About Finland
Finland was conquered by Sweden during 1100-1200s and several wars were fought by Sweden and Russia for possession of Finland. Finland became a grand duchy of the Russian Empire and it gained its independence from Russia in 1917. In 1918 Finnish socialists and nonsocialists fought a civil war and Finland became a republic constitution in 1919. Finland was defeated in the Winter War by Soviet Union during 1939-1940. Finns fought the Soviet army on skis during winter war.1946 Finland established neutrality policy in international politics and it joined the United Nations and the Nordic Council in 1955. In 1995 Finland joined the European Union, an economic and political organization of European nations.
During 1970s Finland constructed four nuclear power plants that supplies the nations energy requirements. Finland elected its first woman president Tarja Halonen in 2000 and became prime minister in 2003.
Education in FinlandAll students go to elementary and public schools and others attend private school. The students of elementary schools are entitled to one meal a day, books, medical care for free. The comprehensive school system is followed in Finland. The children up to 9years are to attend the basic schools which they begin at age 7. Students can choose the vocational or the secondary school after they complete their education in basic school. The upper secondary school offers three year courses on academic subjects. The two year courses are offered by the vocational schools providing which provides skill based education. Polytechnic colleges prepare students for their careers in business. A wide array of higher education programs are offered by the universities. There are 20 universities in Finland and 29 other institutions providing the higher education The country's largest university is the University of Helsinki. All the scientific educational and cultural, sporting and youth policies are developed by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Department.
Art, Literature and CultureThe country reflects its culture in form of is rich folk arts consisting of literature, music, crafts and painting. Elias Lonnrot a country doctor was preserved the oral folklore by collecting old songs, poems and chants of Finns peasants and published them in 1835 which became a national epic. Based on Kalevala the American poet Henry Wadsworth composed the rhythm of his poem the song of Hiawatha. Finnish are great designers; they are famous for the glassware, ceramics, furniture and textiles for their designs. The designs are simple and the works can be seen in the famous architects Eliel Saarinen and Alvar Aalto.
Land and the ClimateFinland is a large plateau marked with small hills, valleys and low ridges and hollows. There are thousands of lakes spread throughout the country and two thirds of the land is covered by the forests. Finland consists of four main lands:
The coastal lowlands- it lies along the Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland which consists of many small lakes. This land has less forest land and they have also some fertile soil.
The Lake District- it occupies the central Finland north and east of the coastal lowlands and has thousands of islands dotted lakes. Saimaa, is the largest lake in this region. Streamers travel through Saimaa Lake system stopping at towns on the shores of the lake.
The upland district – It lies in the northernmost part of Finland and it is the densely populated region. It has climate and less fertile soil. Pine trees and birches grow in these parts of the region.
The coastal islands-Finland consists of thousands of islands that are small and uninhabited. In some the islands people reside they form there creation areas for Finns during summer having saunas on them. The Aland group of Islands is the important islands. The longest river is the Kemijioki which provides rich salmon catches and hydroelectric stations are built on the river.
Finland has a mild climate than the other parts of the world that lie in the north. Finland's climate is due to the warm currents that flow from Norway's west coast. Heavy rainfall occurs in the month of August. The precipitation varies between the southern and the northern Finland.
Politics and EconomyFinland is a democratic republic country, which allows people the rights of freedom for speech, worship and equality before the law. The constitution came into force in 1919; all Finns who are over 18 years are eligible for voting. The President is the chief executive elected for a six year term by the by the people of Finland. A president can serve only for two terms in a row. The president is the head of the armed forces and shoulders the responsibilities of foreign relations. He takes decisions related to war and peace. The prime minister heads the government who presides over the cabinet. The Parliament is a one-house legislature that creates country's laws and takes vital decisions on taxes and the budget. The election to the legislature is based on the system called proportional representation. The highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court.
The government owns only some business such as postal, railway and the rest is run by private firms. The service industries, manufacturing industries, construction, utilities forestry and fishing accounts for the income for the country. Forestry plays an important role in Finland's economy, providing forest product industries and accounts for 30% exports. Service industries include healthcare, insurance, restaurants, hotels, trade, transportation, recreation and public administration and communication. Finland leads in manufacture of electrical equipments. The crops grown in Finland include potatoes, sugar beets and wheat. The eggs, milk, oats, cereals and meat forms are produced by the farmer. Fruits, vegetables raw materials for industries, and petroleum are imported in large quantities, thus depending on foreign trade.
Transportation and Communication.
