Doctoral student arkistot - Page 12 of 14

Europe: Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is the most extensive European student exchange programme funded by the EU. This page contains more information on the programme, along with a list of host universities by academic departments. University of Eastern Finland also has bilateral agreements with some European universities. In addition, the Nordic Countries are available through the Nordplus programme.

You can find Erasmus+ host universities sorted by faculty and subject via the links at the bottom of the page.

NB! Students must be registered as “present” in a degree programme at UEF throughout the exchange period. It is not permitted to graduate before or during the exchange and studies completed during the exchange must be included into degree studies at UEF. It is also not possible to go abroad for student exchange after graduating. This rule applies to all exchanges, i.e. long term (semester/full academic year) exchanges and short term exchanges in all exchange programmes. Exception: Erasmus+ traineeships for recent graduates are possible after graduation, as long as the traineeship grant is applied for a minimum of one (1) month before graduation and that the traineeship both starts and ends within a year of graduation.

Erasmus+ student exchange

Students can apply for student exchange, international traineeships or short-term exchanges through Erasmus+ programme. Student exchange is based on bilateral agreements concluded between academic departments at the participating universities. The countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme are the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. You can find more information on the Erasmus+ programme on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) (the link opens up to a new window). UEF’s partner countries in the Erasmus+ programme are United Kingdom and Switzerland. Read more about partner countries below.

For whom

The Erasmus+ student exchange program is open to Bachelor’s/Master’s/Doctoral level students of all fields. You can go for an exchange during your second year of study, but you can start the application in your first year. The Erasmus+ program includes numerous universities across Europe. Please find the field-specific host universities through the links at the bottom of this page.

List of Erasmus+ exchange options for doctoral students. NB! Changes are possible, always check the up-to-date list on the faculty/subject-specific pages.

NB! Students from outside the EU/EEA are advised to discuss with their study programme coordinator if exchange studies would extend their studies and/or affect their tuition fee.

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins. Student mobility grants cannot be paid during a valid contract of employment, so the contract must end before the grant can be paid.

Duration

Erasmus+ student exchange lasts one semester or full academic year (usually 3–10 months, depending on the semesters of the host university). Physical exchange should be minimum 2 months in Erasmus+ student exchange. Completely virtual exchanges are not possible. NB! The actual dates and duration of the exchange depends on the host university’s academic calendar, not UEF’s.

Applying

The annual first call for applications for the following academic year is 1–15 February (autumn semester, spring semester, or full academic year). A second call for applications may be held on 1–15 May and a third call on 1-15 September if there are still places and grants available after the first call for applications. During supplementary calls, students can apply for exchange only for the following spring semester.

The application process has two stages: firstly, students apply for exchange internally to be accepted as UEF’s candidates for exchange (home department/school supports the applications); secondly, the selected candidates apply for the exchange to the host university according to their application process. The final decision on the acceptance will be made by the host university. For more information, see the section on applying for student exchange and training abroad. The UEF application is made in the SoleMOVE system. You can find the link to the system and instructions for completing the UEF application in the section SoleMove online application system.

Funding

The Erasmus+ grant is EUR 490/540 per month in the academic year 2025-2026, grants for the academic year 2026-2027 will be confirmed later (in May 2026). The precise amount is determined by the duration of the exchange and the host country. Grant will be only paid for physical exchange period. In addition, students will receive travel support for their mobility and two grant-funded travel days.

Students who have fewer opportunities on participating in the exchange (e.g. students with family, family carers, students with health problems, disabled students, migrant background) or who have special needs due to physical or mental health can apply for additional support for the exchange.

In Erasmus+ programme, student can also apply for green travel support, if most of the travelled journeys to host country and back home or at least one direction of journey is travelled with low emissions (bus, train, carpooling) – ferry/ship is not considered as a form of green travel. When traveling green, the student is entitled to increased travel support and up to six grant-funded travel days.

More detailed information on additional support and the amount of travel support can be found from the section Funding your studies abroad.

12 months per degree level

Students may complete more than one Erasmus+ student exchange or traineeship during their studies. However, the total maximum duration is 12 months per degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate). Once the 12-month limit at a certain degree level is reached, the student can no longer participate in an Erasmus+ mobility period at that degree level. It should also be noted that the student must have enough months available when leaving on an Erasmus+ mobility period, meaning that the 12-month limit cannot be exceeded during the mobility period. The 12-month limit also includes the months that the student has used in previous studies at the same degree level and the time as a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Please note

Erasmus+ student exchanges are based on field-specific Erasmus+ agreements between departments/schools. Some agreements only cover Bachelor’s or Master’s studies (see the level of studies in the list of host universities 1=bachelor, 2=master, 3=doctoral). The number of students accepted each year depends on the individual agreement.

As a rule, students apply for exchange through the agreement of their major or minor subject. Students applying through minor subject agreements should be aware that students majoring in the subject are prioritized in selections. If applying through a minor, the minor should be started (i.e., the applicant should have completed courses in the registry for the subject) and the minor should be included in an approved PSP. It should also be noted that most universities do not accept students from outside the agreed field and the available exchange studies are limited to the field or faculty specified in the agreement. In addition, students majoring in the subject will take precedence if the number of applicants exceeds the number of available places.

