Undiscovered “resources”
This fall, despite being very busy, Ms. Mai Renko still prioritizes spending time every week on social media to promote opportunities for young Vietnamese people to study at university and master's level in Finland.
Most recently, Ms. Mai Renko asked the online community to share about study abroad opportunities in international business, nursing, business IT, hospitality and tourism management, and energy engineering.
The deadline for submitting applications is September 14, in order to enroll in the next spring semester (January 2023). Ms. Mai calls on candidates to contact and inbox her immediately "for completely free support and consultation."
She also said that on September 1, there will be an online information session from Finland about undergraduate study abroad opportunities in 2023.
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An online sharing session with students and parents in Vietnam about university education in Finland by Ms. Mai Renko |
Mai Renko |
Ms. Mai Renko is a Vietnamese expatriate who has lived in Finland for 30 years. She has received three certificates of merit from the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs for her contributions to promoting exchange and cooperation in the fields of economics, culture and education between Finland and Vietnam.
In educational activities, Ms. Mai Renko has successfully introduced the university education system in Finland to many young people, helping them seize opportunities to study in Finland at the lowest cost, so that even families with average incomes in Vietnam can meet the needs of high-quality university education in Finland.
But according to Ms. Mai, the number of young Vietnamese people she has helped to study abroad in Finland is still very small compared to the capacity of universities in this country with a highly developed university education system to accept international students.
“If you really want to study abroad, most students with average or above average academic performance have the opportunity to be accepted. It is even easier than going to university in the country, because this is a country with an “open” university education access policy, and the assessment and examinations are not difficult,” Ms. Mai shared.
Mrs. Mai commented:
“Above all, the reason why Finland should be considered the top study abroad destination for young Vietnamese people is because Finland has been the happiest and safest country in the world for many years; an ideal place for women and children to live.
Finland is rated as the best in terms of global innovation impact and green space. It is also one of the world's leading countries in the social progress index (basic human needs, well-being, opportunity), leading in the categories of nutrition and basic health care; personal freedom and choice; shelter; personal rights; access to information and communication.
Affordable tuition fees
Ms. Mai said that since the 2017 fall semester, Finnish universities have started charging tuition fees for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Depending on the school, major and level of study, international students studying in Finland will pay different tuition fees. Bachelor's programs taught in English have a minimum tuition fee of 4,000 EUR/year and commonly around 7,000 - 10,000 EUR/year.
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Vietnamese students in Finland visit Ms. Mai Renko's family (woman in red shirt) on the occasion of Lunar New Year |
Mai Renko |
However, once accepted by a Finnish university, international students usually receive scholarships, at least 10%, in many cases up to 100% of tuition fees (students only have to pay for accommodation, living expenses, etc.). Thanks to that, the cost of studying at a university in Finland becomes "reasonable". Tuition and scholarship policies are decided by each university. Scholarships can be awarded from the first year and from the second year onwards based on the student's academic performance in the previous year.
In addition, some Finnish universities also apply tuition reduction programs for international students who confirm and pay their first year tuition within the prescribed time. This reduction can be up to nearly 50% of the tuition fee.
Many young people both study and work to cover their living expenses.
International students who want to apply for a Finnish student visa need to prove that they have a minimum budget of 6,720 EUR for living expenses for 1 year in this country. This amount is based on the average monthly spending of students, 560 EUR/month.
In reality, each student's expenses are from 500 - 800 EUR/month, including rent (this usually accounts for 50% of monthly living expenses). In cities with expensive living standards such as the capital Helsinki, Tampere, Jyvaskyla, Oulu... the cost of living will be high in the "frame" mentioned above. In some other cities, if students have a reasonable spending plan, they may only need 310 - 525 EUR/month.
The monthly food expenses of each international student in Finland are usually around 260 EUR, if students cook for themselves. The transportation expenses are around 35 - 50 EUR/month if they buy a monthly public transport ticket.
International students studying in Finland are allowed to work up to 30 hours/week during the semester and full-time during the holidays. With an average salary of 6 to 15 EUR/hour depending on the job and workplace, many students can “manage themselves” while studying in Finland, without having to ask their parents for money.
“To help children not be too financially dependent on part-time jobs, as this can affect the quality of their studies, it is best for families to try to prepare a suitable budget before sending their children to study abroad,” Ms. Mai advised.
One of the outstanding advantages of choosing to study abroad in Finland is the high opportunity to work and settle down after completing undergraduate and master's programs. Due to the small population and the rapid aging of the population, Finland is facing a labor shortage, so this country allows international students to stay for 2 years after graduation to find a job.
Meanwhile, English-taught training programs are often in fields with high labor demand, so finding a job suitable for the profession trained in Finland is more convenient for international students.
Finnish universities currently offer more than 400 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes taught in English. The Finnish higher education system consists of two types of institutions with different educational orientations.
Universities of applied sciences are schools that train in the direction of applying scientific and technical achievements, specific professions, closely related to the needs of the labor market. This type of school trains bachelors and masters. The duration of bachelor's study lasts 3.5 - 4 years and master's study lasts 1.5 - 2 years.
Traditional universities, also known as research universities, focus on scientific research and invention, development, and training at 3 levels: bachelor, master, and doctorate. The duration of bachelor's studies is 3 years, and master's studies is 2 years.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-hoc-phan-lan-nhieu-co-hoi-nhung-chua-nhieu-ban-tre-biet-de-tan-dung-1851491947.htm
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