The railway system is owned by Finland. A good network of roads and highways are present in the country. The busiest airport is the Helsinki Airport. The Finnish airline offers the domestic and international flights. The waterway system connects the various lakes and airports. About 55 daily newspapers are published by Finland. The largest dailies are Helsingin Sanomat, Ilta Sanomat and Iltalehti. The main radio and television networks are operated by the government. It has high rates of mobile telephone and computer usage.
Why study in Finland
Finland has excellent basic education and education policy with competitive student's admission for higher education in Finland. The education of Finland has approaches that benefits the students and helps them to think and provides challenges for themselves. The universities offers research based education and institutions specific expertise. The local industries co-operation enforces learning outcomes in students with best answers for both the needs of industry and commerce. The Finnish institutions offer best facilities that are of value to international students.
The infra structure includes modern and with latest functional buildings, libraries and laboratories that are state of art. The students are guided by expert professionals throughout the course. The institutions provide student counseling, healthy nutritious food that is provided at higher education institutions at low cost. There are varied leisure activities for students which includes different sports and cultural events to live concerts and art exhibitions. Finns believe in high quality education. The higher education system is the best in international arena with academic freedom
Finnish universities rank number 5 in the academic ranking of world universities. The studies offered by the Finland satisfy the international students. The universities promote global innovation schemes and greenness. Finland tops in ranking and score high in international students barometer survey. It is one of the best countries in Europe for international students. It provides residence long permit extensions for students seeking jobs after graduation. The country offers 440 Bachelors and masters degree programs in higher education institutions apart from doctoral study and research options. The summer schools provide varied courses with excellence experiences in higher education as per one's expertise. The universities provide intensive courses for students to learn Finnish at various beginners' levels.
The Finland functions in well organized and efficient social settings. It is one of the most stable nations in the world. Finland has been ranked as very sustainable country in the
World. Everything works systematically in efficient manner be it police, fire and rescue services, transportation, education, healthcare, banking, technology etc. Finland is one of the safest and cleanest countries in the world. Finland is a place where one can have lots of adventure and explore the land with friends and have fun. The land opens challenges for winter sports and sailing on magnificent coastline or to have sauna. The language of learning is usually in Finnish or Swedish. Higher educational institutions provide programmes in English also. Finland is the best place to live and study.
Universities of Finland
1. Aalto University
This university encourages students to explore the unknown breaking the boundaries. It inspires them to become game changers to sue their experiences to realize their dreams. The university provides opportunities to participate in interesting and practical projects of business.
9 Jan- 24 Jan : Application period for Bachelors programmes in English.
15Dec- 24 Jan: Application period for master's programmes in English.
2. Helsinki University
This university is high ranked where the students can learn from top scientists. The university is multidisciplinary and worlds leading university that ranks in top 20 universities in Europe and top 100 universities worldwide. The university offers globally recognized masters program in English.
Application period: December 3rd – Jan 11th 2019
3. University of Turku.
Turku is one of the best places to study, it is the third largest urban region of Finland. It has the strongest education in the Northern Europe with six higher education institutions. It offers the best quality of life and splendid location for students to pursue education.
1 December- Application begins and ends on 31 January
28 March- Admission and scholarship offers to the applicants
10July- Accepts study place
31July- First installment tuition fees be paid
August- Summer school course and orientation program for students.
4. University of Lapland
Lapland is located in city of Rovaniemi. The University of Lapland is multidisciplinary which provides higher education in arctic affairs and tourism research. It's a research based institution which offers students to pursue academic excellence at all levels up to research studies. The areas of studies provided by these institutions include art and design, law, education, tourism, arctic study and social sciences. The courses are designed to provide cutting edge research work and conducts interaction with environment and people of artic region which is internationally recognized.
5. University of Oulu
This university is an international science university which emphasis on well being and creates innovation by research methods through multidisciplinary education. The university focuses on application of new knowledge into practice. It enables students for research work in culture and in changing environment. There are 8 faculties and number of departments in the university of Oulu. Application period
May-June: Spring term 31.07.2018
August- September: autumn term 1.08.2018
May-June and August to September- spring and autumn term 2018
6. University of Vaasa
This is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary business oriented university. It lies on the western coast of Finland. It occupies beautiful maritime campus on the archipelago. The university offers education and prepares students to become leaders and experts to solve challenges at global settings to foster a better world. The university fields of research and education includes communication, technology, business studies and administrative sciences. The university's business studies are ranked by Eduniversal as Excellent business school. University of vaasa has won the study Portals Award for Excellent International Student Satisfaction based on international students rating. There are no entrance examinations to international master's programmes. Based on required application documented admissions are made. Application period to master's degree program happen in autumn 2018 for studies starting in August 2019.