Exceptions apply in these subjects:

Education – students in education fields (applied educational sciences and teacher education, educational sciences, adult education and career counselling, special education) may apply for all host institutions of all study fields in education as major subject students
Logopedics – students may apply for host universities in the list for Finnish language and Cultural studies, and as minor subject students for linguistics and psychology
Sustainable technologies – students may apply for host universities in the lists for chemistry, forestry, and computer science

OLS language courses and language test

Students selected for exchange can take Erasmus+ OLS-online language courses and language test before the exchange. The results of the language assessment will not prevent student from taking part in the mobility. In general, students cannot use the OLS language test result to prove their language skills to the host university in their application process. Students need to consult host university in case they want to use the OLS test result as a prove of their language skills.

Digital Learning Agreement

All students need to make a digital study plan, Digital Learning Agreement (DLA), for the exchange period before their study exchange period begins. According to the host universities processes, Learning agreement might be required in the second stage when submitting the application to the host university. Digital Learning Agreement can also be called as an Online Learning Agreement (OLA).

UEF Erasmus ID Code: SF KUOPIO12
UEF Erasmus Charter Number: 101011365
UEF Erasmus Charter (PDF file available below)
UEF European Policy Statement (PDF file available below)

Erasmus+ partner countries at the University of Eastern Finland

The Erasmus+ programme includes programme countries and partner countries. Partner countries are countries that are not a part of the EU and the Erasmus+ programme, but with which Erasmus+ cooperation may occur.

The University of Eastern Finland has currently prioritized United Kingdom and Switzerland as partner countries in the Erasmus+ programme. The university can select which countries to prioritize cooperation with and how funding is allocated. This is why each university may have different partner countries they have cooperation with.

At the moment, International Mobility Services is not allocating Erasmus+ funding for student exchange or traineeships to other partner countries except United Kingdom and Switzerland. The Erasmus+ programme has limited the amount of funding that can be allocated for partner country functions. In order to receive mobility grants for student exchange at host universities located in UEF’s partner countries, there must be an inter-institutional agreement between universities, so Erasmus+ grants are not available for exchanges without an agreement.

If you wish to apply for exchange to any university that does not have a bilateral agreement with UEF or is not among UEF’s partnership networks, students may apply for Freemover or Visiting Student exchange. In these exchanges, the student must arrange the exchange independently. For more information about Freemover exchanges, see Kamu.

Erasmus partners of Philosophical Faculty

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

(Level of studies: 1 = Bachelor’s level studies, 2 = Master’s level studies, 3 = Doctoral level studies)

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins. It is also not permitted to start a new (or resume a previous) employment contract at UEF during the exchange period.

If a host university has specific language requirements (for example B1 French) for applicants, it will be mentioned here in connection to the host university in question. If there is no specific language requirement mandated from the host university, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the host university offers courses for exchange students in a language the student knows. It is also the student’s responsibility to check any additional admission requirements set by the host university.

Erasmus partners of Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

(Level of studies: 1 = Bachelor’s level studies, 2 = Master’s level studies, 3 = Doctoral level studies)

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins. It is also not permitted to start a new (or resume a previous) employment contract at UEF during the exchange period.

Erasmus partners of Faculty of Health Sciences

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

(Level of studies: 1 = Bachelor’s level studies, 2 = Master’s level studies, 3 = Doctoral level studies)

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins. It is also not permitted to start a new (or resume a previous) employment contract at UEF during the exchange period.

Erasmus partners of Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

(Level of studies: 1 = Bachelor’s level studies, 2 = Master’s level studies, 3 = Doctoral level studies)

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins. It is also not permitted to start a new (or resume a previous) employment contract at UEF during the exchange period.

The YUFE Alliance

YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe)

Imagine building your own degree from courses offered at ten European universities. Young Universities for the Future of Europe, aka YUFE Alliance which the University of Eastern Finland is part of, makes this possible. YUFE offers, for example, academic courses in English and in the languages of partner universities, language courses, exchange opportunities, volunteering activities, development of professional and working life skills, as well as lecture series open to everyone. You can participate in YUFE activities online, at your home campus or during an exchange.

YUFE is one of 73 European university alliances that have received funding from the European Commission. The goal of these alliances is the development of European-wide university models. In addition to the University of Eastern Finland, YUFE includes Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Antwerp University in Belgium, Bremen University in Germany, Carlos III University of Madrid in Spain, University of Essex in Great Britain, University of Cyprus, University of Rijeka in Croatia, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland, and Sorbonne Nouvelle University in France.

Certain YUFE Alliance activities are open to all UEF students. These include for example the YUFE Academy lectures and events, volunteering and Challenge Teams. Some activities offered by YUFE, such as credit-based language courses and OpenYUFE studies, YUFE Minors and the short and long exchange programmes, are only open to degree students as part of their OpenYUFE studies.

Check out the opportunities YUFE has to offer for students by visiting the YUFE Website for Students and YUFE Virtual Campus.

In addition, YUFE offers Lifelong learning courses, as well as summer and winter schools for all. Most of these offers have a fee. For more information, visit Skills of the Future page.

