ESN Finland

ESN has 15 sections in Finland, which makes us one of the biggest ESN countries in Europe! Check out the webpage at: www.esnfinland.eu

History

ESN Finland 17 years!

Finland became part of Erasmus Student Network in 1993 with its first ESN section ESN HYY Helsinki. In 1994, ESN Åbo Akademi joined the network as second Finnish section and the number of sections has been going up steadily, to reach 15 sections in 2008.

Today, Finland has five ESN sections in Helsinki area, three in Turku, and the rest of the sections are in Vaasa, Tampere, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Jyväskylä and Joensuu. Most of the Finnish ESN sections are part of their student unions and are working as international committees of their student unions.

In their activities, the sections all over the country organize a lot of sauna evenings, pub nights, Language buddy or Café Lingua-activities, parties and usually trips to Stockholm, Lapland, Tallinn and St Petersburg to name but a few things.
All sections’ activities differ from each other depending on the local conditions, but most of the sections operate closely not only with their student unions, but also with their institutions’ international student tutors.

On national level, Finnish sections cooperate mainly regionally but plans have been made to have more national cooperation. Finland offers excellent chances for big and small events all over the country. Currently ESN Finland is coordinated and led by a National Representative and a vice-National Representative who also represent ESN Finland in the Council of National Representatives and other international events.

History of National Representatives:

• 1999 Catharina Lindström (ESN Åbo Akademi)
• 2000 Mikko Arvas (ESN HYY Helsinki)
• 2001 Janna Koivisto (ESN JYY Jyväskylä)
• 2002 Hanna-Maija Saarinen (ESN Åbo Akademi)
• 2003 Ilona Salonen (ESN Åbo Akademi)
• 2004 Maria El Said (ESN JYY Jyväskylä)
• 2005 Kati Haahti (ESN Kanto)
• 2006 Tiina Naskali (ESN TYY Turku)
• 2007 Tiina Naskali (ESN TYY Turku)
• 2008 Heidi Hietala (ESN Åbo Akademi)
• 2009 Anna Alasuutari (ESN TYY Turku)
• 2010 Aino Henriksson (ESN TYY Turku)

On national level, ESN cooperates with SYL and SAMOK, the national unions of students in Finland.
Currently, ESN Finland does not have a budget or income. Sections participate to national and international events on their own cost or with the financial support of their higher education institution or student union. The National Represetative’s meeting- and travel costs are funded by the Centre of International Mobility, CIMO (national Erasmus/Socrates agency).

ESN Finland’s highest decision-making body is the National Platform which is a meeting consisting of one or two representatives from each section and takes place twice a year. Recently ESN Finland established a National Board to take over the domestic ESN responsibilities, to support the Finnish sections and to represent ESN in Finnish contexts. The first official National Board will be elected in the National Platform of spring 2009 and till then, a National Board working group is preparing the matter and writing statutes for ESN Finland.

History of National Platforms:

• Spring 2010: ESN OYY Oulu
• Fall 2009: ESN VYY Vaasa
• Spring 2009: ESN Lapland
• Fall 2008: ESN Joyy Joensuu
• Spring 2008: ESN ASK Helsinki
• Fall 2007: ESN Tamy Tampere
• Spring 2007: ESN TYY Turku
• Spring 2006: Helsinki
• Fall 2005: ESN OYY Oulu
• Spring 2005: ESN Tamy Tampere
• Fall 2004: Turku
• Spring 2004: Helsinki

ESN Finland has also actively taken part in international ESN events. Annually, ESN Finland joins the Annual General Meeting and Northern European Platform with around 15-20 participants. The ESN sections in Helsinki have also organized the AGM in Helsinki in 2004, a CNR meeting in Helsinki in 2005 and Nordic Network Meeting in Helsinki in 2006. In 2001, Jyväskylä hosted the Nordic Network Meeting.

Many Finnish ESNers have also been members of ESN:s International Board:

• Giuseppe Lugano from ESN HYY (vice President of ESN international) in 2004
• Hanna-Maija Saarinen from ESN Åbo Akademi (President) in 2002
• Janna Koivisto from ESN JYY Jyväskylä (vice-President) in 2001
• Mikko Arvas from ESN HYY (President) in 2000
• Catharina Lindström from ESN Åbo Akademi (Secretary) in 1999.