{"id":16506,"date":"2026-05-28T11:27:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/?p=16506"},"modified":"2026-05-29T10:12:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T08:12:22","slug":"blog-diversity-comes-with-social-responsibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/2026\/05\/28\/blog-diversity-comes-with-social-responsibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog: Diversity comes with social responsibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

TaiYo\u2019s\u00a0vice chairs and board\u00a0members\u00a0Sof\u00eda\u00a0and Baraka \u2013 both students from outside of EU and EEA countries \u2013\u00a0have\u00a0written a blog post\u00a0raising awareness\u00a0about the challenges international students face.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For an international student, studying abroad means making a big investment. The University of Arts Helsinki is a well-known institution: many of us dreamt of studying in one of the three academies and we believe that coming here is worth the effort.\u00a0However, it is becoming\u00a0more and more\u00a0difficult: the current Finnish government\u2019s decisions will limit access for international talent from outside Europe,\u00a0<\/span>making arts education accessible only to a privileged minority.\u00a0This will have<\/span>\u00a0a result\u00a0in\u00a0the loss of the cultural richness\u00a0have;\u00a0there are\u00a0many examples\u00a0on\u00a0how much\u00a0our international students\u00a0have added to the cultural life in the\u00a0Helsinki\u00a0and in Finland.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Students from outside\u00a0EU\/EEA have to pay tuition fees. For the students starting in the fall of 2026 this means 28,000 euros per year in\u00a0Uniarts. The 50% tuition fee waiver, offered for the last time to incoming students in 2025, was the last economic support available that many still depend on for the continuation of their studies. In addition, the cost of living is often significantly higher here than in our home countries and due to the current employment situation in Finland, relying on part-time work is not always a\u00a0realistic\u00a0option.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyday life can also present several other challenges:\u00a0e.g.\u00a0many students still deal with paperwork for various administrative processes months after arrival\u00a0and many face discrimination when applying for jobs.\u00a0What\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0coping with is a system where financial and other uncertainty threatens the completion of studies, and constant stress has also an effect on students’ well-being.\u00a0\u00a0With this, we aim to bring awareness about the mental health state of international students when navigating financial pressure, uncertainty, demanding academic schedules, difficulties when learning the language, the challenges of adapting to a new environment, and how sustainable all of this is in the long term.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some programs at\u00a0Uniarts\u00a0are specifically meant to bring in international students and they are taught in English. We come to a university that has diversity,\u00a0equality\u00a0and equity in its core values, presenting itself as a welcoming space and supportive environment.\u00a0<\/span>And we want to recognize as well that the<\/span>\u00a0university has also developed concrete initiatives to support student wellbeing and inclusion, such as equality and non-discrimination policies, student wellbeing services, accessibility efforts, tutoring activities, psychological support, and guidelines aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive study environment for both Finnish and international students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Diversity does not only enrich the university community socially, but also contributes artistically, bringing\u00a0new ideas, traditions, experiences, and ways of expressing art\u00a0that is part of a\u00a0creative environment for everyone.\u00a0<\/span>But we also want to highlight that diversity should not be seen and valued only as an asset\u00a0for\u00a0the university, but it comes with the social responsibility of truly supporting and caring for the people who embody it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are aware that in the current political and economic situation, local students\u2019 stability has also been threatened. We believe that it is necessary to be mindful of each other instead of living in different worlds and truly build a support network. It is important to remember that every student at\u00a0Uniarts\u00a0has gone through a careful admissions process. Everyone who has been accepted brings value to the community, has the ability and skills, and has earned their place here.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Something that is also worth bringing to the conversation is that when a student is under financial pressure, it is often other students who are also struggling who are the first ones to offer support from their own limited resources. While solidarity at the grassroots level is powerful and necessary, this dynamic should not be the default solution to structural problems. Support should not rely on those who are already disadvantaged but be strengthened by the institutions that bring us together.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This support\u00a0we are hoping for\u00a0could be shown with concrete actions like with building strategies for integration in the first month after orientation through courses and student activities, as well as a structured support for\u00a0finding\u00a0relevant internships during studies and after graduation that can also help with the concerns about future opportunities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While TaiYo is committed to supporting our international student community, we recognize that true change requires solidarity across the entire Finnish higher education and cultural sectors. We call on other student unions, faculty members, university leadership, and cultural institutions to join us in advocating for a system that values international artistic talent not just in rhetoric but in policy. The challenges we face are not unique to\u00a0Uniarts; they are systemic across Finnish universities. We are aware from The Finnish Transparency Register<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>that there is advocacy being done for international students, and we look forward to knowing more about it, and communicating it to the students. Collective action, shared resources, and unified advocacy can amplify our voices far more effectively than isolated efforts.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finland cannot isolate itself from the world by making it impossible for even highly skilled and motivated international students to come here.\u00a0Cultural exchange, learning together and from one another is necessary to navigate the\u00a0ever changing\u00a0world.\u00a0Us,\u00a0international students,\u00a0have so much to\u00a0offer\u00a0and we are eager to be part of society.\u00a0All we are asking is for respect as human beings and an opportunity to thrive.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We invite our colleagues across the sector to share their experiences and join us in demanding that Finland’s commitment to equality, education, and the arts extends fully to those who have traveled here to contribute to these values.<\/span><\/p>\n

Victoria Sofia Gasca,
\n<\/strong>Vice Chair, TaiYo Board 2026<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Baraka Issabu,
\n<\/strong>Vice Chair, TaiYo Board 2026<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TaiYo\u2019s\u00a0vice chairs and board\u00a0members\u00a0Sof\u00eda\u00a0and Baraka \u2013 both students from outside of EU and EEA countries \u2013\u00a0have\u00a0written a blog post\u00a0raising awareness\u00a0about the challenges […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":16509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-taiyo"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2w00X-4ie","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taiyo.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kv-blogi_visut.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16506"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16513,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16506\/revisions\/16513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taiyo.fi\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}