Currently in YUFE

Would you like to volunteer and get a YUFE Civic Star? Sign up and take part in the Civic Engagement intro training now, so you can start as soon as you spot a suitable role!

YUFE stars are going digital: from autumn onwards, you can link your Civic, Language, Professional or Mobility Star as a digital badge e.g. to your LinkedIn profile!

Applying to OpenYUFE programme is now quick and easy. You can get onboard in just a couple of days!

UEF has its own bilingual YUFE @UEF eLearn environment. There you can get to know more about the opportunities offered by YUFE. Link to YUFE @UEF eLearn environment.

Important YUFE dates:

Next YUFE Open Day Live Session:
- 12 February 2026 at 11.30-12.30 CET (12.30-13.30 Finnish time) Link to further information and registration.
Next Civic Engagement intro trainings
- 19 December at 10-11.30 CET (11-12.30 Finnish time) Link to further information and registration.
The application period for YUFE exchange or YUFE Minors exchange will open again on 1-15 February. Please, plan your Autumn 2026 or Spring 2027 exchange periods well in advance! For more details, check the Kamu page Calls for applications for student exchange.

Follow our updates on Viva Engage (former Yammer), or directly on the various social media channels of the YUFE Alliance.

Eligibility

UEF degree students are eligible to apply for YUFE exchange if one of the following conditions is met:

The student has an active OpenYUFE status
The student has signed up to complete a YUFE Minor during the exchange period

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins.

Remember:

OpenYUFE application is separate from the exchange application.

Read more about OpenYUFE and YUFE Minors below.

In YUFE short-term exchange is also available. Erasmus+ funding can be applied for all YUFE exchanges. There is no additional YUFE funding for the exchanges.

OpenYUFE Programme

OpenYUFE

OpenYUFE is a programme that allows the degree students at the University of Eastern Finland to study at u YUFE Alliance partner universities free of charge for a maximum of four semesters or until the completion of their degree in the partner university.

As an OpenYUFE student, you can complete credit-based language courses and academic studies, go on exchange at a YUFE Alliance partner university of your choice. You can also take part in YUFETHON challenges, where the winning team will spend a week in Madrid strengthening their entrepreneurial skills. You can study at several universities at the same time.

After completing your OpenYUFE, you will receive a certificate showing all your studies and other activities in the alliance. The credits gained in YUFE can be included to your UEF degree.

Eligibility to apply

Participation in the OpenYUFE programme is possible at all degree levels and you can apply anytime during your studies.

The OpenYUFE programme lasts a maximum of 4 semesters. It usually ends when the student completes the degree. However, if the student continues their studies at the same partner university, the student may stay in the OpenYUFE programme until all the 4 semesters are finished. Studying in the OpenYUFE programme is allowed once per student period per student, so it is worth considering, at what point would this opportunity be most beneficial to your studies.

The requirement is at least B2-level English. The OpenYUFE applications are open all year round, so you can apply when it is most convenient for you.

How to apply?

Students of UEF can apply for the OpenYUFE programme on YUFE’s Virtual Campus.

Create your profile ("Create account") as a student, with your UEF email.
Fill in the application form in YUFE's Virtual Campus (-> Student -> OpenYUFE -> Apply for this programme). The required attachments:
- transcript of records from Peppi
- language skills: English (B2)
  - Is not required from students of the international study programmes in which the language of instruction is English
  - Any completed B2-level course of English language in UEF (e.g. the obligatory academic English courses included in the study programme). Attach a transcript of records where the completed course is visible.
  - A prior result of an English proficiency test.
  - Matriculation examination certificate, when English has been one of the tests completed.

- If you cannot prove your English proficiency with a test result, degree certificate, official document or other proof accepted by your own university, you can do a self-assessment through the app-based Core Skills Test by EnglishScore.

For more information about the opportunities offered by the OpenYUFE programme, it is recommended to participate in YUFE's Open Day Live Sessions. They are organized several times during the academic year. At these sessions, you can also directly approach the representatives of the YUFE University you are interested in to request further information. These events are organised in English. The next YUFE Open Day Live Session:

12 November at 12.30-13.30CET (13.30-14.30 Finnish time) Link to further information and registration.

You can also contact [email protected] for more information.

Student exchange

As an OpenYUFE student, you can apply for an on-site exchange during UEF’s annual application rounds. Student exchange to member universities of the alliance is financed with the Erasmus+mobility grant. You may apply to YUFE exchange if you fulfill one of the criteria below:

You have an OpenYUFE status
You are going to complete a YUFE Minor during your exchange

A separate call for YUFE exchange applications will be published in the Calls for applications for student exchange page when the call is open. (look for YUFE Alliance exchanges).

YUFE Minors & Student Exchange

YUFE Minors & student exchange

A UEF degree student can complete a YUFE Minor (30 ECTS). YUFE Minor is a module of courses focused on a certain theme, consisting of both online and on-site courses, including electives. Student exchance is required to complete a YUFE Minor. OpenYUFE status is not required for YUFE Minor exchange.

There are currently several different Minors to choose from. Some of them start in spring, some in autumn and others are available in both semesters. New YUFE Minors are currently being constructed. The call for applications for YUFE Minors for autumn semester is in February-May, for the spring semester you can apply in May and in September.

