Study & Stay programme
Study & Stay is a Tampere University Community programme of activities and services for all our international degree students. The aim of the programme is to support international students to study, live and work or start a business in the Tampere Area.
Study & Stay was developed by the Career Services of Tampere Universities together with the International House team. It involves collaboration with many regional organizations.
As part of the development of the programme, we held a survey among the international students in our universities. We asked them about their experiences and needs for support and used their answers to create the programme.
Study & Stay was first introduced in the fall of 2020.
Both universities have their own version of the Study & Stay programme. Below you can find more information about the programme in your university.
Study & stay is a programme of activities and services for international degree students.
The name Study & Stay refers to this target: we hope you will enjoy your study time here so much that you will consider staying in the region. Of course, this will not all happen by itself. You need support to do this: support while studying, support with your integration and help to understand the Finnish culture, the job market and all the great opportunities you have here. This guide and the programme of activities is designed to help you in these areas. In the designing process we used the input of Tampere Universities’ international students to make sure the model is catered to your needs.
You will also need to make an effort yourself; the Finnish culture is very self-supportive, and you will need to show initiative and be actively involved in this process for it to work.
Main areas of support
Like any other degree student, you will receive study guidance and support from your degree programme and you can also use the general support services of TAMK. The Study & Stay programme was built as an extra service for international students. We identified five main areas, where international students would benefit from extra support. The programme was then designed using these areas as building blocks.
The five areas of support are:
- Immigration support and integration
- Finnish language and culture
- Career and labor market support
- Networking and professional development
- Entrepreneurial skills
The 3 layers of the programme
In the Study & Stay programme, there are three layers:
1. The main Study & Stay programme
This part of the programme is offered to all international degree students.
The start of your international studies at Tampere Universities is always the Welcome week. This is the first part of the main programme. At the beginning of each semester, there will be a Study & Stay info session with themes that are relevant at this point in your study. Tutoring (upon arrival, during the first months) is also part of the main programme, a Finnish language course, as well as the big yearly recruitment event ‘Portti työelämään’ and a special session (‘Start!’) about entrepreneurship and the startup climate in Tampere.
The info sessions at the beginning of each semester are:
- Welcome: Orientation programme (also called the introductory course) Starting in August, continuing throughout the autumn semester. Read more about the orientation programme
- Active student: Commitment to studies, time management skills, group dynamics, career planning, practical training, student identity, Self-hack. During your first and second year, at the beginning of the spring semester.
- Get prepared for business life: Get ready for a summer job or internship, info about mentoring, info about business life in Tampere City and more. During your first, second year, at the beginning of the spring semester.
- Towards work: information about thesis work, relevant courses, job hunting, networking, etc. Portti työelämään event. At the beginning of your third year.
- Growing professional: Support for personal development. Guidance for own identity identification and recognition. At the beginning of your second and third year.
- Graduating professional: support for graduating students: relevant TAMK services, working life information, the alumni network, and relevant City services. At the end of your last year, before your graduation.
2. The "side programme"
Activities that can be added to make your own programme.
The second layer of the Study & Stay programme consists of elements that are not part of the main programme, but that can be added to tailor your own path.
Career Services & partners offer some lectures and workshops. These take place throughout the year and can be recognised by the Study & Stay label. There are also extra language and culture courses, entrepreneurial courses, career events, the International Talents mentoring programme, the business mentoring programme and other possible events or courses that are specific to your own degree programme. You will have to register for most of these activities.
Study & Stay activities will be communicated under the brand ‘Study & Stay’ through our career portal JobTeaser, intranet news and via the programme coordinators.
3. A map of services
The 3rd element of the Study & Stay model is a map of the services which support the integration and employment of international students. The map features both services in the universities community and outside of the university.
The map can be found on the Study & Stay guide linked further in this page.
Feel free to ask your programme coordinators to help you pick the right activities and to find information that you need. You can also always contact the Career Services with your questions.
Study & Stay social events:
Study & Stay arranges series of social events for both international and Finnish students. Follow https://kide.app/, Parvi Calendar, Jobteaser and Intranet to find interesting events.
For further information, please contact Laura Sairanen: laura.sairanen [at] tuni.fi