Johannes Airaksinen, a computer science student at the University of Eastern Finland, tells how he became interested in YUFE activities and a representative of the YUFE Student Forum.

Have you participated in the university’s international activities before the YUFE Student Forum?

This is my first international activity, although I have participated in many UEF (University of Eastern Finland) events that included international students, most notably our university’s doctoral conferment ceremony.

How did you become interested in YUFE and YUFE Student Forum?

I first stumbled upon YUFE after receiving an email at my university address saying that we are indeed part of this alliance. I had never heard of it before, so I had to check it out. I was especially happy to find out that they offered free university courses for all the universities that are part of the alliance! The user experience back then was a bit cumbersome, and I’m happy to see that improvements have been made since then, so the whole experience registering for courses is much easier and welcoming to newcomers.

Do you have some specific responsibilities or interests in the YUFE Student Forum?

We all have to participate in work packages, and I chose Digitalization since it is close to my field of study. I also find it fun to help organize local YUFE events to raise awareness, as increasing the visibility of the YUFE alliance is certainly something we need.

What are your first impressions of the YUFE Student Forum activity?

There is a lot you can do. It all depends on how involved you want to be. A lot of new people, new ideas, the whole structure of YUFE and the Student Forum, it is a lot to take in all at once.

How about your expectations of the YUFE Student Forum membership? What do you want to learn as part of student forum?

One big expectation was traveling, and that has certainly been met. We have already had one physical meeting in Brussels, and another one is coming soon in Nicosia. Outside of that, I had no big expectations. As a Student Forum member, you kind of learn as you go, and that is what even the more experienced members say.

I want to learn about other universities and how they compare to our own, and to understand how our students could better benefit from the YUFE alliance.