectives, a person with an adequate mandate and resources to advance trilingualism measures and the opportunity to focus on the coordination of the entity is needed on the higher level of Aalto.

1. AYY’s comments on presented measures (attachment)
   

The original document is attached to the statement and AYY’s comments are added to the presented measures. The most relevant examples from these comments:

1. The pervasive principle should be to adopt an approach where the international students and staff are not isolated to their own activities but all Aalto members work and spend their everyday lives together. This should be the starting point in information, decision-making organs, services, teaching arrangements, etc.
   • The main event language should be English if people with a foreign language are present.
   • Non-Finnish members of the community should have the opportunity to operate in Aalto’s desicion-making bodies.
2. A more specific measure programme is needed on the development of training and incentives. Aalto should create an incentive system for the whole staff to improve their language skills and provide adequate support for the staff teaching in English. Students should also be encouraged to interaction exceeding the language barriers by increasing the interaction in teaching and crediting achievements that support internationalisation as part of a degree.
3. ”International students have the opportunity to study either Finnish or Swedish or both languages.” This is a crucial section that requires further attention as Finnish skills, in particular, have a significant impact on the international student’s employment opportunities and integration into Finnish society.
4. The campus area should be completely trilingual. External partners and service providers should also be influenced.
5. Aalto Inside does not reach the students and therefore it is essential to invest in other communication channels (such as Into, Noppa, aalto.fi). Essential information should also be translated into Swedish.
6. More concrete measures are needed for the implementation of the Swedish-speaking students’ rights.

Approved by AYY Board

In Espoo, 25 Nov 2011

==

Attachment

Comments to detailed propositions in Aalto’s plan (chapter by chapter commens to the original document):

• Swedish should be a consistent part of all language policies from the beginning instead of outlining the Swedish policies later in a separate project.
• The report of the language group regarding the position of Swedish at Aalto  (Arbetsgruppen för svenskspråkig undervisning i Aalto-universitet, 18.6.2009) includes a number of concrete means to strengthen the position of Swedish. AYY wishes that these means are integrated into Aalto’s language practices.
• A change in atmosphere could be promoted through active measures, such as keeping the matter in discussion in all possible events, training and material. A plan should be drafted on these measures.
• Aalto should create an incentive system to improve the language skills of the staff.
• AYY already awards the international teacher of the year and the international act of the year prizes. The language act of the year prize would be partly overlapping but it would create a positive atmosphere. Students should also be encouraged to interaction exceeding the language barriers by increasing the interaction in teaching and crediting achievements that support  internationalisation as part of a degree. All language teaching should be intensified
• and it should support the improving of practical language skills, speaking skills, and language skills in the student’s own field.
• A more detailed programme of measures for training and incentives is necessary.
• Adequate resources are the foundation for everything.
• Trilingual communications should not only be increased at Inside but everywhere (Into, Noppa, aalto.fi, for example). Inside does not reach the students, so it is essential to invest in other communication channels.
• Trilingualism should be reflected in all job descriptions, but efficient coordination on the higher level is also essential.
• The most important issue is to clarify objectives in various situations. Domestic languages are of great significance especially in terms of the universities’ third mission,  implementing its social role.
• Creating family networks is one favourable measure. However, in terms of the comfort of living, the key factor is to adopt a broader approach where international students and staff are not isolated in their own activities, but instead all Aalto members  work and spend their everyday life together. This should be the principle in communications, decision-making bodies, services, teaching arrangements, etc. Many of Aalto’s interest groups, such as AYY and OIN, already work to facilitate the adaptation of the community’s international members. Aalto should fully utilise opportunities to collaborate with its interest groups.
• The main language of events should be English in the presence of people with a foreign language.
• This is very important so that student representatives have equal influencing opportunities, among other things. However, we have to keep in mind that according to law Finnish is the university’s administration language. This should not be interpreted to mean, however, that Finnish is the only language of administration and other languages are not used along with it.
• The main language of events should be English in the presence of people with a foreign language. All Swedish-speaking participants are taken into account similarly to the Finnish participants.
• The campus area should be made trilingual. External partners and service providers (such as companies operating within the campus, HSL, essential service points of the government) should be influenced to take language issues into coThe most important documents and instructions should always be provided in Swedish as well.
• Inside does not reach the students and therefore documents should be published at Into, in particular.
• Inside does not reach the students and therefore documents should be published at Into, in particular.
• These are also needed in Swedish. Aalto also includes  Swedish-speaking staff.
• The plan counts on the assumption that people in various positions produce summaries and language versions by themselves. It would be cheaper and more efficient to hire more translators and routinely translate more texts into two languages and let communications and administrative staff focus on their actual duties instead of writing summaries. Having own translators is also much cheaper than purchased translation services. If a document is translated into English, it can often be translated into Swedish with the same effort.
• Also in Swedish, see the previous
• Also in Swedish, see the previous
• Also in Swedish, see the previous
• See the previous
• Course descriptions should be translated into three languages. Students can check the main vocabulary of their field from the descriptions also in other than the teaching language. For bilingual students, for example, this can be the only way to accumulate vocabulary in the second mother tongue. nsideration. A particular attention should be paid to represent all three languages.
• The number of translators presented here is inadequate if the language service should also cover other than researchers’ needs, such as administration and communications. Language services are definitely needed for their use as well.
• It is essential to increase the Swedish-language education.
• A very important entry.
• More concrete measures are needed for the implementation of these rights. In the current situation, students often do not receive their exam questions in Swedish although they are entitled to use Swedish in their answers.
• The target corresponds to AYY’s policies. It is essential to increase the Swedish-language education.
• This is an extremely important entry that requires further attention:
  • Aalto’s own teaching of domestic languages must be improved and resources increased.
  • Courses on different levels should be available in sufficient quantities during the day and evening in order to achieve advanced language skills along with studies in the student’s own field.
  • Teaching should not empasise grammar too much or be separated from the everyday life: courses should teach how to speak and understand spoken Finnish.
  • Students should be informed more about the necessity of Finnish in the labour market in Finland as early as possible. They should not be given a misleading picture of the employment opportunities without Finnish skills.
  • National language studies should be included as compulsory in all foreign-language Master’s programmes.
  • International students should be able to have their Finnish and Swedish studies approved as part of the compulsory language studies.
• An incentive system should be created in order to develop the language skills of the staff. The staff teaching in English should be provided enough support, such as language training, multicultural pedagogical training and longer teacher exchange periods.
• A very important policy. Everyone teaching in English should have adequate linguistic and cultural capabilities!
• At least all static basic information, such as depictions of the organisation, teaching and research should also be published in Swedish on the website.
• The writing of summaries is laborious. It is easier to have translators to produce the same content in Swedish.
• Press releases should be published in Finnish, Swedish and English. What the community communicates about itself is essential also for the community’s own members, including its non-Finnish members.
• This kind of basic material is definitely also needed in Swedish.
• The main language of events should be English if people with a foreign language are present.