Student tutors
Student tutors help all incoming international exchange students to adjust to the local life in Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio and to familiarize themselves with surroundings and study facilities after their arrival. When you arrive your own student tutor will be there to meet you. Your
tutor will show you your apartment, familiarise you with the
neighbourhood, guide you to the nearest grocery store and show you the
way to campus.
Student tutors also organize different kind of activities during the study semesters to help new students to integrate to a student life on the institution and a local community as well as learn about Finnish culture and way of life. Every now and then student tutors organize different kinds of trips and events where you are all welcome.
Lapin Materiaalipankki
Activities
Lapland University of Applied Sciences organizes different kind of activities for its students. Lapland UAS has active student union ROTKO
which organizes all kind of events, support the students’ right and
make sure that the students’ voice is heard in the institution and
surrounding society. Lapland UAS offers also various kinds of sport
activities for international students.
Activities in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is surrounded by beautiful nature and there are lots of
things to do through the year. Since the nature is close to the city it
is easy to go hiking, skiing, swimming, cycling, fishing etc. Also
various gyms and sport centers offer lot of exciting sport activities.
Rovaniemi is also a city of culture and you can visit for example
museums, exhibitions, theatres, cinema, library, concerts and
familiarize yourself with different kind architecture. Also different
kind of organizations and associations organizes different kind of
events, infos, lectures, shows and theme days.
For more information on activities
City of Rovaniemi
ROTKO Student Union
LUC Sport
Activities in Kemi and Tornio
Kemi and Tornio are located on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, into
which the region's three great rivers - the Simo, Kemi and Tornio Rivers
- flow. That is why the Kemi and Tornio area sometimes called Sea
Lapland. There are many kinds of opportunities to enjoy the surrounding
nature: skating, ice fishing, skiing, hiking etc. Both cities have their
own swimming pools. There are also gyms and sport centers in both
cities.
Kemi and Tornio area also gives something to those interested in
culture. There are museums, libraries and cinemas in both cities. There
is also a city theatre in Kemi. Cultural events vary from blues and jazz
festivals to traditional whitefish festival.
For more information on activities
ROTKO Student Union
LUC Sport
City of Kemi
City of Tornio

Lapin materiaalipankki / Kirsi Ukkonen
Friend Programme
General Information
One of the things that make Finnish Lapland unique is its friendly
people and diverse cultures. The local universities are committed to
giving their international students first hand experiences of life in
Lapland by pairing participating students with friends from the local
area.
Lapland University of Applied Sciences and University of Lapland
together organise the Friend Programme. The idea of the
programme is to introduce Finland, Lapland and Finnish culture to
international students. In doing so, the local friends also have the
chance to learn about the home country of the student and about his/her
language and culture. The Friend Programme not only offering
students an opportunity to experience everyday local life and culture,
but also helps them adapt to their new surroundings by connecting them
with a welcoming friend.
There are a number of families, couples and people living alone in
the Rovaniemi region who are interested in meeting international
students in an informal way. They are often interested in making friends
with a newcomer, inviting a student for a visit every now and then, or
are just interested to share their free time with an international
student.
Friends can be families with two parents, two children and a
dog. Some families have only one parent. Some don’t have children. Your friend can even be just one person and that is typical in
Finland as well. Friends are from all different ages. Some are
already retired from working life, some are still studying, and some of
the members of family are not natively Finnish. So be open‐minded.
How to apply?
The Friend Programme will be introduced during the
orientation week in the beginning of each semester, in August and in January. The registration period for the spring semester 2023 is open on until 30 January 2023. Please find the registration form below and submit it online.
For more information, please see the Friend Programme - Student Guidebook below, or contact the programme coordinators:
Sanna Sulin
projects(at)esnlapland.eu
Emilia Rehn
trips(at)esnlapland.eu
Registration form for Friend Programme
Friend Programme - Student Guidebook