If your curriculum allows, a YUFE Minor is fully accepted as part of your degree. It is recommended to discuss your YUFE Minor plans in your own programme to confirm this.

Students are asked to contact [email protected] to express their interest towards specific YUFE Minors for more information. Online applications are sent via SoleMOVE during the application periods.

For more information on YUFE Minors, please contact UEF's YUFE Team ([email protected]), check YUFE's virtual Campus, or ask International Affairs Specialist Outi Väyrynen.

The YUFE Minors available for Autumn 2025 semester

Minor: Borders, Europe & Russia (BEAR)
Host: University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu campus)
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665426887
Minor: Economic Development
Host: Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665427246
Minor: Societal Issues in a Contemporary World
Host: University of Essex, United Kingdom
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665426651
Minor: Urban ecology in Europe: public policies, cultural narratives
Host: Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris, France
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665427125
Minor: Urban Environmental and Sustainability Education
Host: University of Cyprus
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665427600
Minor: Urban Inequality
Host: University of Rijeka, Croatia
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665620833
Minor: Urban Health & Wellbeing
Host: Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torún, Poland
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665427044

The YUFE Minors available for Spring 2026 semester

Minor: Cities and Urbanisation: Interdisciplinary perspectives
Host: University of Antwerp, Belgium
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665490652
Minor: Cities of Dreams and Nightmares
Host: University of Essex, United Kingdom
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665478126
Minor: Heritage in the Community
Host: University of Rijeka, Croatia
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665623198
Minor: Heritage and Perspectives on Design
Host: University of Antwerp, Belgium
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665477975
Minor: Public Policy Analysis
Host: University of Rijeka, Croatia
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665623403
Minor: Natural Sciences for Sustainability
Host: University of Bremen
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665619487
Minor: Sustainable Forestry
Host: University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu)
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665708176
Minor: Sustainable Tourism
Host: Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665478255
Minor: Transformations in Politics, Policy, and Society
Host: University of Rijeka, Croatia
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665657509
Minor: Urban Degrowth
Host: Maastricht University
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665645327
Minor: Urban Ecology: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Changes
Host: University of Rijeka, Croatia
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665623006
Minor: Work and Wellbeing
Host: University of Rijeka, Croatia
More information: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/programme/76561193665657397

Read a student’s story: https://www.uef.fi/en/article/yufe-student-journey-studies-offer-unique-degree-and-international-experience

A list current YUFE Minors.

For further information, email [email protected].

Language learning at YUFE

Students of the YUFE Alliance Partner Universities can study languages online for free. The offer applies to English and other national languages of YUFE, namely Finnish, German, Polish, Croatian, Greek, Spanish, French and Dutch. In addition, some other languages such as Chinese and Russian, have been available.

Currently the YUFE Language Courses are only available for OpenYUFE students, so remember to apply for the OpenYUFE programme first.

There are courses for basic and independent user levels, and the courses vary from 2 to 5 ECTS in scale. It is also possible to gain a YUFE Language Star reward by adding using the languages learned e.g. in the Online Language Cafés or during exchange studies.

The Online Language Cafés maintain and improve especially spoken language skills. They are open to all UEF degree students. The Language Cafés will meet for 90 minutes at a time for 8 weeks, facilitated by native or nearly native tutors.

You can apply to become a tutor of an Online Language Café without the OpenYUFE status. Being a tutor contributes to a YUFE Civic Star.

You can check the currently available options by visiting YUFE's Virtual Campus .

YUFE Academy

YUFE Academy is a series of free, open for all lectures, workshops, and events offered by the ten YUFE partner universities. Anyone can take part even from the comfort of your own home or during your daily commute.

YUFE Academy is a chance to learn in different languages and formats. Relying in the current scientific knowledge, especially in the 4 YUFE focus areas:

European identity and responsibilities in a global world,
Citizens’ well-being,
Digital societies
Sustainability.

Individual YUFE Academy activities can take place at any time during the academic year. However, two main editions are organised around international events that align with the YUFE mission, one in the fall term and one in the spring term:

European Researchers’ Night (-> YUFE Academy Autumn edition in October)
Europe Day (-> YUFE Academy Spring edition in May-June)

For further information, please visit the YUFE Academy website.

Volunteering

In Finland and elsewhere in Europe, the “third sector work” carried out by non-profit organisations is rapidly becoming more professional and provides duties that require special expertise to an increasing number of higher education graduates. In voluntary activities, you accumulate your skills, acquire useful working life skills, network – and get to bring your expertise to the service of others. You can participate in the activities of various organisations either directly or through the YUFE Volunteering programme.

The YUFE Volunteering programme offers participation opportunities both in your home campus city and during student exchange at YUFE partner universities. At many YUFE universities, it is also possible to volunteer remotely.

At UEF, YUFE Volunteering opportunities are offered by certain NGOs in Joensuu and Kuopio. In addition you can make your expertise available to the community through Help Desk services that answer questions on various topics. Help Desk services are provided face-to-face, online or via a hybrid model in Finnish, English or some other language.

