The University of Eastern Finland has opened virtual YUFE Help Desks, where students in various fields, with the support of their instructors, answer citizens’ questions and advise them in Finnish and English. The free helpdesks are part of the YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) Alliance and can be found at www.uef.fi/en/yufe-helpdesk.
The first help desks to start operating are the language help desk, which provides translation and language support services, and the help desk focusing on diversity and inclusivity. You can also turn to the help desks with questions regarding all the activities of the YUFE Alliance. The services are continuously developed, and topics will be added based on interest.
You can send a short text to the English <> Finnish Language Help Desk for translation or proofreading. The help desk also deals with questions related to the use of the English language and other language problems. The help desk uses expertise of two doctoral students of the University of Eastern Finland, Tuuli Ahonen, a doctoral researcher in the field of English and translation, and Katarzyna Wisniewska, an early-stage researcher in the field of foreign languages and translation studies. The services are open to everyone, and in particular to students, who, for example, needs their theses’ abstracts proofread.
The Diversity and Inclusivity Help Desk provides answers to questions about diversity, respect, listening and inclusion, as well as involvement and inclusion of members in a diverse community.
Together, the universities of the YUFE Alliance want to be a leading example of an open, student-centred and inclusive European university that recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion for both the universities and the surrounding society. During spring, the Diversity and Inclusivity Help Desk will be run by designer Senni Pykäläinen and YUFE student Glyd Jun Aranes.
Anyone can send questions or service requests to the help desks using an electronic form, and answers can be obtained either by e-mail or published on a website. You can also ask a question and get an answer completely anonymously. The services will respond to inquiries on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to develop the services, feedback is requested via an electronic form, which will be provided alongside an e-mail response.
Students participating in the help desks and other YUFE civic activities can earn a YUFE Civic Star badge as part of the YUFE Star System, which rewards students for learning outcomes beyond their actual studies.
YUFE Coordinator, Head of International Planning and Development Kristiina Väänänen, kristiina.vaananen@uef.fi, phone: +358 50 409 0735
Coordinator of the Doctoral Conferment Committee Kirsi Bykachev, kirsi.bykachev@uef.fi, phone: +358 50 3634819
YUFE in a nutshell
YUFE is one of 41 European university alliances funded by the European Commission to develop pan-European university models. YUFE is built on the shared vision of ten European research universities and four other partners. The members of the network are united by their dedication to the European world of thought, their desire to build a more competitive, innovative and cohesive Europe, and the goal of finding solutions to today’s pressing challenges.
In addition to the University of Eastern Finland, the alliance include the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, the University of Antwerp in Belgium, the University of Bremen in Germany, the University of Madrid III in Spain, the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, the University of Cyprus, the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy, the University of Rijeka in Croatia, and the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland. In addition to the development of higher education, YUFE aims to increase cooperation between universities and university cities.
