Press release 18 November 2017
The General Assembly of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL), representing all of Finland’s close to 132,000 university students, has elected SYL’s 2018 Board. The meeting also decided on next year’s plan of work as well as SYL’s new policy paper.
SYL’s President for 2018 is Miika Tiainen, 23, TYY.
The General Assembly also elected six board members:
Petteri Heliste, AYY
Petra Laiti, SHS
Joel Lindqvist, HYY
Ada Saarinen, HYY
Jenny Vaara, OYY
Teemu Vasama, JYY
Newly elected President of SYL wants students to be active in Finnish colleges policy: “Next year, the voice of students and young generation will be heard both in the development of education and in the creation of Finland’s direction in the coming years. We will actively work on topics that are important to us,, such as availability of education and a predictable and reliable support system for students.”
The General Assembly took a stand on the demand that the vision for higher education to be implemented in an encouraging way, taking the long-term view. The General Assembly urges that universities should be left to get on with the work of bringing the ongoing reforms to completion. The agreed measures and changes should be given sufficient time and trustworthy measurement to be adopted by the higher education field. Further cuts and rushed preparation are no longer acceptable. The SYL General Assembly does not consider mergers between universities and universities of applied sciences as a single legal entity to be the right way. “The different profiles and tasks of universities and universities of applied science need to be upheld. Higher education must be free of charge and accessible to all, so that we can maximise the full potential of the young generation,” outlines the newly elected 2018 President, Miika Tiainen.
The General Assembly of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) was held in Tampere University on Friday and Saturday 17–18 November.
Read the General Assembly statement on SYL’s website: http://www.syl.fi.
Find updates on social media (facebook.com/SYL.FIN and twitter.com/SYL_FIN) under the hashtags #SYLliittari and #studentsoffinland.
Contact details:
Secretary General Eero Manninen, tel. +358 45 631 7145
SYL President 2018 Miika Tiainen, tel. +358 45 320 5125
SYL Board 2017:
Teemu Vasama, +358 45 137 1964
Joel Lindqvist, +358 40 570 3980
Petteri Heliste, + 358 50 520 9428
Petra Laiti, +358 50 495 9935
Jenny Vaara, + 358 50 3621 270
Ada Saarinen, + 358 50 595 0328