Over 50 hours of YUFE Volunteering activities will be awarded with a YUFE Civic Star. It can be used to demonstrate competence and activity to, e.g., an employer.

Depending on your major subject, you may also receive credits (2 ECTS) for the activities. Please discuss beforehand in your programme, if your planned volunteering could fit your other studies, a possible internship, or a course where service learning is one form of study.

Read more about the opportunities on the YUFE virtual campus . If you find a suitable task, register as a user of the virtual campus (Create account) and register for the task, AND for the joint CEA Intro Training Session (duration 1.5 h), which is aimed at everyone participating in the YUFE Volunteering programme in various countries.

Induction trainings are organised around the year roughly once in every 2 months. If the next induction training is organised after your duties begin, you can start volunteering before induction. However, to be awarded a Civic Star, induction is required and should be completed as soon as possible.

If you cannot find a task that suits you, please contact [email protected] and let's talk more!

YUFE Challenge Teams & YUFETHON

If you are interested in solving a real problem and belonging to a dynamic, multidisciplinary and multicultural team, then YUFE Challenge Teams or YUFETHON could be exactly what you are looking for.

The YUFE Challenge Teams aim to develop creative thinking and other demanding professional competencies through collaborative and multidisciplinary work. The challenges will be carried out online in English. The expected workload is 60 hours within three months to complete the challenge. However, there can be some challenge-specific time variations.

Challenges are carried out by combined teams of students, faculty and research staff from the Alliance’s universities, and relevant representatives of the general public, local governments or the business sector. The teams must find new and innovative social, scientific, or technological solutions to real life challenges proposed by citizens or organizations. Any UEF student can become a member of a YUFE Challenge Team.

At the end of the challenge the teams present their results, get an evaluation, and a YUFE Professional Star is awarded for their efforts. You can also apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) from your own study programme for 2ECTs.

YUFETHON is a two-day (20h) online event where participants come together to intensively solve a problem together.

YUFETHON participants must be OpenYUFE students and the teams will work in English. The main prize is free access to the YUFE Ideas Lab and a trip for the whole team to Madrid.

UEF students have formed a part of the winning teams in 2023 and 2024. You can read more in this article!

The calls for new teams are published on YUFE webpages, UEF and YUFE social media channels and here in Kamu.

Read more about the YUFE Entrepreneurship and Innovation opportunities or send a message to [email protected].

YUFE Ideas Lab for developing business ideas

The YUFE Ideas Lab is a programme designed to develop early-stage business ideas from rough concepts into viable projects. The programme is held once a year and it includes one online session per month from January to May, each focusing on a different aspect of maturing a business idea.

Themes of the online sessions:

January: Creativity – Design Thinking
February: Business Model Definition
March: Pitch
April: Prototype MVP
May: Financials

The programme culminates in a five-day in-person training held at the campus of a YUFE university. In the years 2024 and 2025, the training took place in Madrid.

Students or researchers who join the programme may apply for a short-term Erasmus grant to cover some of the travel expenses. Depending on the year, the grant is approximately €550 per person for degree students and €1,200 per person for researchers. Participants will also receive three (3) ECTS credits for completing the programme.

Each year, the programme admits approximately two doctoral researchers and five degree students (Bachelor’s or Master’s level). The programme is conducted in English. The application deadline is typically about one month before the first online session.

Questions? Contact:
tomi.tuovinen(at)uef.fi

Come and do YUFE!

In addition to studies, volunteering and other activities, you can become involved in YUFE’s activities as a student representative. Some even find internships or jobs in YUFE.

The YUFE Student Forum ensures that the students’ voices are heard in all development and decision-making at YUFE. Each member university, including UEF, has its own Bachelor’s, Master’s and postgraduate level representative in the YUFE Student Forum. UEF student Sanni Vesala is the current president of the YUFE Student Forum.

New student representatives are usually searched for the YUFE Student Forum in the spring, but posts may open up at any time of the year following the graduation of a current representative. Right now we are looking for a bachelor's degree student and a PhD researcher for this role. Link to further information on the ISYY website.

If you want to get firsthand information about the role of the Student Forum Representatives, you can consult our current representatives directly by sending a message to [email protected] email.

Two of the three UEF student seats will become available in September 2025. If you are a Bachelor's student or PhD researcher, you can already consider whether you could be the next UEF student representative in the YUFE Student Forum!

You can inquire about YUFE related international internship opportunities at [email protected].

You can follow YUFE’s own as well as partner universities’ vacancies in YUFE's Career Opportunities page.

YUFE Alliance Partners

Other network partners:

Additional information:

For information about the YUFE Alliance and its activities visit YUFE’s website or contact UEF’s own YUFE Team at [email protected].

Freemover/Visiting Student exchanges

You can also apply for exchange studies outside exchange programmes, with a freemover or visiting student status. It is a good idea to chart the international contacts of your department/school when planning an independent student exchange. Many students have found great study and internship locations independently.

It takes initiative to apply for independent studies abroad: the applicants themselves are responsible for the communication with the host university, the application process, the practical arrangements, and the costs of studying abroad, such as potential tuition fees. Tuition fees and application procedures vary between universities, fields of study, and countries. It takes time to arrange the practical matters, so you should start planning your freemover exchange at least a year before the planned start of your exchange studies. The longer and better you prepare for studies abroad, the more successful they will generally be.