7. University of Tampere
This is one of the largest and popular universities in Finland. It is committed for higher education for creating visionaries for making the world a better place for living. The University has 6 faculties and is the biggest provider of higher education in areas of social sciences and administrative services. The university has wide ranging approaches for research work and develops innovative perspectives to cater to the needs of society and health welfare.
Application period
December –January: Master degree program for autumn 2019
September –October 2018: for exchange study program for spring semester 2019.
Quick Facts
1. Helsinki is the capital city Finland.
2. The official languages of Finland is Finnish and Swedish
3. The National Anthem of Finland is “ Maamme" in Finnish or ‘Vart Land ‘in Swedish which means ‘Our Land'
4. The basic unit of currency is Euro.
5. The president is the head and chief executive of Finland.
6. The Finland's civil flag includes the coat of arms which was adopted in 1918.
7. The parliament building in Helsinki is the meeting place for one-house legislature, the Eduskunta.
8. The Aura river passes through the oldest city Turka in Finland.
9. The Finland's national epic, The Kalevala is a collection of peasant songs, poems and chants.
10. The longest river in the Finland is Kemijoki.
11. Sillanpaa won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1939.
12. Northern Finland lies in the Land of Midnight sun.
13. The country's highest point is Mount Haltia standing at 4,344 feet above the sea level.
14. The displays of aurora borealis or the northern lights are seen in the northern Finland.
15 The Worlds largest mobile telephone producers Nokia headquarters is located in Espoo, near Helsinki.
16. Finland is the world's top producer of plywood.
17. The Finnish spitz is the national dog of Finland.
Admission Process in Finland
The application period depends on the degree course you choose to pursue. Preparing the ground research work on the application process helps to make it easier. For bachelors, masters, doctoral programs the following documents are needed. Applications can be applied online for higher education courses. Finnish Universities have their own admission policies. For detailed information contact on study info and check for the validity of the information from the universities directly.
Student Visa Application Process
1. You need to provide official letter of acceptance issued by the Finnish university.
2. You should have a valid passport that should have been issues within 10 years.
3. A proof of accommodation where you stay. Apply for visa at least three months before the course begins.
4. You need to have proof of financial funds to support yourself for the course and purpose of the stay.
5. You need to have a copy of completed signed application form
6. Have a valid health insurance to cover medical expenses when you stay in the Finland.
7. You should not have any criminal record and be refused entry into the Finland.
8. You should have good physical and mental health free from any disease.
Lifestyle
Finland's people are Finnish by descent and the rest are Swedish. Most people in Finland live in rented apartments or own them. In rural areas people live homes on farms or villages. Fish and meat are popular meals for Finns. The large forests provide the major wealth for the country. The country survives with the prosperous industries of forest products which include production of paper and pulp and wood working. The favorite side food includes dill sprigs and boiled potatoes covered with butter. The special treat is smoked reindeer and butter and milk forms important diet for Finns. The famous special bath called sauna has long been a part of Finnish life. Sauna is taken at least once a week for relaxation and cleansing. Many welfare schemes such free healthcare services to pregnant women, mothers and children, pension schemes to older and disabled and health insurance for all citizens are provided by the government. Finns live a very high standard of living and love arts and outdoor activities. They love sports ice hockey, ski jumping, cross-country-skiing and downhill skiing. The summer sports include the spectacular field and track events and ice hockey matches. During summer Finns enjoy the saunas on the seacoast, lakes and offshore islands. Finns also show great interest in concerts, ballets plays and operas. Finnish spitz is the national dog, it is strong and sturdy. It looks like a fox and is used by Finns for hunting game birds. The dog is intelligent and good tempered which is kept as a pet.
Cost of Living for Students
Everyday expenses occurs at least 700-900 Euros per month to pay for accommodation, food and other utilities. The tuition fee varies depending on the degree courses between 4000-1800 Euros. International students can work part-time but knowing the language Finish and Swedish is expected. Many Finnish universities offers scholarships for gifted students Largest cities costs are higher.
Documents for University Admissions in Finland
1. You need photo copies of school leaving certificates, relevant degree course certificates
2. Original educational documents to be officially to be certified
3. Certificates showing valid scores of English proficiency IELTS and TOEFL
4. Registration fee for Bachelor's degree /master's degree or for research work
5. A civil liability certificate along with social security fees.
6. Entrance test are required for entry to degree courses.
7. A copy of English language certificate
8. Financial funds proof for your stay in Finland.