Freemover mobility grant

UEF International Mobility Services may award mobility grants for outgoing freemover studies. The duration for freemover exchange must be one or two semesters, and grants are awarded from autumn semester 2023 onwards. The grant amount depends on the host country and the exchange duration.

Europe: 700 euros (one semester) or 1000 euros (two semesters, i.e., full academic year)
Outside of Europe: 1000 euros (one semester) or 1500 euros (two semesters, i.e., full academic year)

Applying for the mobility grant

Students apply for the mobility grant by submitting an application in SoleMOVE. You may find instructions on how to compile and submit your application on Kamu. Students must apply for the grant a minimum of one month before the exchange begins. Grants will not be awarded retroactively.

The application form for the grants will be open throughout the academic year, from 1 June to 31 May, and decisions are made continuously. Processing applications may take 2-3 weeks, even longer during holidays, so students are advised to apply for the grant as soon as possible once they have received confirmation from the host university.

The following documents must be included in the application:

Transcript of records (from Peppi)
Learning Agreement approved and signed by the student’s departmental coordinator at UEF
a Letter of Acceptance from the host university or other document confirming the exchange placement from the host university

Eligibility requirements for the grant

The student must be registered as present at the University of Eastern Finland throughout their exchange
- NB! Registration as present includes paying the Student Union fee and Kela healthcare fee (if applicable)
The student has completed a minimum of one academic year’s studies before the exchange begins
The minimum duration of the exchange is 3 months
The student must have received approval for the exchange from their department at UEF
The student must compile a Learning Agreement (LA, i.e., exchange study plan), and the LA must be signed by the student’s departmental coordinator at UEF
The host university or institution is not located in the student’s home country or country of residence
The student does not have a valid contract of employment at UEF during the exchange period and the student cannot start a new (or resume a previous) contract of employment at UEF during the exchange period. Student mobility grants cannot be paid during a valid contract of employment, so the contract must end before the grant can be paid.

The grant may be awarded for exchanges in the following institutions/networks (examples)

Universities and higher education institutions outside of UEF’s networks or partners
Universities and higher education institutions that are among UEF’s networks and partners, but for which the student would study as a visiting student/freemover at due to lack of available placements
ISEP Direct: student pays the tuition fee for the ISEP Direct university and other ISEP fees (Application fee, Acceptance fee)

The grant may not be awarded for exchanges in the following institutions/networks (examples)

Host institutions that are located in the student’s home country or country of residence
Exchange programmes that charge fees from students, for example Asia Exchange (excluding ISEP Direct)
Host institutions that are among UEF’s networks or partners and to which the student has already received a placement from UEF and exchange programme-specific mobility grant (bilateral exchange, ISEP Exchange, Erasmus+, Nordplus etc.)
- If you have been accepted for exchange by UEF, you may not receive Freemover grants on top of another grant from UEF
Grants are not awarded for traineeships abroad

Other information

Announcements on international options outside the scope of University of Eastern Finland’s exchange programmes are published on Viva Engage (formerly Yammer): Kansainvälistymismahdollisuuksia opiskelijoille // Internationalisation offers for students (new tab).

Departmental coordinators of international matters at faculties

The departmental or academic coordinators of international matters advise outgoing UEF exchange students in matters related to their studies. The contact persons for all academic subjects are listed below.

Email addresses are listed in the format firstname.lastname @ uef.fi . The contact information can also be found in the UEF Connect (link opens in a new tab).

Philosophical Faculty (Joensuu)

Finnish Language and Cultural Research	Anna Arkko (outgoing), Elina Arminen (incoming)
Foreign Languages and Translation Studies	Anette Huovinen (outgoing), Pekka Kilpeläinen, Michael Pace-Sigge (incoming) NB! Outgoing students majoring in Swedish: have your LA checked by Jaana Kolu, if you intend to include your exchange studies into Swedish major studies after the exchange.
Special Education	Aino Äikäs
Education and Adult Education	Antti Ronkainen
Career Counselling	Merja Tamminen
Psychology	Matti Kuittinen
Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education	Henna Martikainen (outgoing), Henri Heiskanen (incoming)
Theology	Maria Riipi

Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology (Joensuu and Kuopio)

Physics	Noora Heikkilä
Mathematics	Changyu Guo
Technical Physics	Cristina Florea
Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies	Mika Torvinen
Forest Sciences	Piritta Torssonen (outgoing), Isabel Muñoz Hidalgo (incoming)
Computer Science	Laura Hurmalainen (Joensuu), Esther Galbrun (Kuopio)
Biology	Jarkko Akkanen
Environmental Science	Eila Torvinen

Faculty of Health Sciences (Kuopio)

Pharmacy	Katja Savolainen (outgoing), Anne Lecklin (incoming)
Nursing Science	Maliheh Nekouei
Clinical Medicine	Timo Kemppainen
Public Health	Annika Männikkö
Clinical Nutrition	Marjukka Kolehmainen
Dentistry	Leena Lampinen
Biomedicine	Tiina Kuningas (outgoing), Teemu Natunen (incoming)

Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies (Joensuu and Kuopio)

Geographical and Historical Studies	Meri Strand (outgoing), Paul Fryer (incoming)
Business School	Jarmo Romppanen (Joensuu), Christina Piel (Kuopio)
Law School	Mia Kilpeläinen
Social and Health Management	Heli Kemppainen
Social Sciences	Jarmo Romppanen (Joensuu), Heli Kemppainen (Kuopio)

Ethical guidelines for teaching and studying

Students

Students’ main goal in studying is to learn and achieve their learning goals.
Their credits are based on genuine competence.
They are responsible for following the principles of responsible conduct of research in studies, such as the preparation of papers, writing essays, answering exams and other study performances.
They are aware of their role as a responsible actor in the scientific community.
They acknowledge the value of the work done by others and act honestly in all situations.
Through their own actions, they support the ethical, critical, creative, transparent and communal approach of the scientific community.
They make sure that all their study works and final projects (thesis) reveal clearly, where the information, original ideas and methods come from, and that their origin is properly referred to.
Students respect the teaching and research work of the teachers.
In teaching situations, they maintain a positive atmosphere by being active with knowledge of their responsibilities.
They provide constructive feedback on teaching.
If necessary or in doubt, they ask for more information on the correct procedures, using their own initiative.
During teaching and exams, they work without disturbing the others’ chance to work in peace.
They carry out independently their own learning assignments and theses, unless cooperation is expressly permitted.

Prohibited activities

For more information and examples see TENKs pages.

Cheating in an exam
Notes and aids cannot be used in an exam unless this is expressly permitted.

Example of a prohibited activity: in a classroom exam, the student searched for information on the mobile phone. The student had forbidden notes with her/him in the exam.

Example of a prohibited activity: assistive devices were forbidden in the Moodle exam. However, during the exam, the student had used the learning material of the course, her/his own notes, textbooks as well as internet pages.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student had used an online translator in a Swedish essay, even though the learning task had to be done using her/his own language skills only.

Prohibited cooperation
Cooperation or the use of external help is forbidden unless this is expressly permitted.

Example of a prohibited activity: students completed learning assignments together, although it was an individual performance.

Example of a prohibited activity: students created a Whatsapp group for a remote exam so that they could ask each other for advice during the exam.

Acting on behalf of another person

Example of a prohibited activity: the student's mother took the remote exam on behalf of the student.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student bought her/his thesis from a ghostwriter.

Plagiarism
It is forbidden to use another person's text in one's own studies without indicating where the information, original ideas and methods come from. Examples of plagiarism: inappropriately quoting a text or part of it, a pictorial expression or translation obtained from another student, the Internet or elsewhere. Students must clearly indicate the sources they use.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student had not marked all the sources used in the thesis.

Example of a prohibited activity: While working on a thesis, the student found a completed master's thesis on the Internet that partly dealt with the same topic as her/his own thesis. The student copied the text of the master's thesis and referred to the sources used in the master's thesis in her/his thesis; the student failed to refer to the thesis s/he had found.

Example of a prohibited activity: while working on the thesis, the student found a Finnish language source on the Internet that had originally been translated into Finnish from an English language source. The student referred to the English language research through the translation of a Finnish language source s/he found, without proper reference to the source.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student found a published text, the idea of which was presented in her/his own text in her/his own words, without reference to the original text.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student completed a learning task by cutting and copy pasting various pieces of published texts s/he found on the Internet and in literature, without proper references.

Passing on your own pieces of work to another student
It is forbidden to hand over completed assignments/pieces of work to another student for fraudulent use.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student had completed the course with an essay. S/he gave the essay to another student, who returned it to another teacher as her/his own piece
of work.

Self-plagiarism
It is forbidden to reuse your own previous performances or to use parts of your previous pieces of work as a basis for new ones without proper reference to the source.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student returned a learning assignment that s/he
had already used on another course.

Example of a prohibited activity: the student's thesis included a section from essays s/he had previously prepared and used, without references to the essays in question (self-plagiarism).

Not doing your part in pair and group work

Procedure in cases of suspected fraud and disciplinary measures

Instructions for teachers

If a teacher suspects that a student has committed an infringement related to teaching or research activities, the teacher has the obligation to address the matter immediately in an appropriate manner.

Study-related frauds may be detected retrospectively, e.g., in connection to reviewing learning assignments, or immediately, e.g., during an exam.

A teacher or supervisor may immediately remove from an exam a student who is strongly suspected of fraud or is causing disturbance. If a teacher or supervisor has interrupted a student’s exam due to disturbance or suspected fraud, the teacher or supervisor must record the reason for the interruption and whether the student admits to or denies the disturbance or fraud.

The teacher must determine the type and severity of the suspected fraud after it has been detected. The seriousness is assessed from the perspective of the scale, intentionality, systematicality and recurrence of the fraud. The teacher may clarify the matter by discussing it with the student or by requesting the student to provide a written explanation of the matter, e.g., in an e-mail. If the teacher considers, immediately after detecting the fraud, that the fraud is evident and does not require an additional explanation from the student, the teacher can forward the handling of the fraud to the faculty without obtaining an additional explanation from the student.

The teacher must then take one of the following measures:

1) forward the handling of the detected fraud to the Dean or the director of an independent institute or service centre (language centre, library, study services) in writing, e.g., by sending an e-mail. The teacher must provide at least the following information: the student’s name and contact details, study period, the nature of the suspected fraud and how it is manifested, and the scale and severity of the fraud. The teacher’s notification will later be submitted to the student during the faculty’s disciplinary investigation process.

2) instruct and advise the student on appropriate action if the teacher considers the infringement to be minor or to be due to the student’s ignorance; or

3) state that, based on the investigation, there is no reason to suspect the student of fraud and inform the student of this either in writing or orally. If the teacher has investigated the matter, e.g., by discussing it with the student by e-mail, it is good practice to inform the student by e-mail that the matter has been closed.

The Dean's written notification and rejection of the course

The Dean of the faculty or the director of an independent institute or service centre will investigate the suspected infringement, assess it and decide on the use of suitable investigation methods. The student will be sent a written notification indicating the infringement they are being suspected of and the student will be given an opportunity to be heard in the matter. The hearing will, primarily, be implemented so that a written statement is requested from the student. Where required, the hearing may be organised orally. A request for a statement or an invitation to a hearing will be sent to the student for information by post or e-mail. Email can be used if a permission for its use has been obtained from the student. Other parties may also be heard in suspected infringements. Frauds can also be investigated by using the plagiarism detection system or based on video recordings.

If, instead of a primary written hearing, it is decided that the hearing be conducted as an oral hearing, it must be documented in the form of signed minutes. The minutes must indicate who were present, when the hearing was held and what was the purpose of the hearing, as well as the opinion of the concerned party on the matter and their explanations on the reports, which may affect the decision made in the case. The student may bring a person to support them at the hearing.

After the hearing, the Dean or the Director of the independent institute or service centre concerned will decide whether an infringement has occurred (if not, the case will be dropped), whether the infringement is minor or severe, and what further action is needed in the matter, if any. If the Dean considers that no infringement has taken place, the student and the teacher will be informed of this, e.g., by e-mail. An infringement may be considered to be minor, e.g., when it is a one-off act that results from carelessness or ignorance, and the infringement has caused only minor damage. The Dean issues a written notification on minor infringements. Where required, the Dean will also recommend that the teacher rejects the related study attainment or lowers the student’s grade. The person in charge of the course is responsible for rejecting the study attainment or lowering the grade. The sanction given by the Dean or the director of an independent institute or service centre will be communicated to the student, the teacher, the head of the department/school of the degree programme and preparing officers for information and for possible measures.

The decision of a teacher to reject a study attainment and to lower the grade is a decision concerning the grading of a course, for which rectification can be applied from the university’s Board of Appeal.

If the Dean or the Director of the independent institute or service centre concerned considers, after having heard the student, that a more serious infringement has been committed, they will report the matter in writing to the Rector and deliver the documents related to the matter to the Rector. When assessing the seriousness of the infringement, account will be taken of the recurrence, extent and intentionality of the fraud.

Diploma Supplement

Diploma Supplement is an appendix to the degree certificate.

A Diploma Supplement is a description of the nature, level, content and status of the awarded degree in the national system and it also gives information on the professional status of the qualification. The purpose is to improve international comparability of degrees and facilitate mobility either for postgraduate study or employment.

Refine your search

Erasmus+ student exchange

For whom

Duration

Applying

Funding

12 months per degree level

Please note

OLS language courses and language test

Digital Learning Agreement

Erasmus+ partner countries at the University of Eastern Finland

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Alankomaat - The Netherlands

Belgia - Belgium

Espanja - Spain

Irlanti - Republic of Ireland

Iso-Britannia

Italia - Italy

Itävalta - Austria

Kreikka - Greece

Latvia

Liettua - Lithuania

Portugali - Portugal

Puola - Poland

Ranska - France

Ruotsi - Sweden

Saksa - Germany

Tanska - Denmark

Tsekki - Czech Republic

Unkari - Hungary

Turkki - Türkiye

Viro - Estonia

Alankomaat - The Netherlands

Espanja - Spain

Italia

Saksa - Germany

Liettua - Lithuania

Saksa - Germany

Kroatia - Croatia

Latvia

Puola - Poland

Ranska - France

Saksa - Germany

Slovenia

Tsekki - Czech

Unkari - Hungary

Viro - Estonia

Alankomaat - The Netherlands

Belgia - Belgium

Espanja - Spain

Italia - Italy

Itävalta - Austria

Kreikka - Greece

Latvia

Liettua - Lithuania

Portugali - Portugal

Puola - Poland

Ranska - France

Saksa - Germany

Slovenia

Tsekki - Czech Republic

Turkki - Türkiye

Unkari - Hungary

Viro - Estonia

Alankomaat - The Netherlands

Kreikka - Greece

Latvia

Romania

Saksa - Germany

Turkki - Türkiye

Unkari - Hungary

Viro - Estonia

Alankomaat - The Netherlands

Belgia - Belgium

Latvia

Liettua - Lithuania

Portugali - Portugal

Puola - Poland

Ranska - France

Saksa - Germany

Belgia - Belgium