Student Mobility
There are several mobility programmes available for students. The national administration of the programmes is in the Finnish National Agency for Education EDUFI.
Erasmus+
The programme offers possibilities for mobility periods for studies (3-12 months) and traineeships (2-12 months) in another European programme country or countries outside Europe. Studies abroad are recognised based on the Learning Agreement signed prior to the exchange. All Finnish HEIs participate in the Erasmus+ programme and Erasmus+ is the most popular channel for HE students’ international mobility in Finland. Programme is funded by European Commission.
Nordplus
The programme offers funding for higher education institutions in Nordic and Baltic countries. Student mobility for studies or placements is funded for periods of 1 to 12 months. Express Mobility grants are available for short mobility periods of minimum one week. The programme is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
In addition there are several nationally funded mobility schemes available for students in higher education institutions. They are funded mainly by the Ministry for Education and Culture and administrated by Finnish National Agency for Education EDUFI.
FIRST (Finnish-Russian Student and Teacher Exchange) promotes the mobility of higher education students and teachers between Finland and Russia.
Asia Programme promotes cooperation between HEIs in Finland and some Asian countries. Offers scholarships for student and teacher and staff mobility between the countries.
North2north is a student exchange programme between Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Canada and Alaska (USA). Students at the participating institutions are eligible to apply through their own institution. Administrated by the Finnish National Agency for Education EDUFI and the University of the Arctic
EDUFI Fellowship offers start-up grants for foreign PhD students for their doctoral studies at Finnish universities.
Finnish Government Scholarship Pool offers scholarships of 3-9 months for Doctoral level studies and research at Finnish universities or research institutes. The scholarships are based mainly on cultural agreements or similar arrangements between Finland and a number of other countries. Only the nationals of those countries are eligible to apply.
Scholarships for Master's and post-Master’s level students in Finnish language. The programme offers scholarships for foreign students, who study Finnish at advanced degree level in foreign universities, for their studies at Finnish universities.
International Traineeship program offers grants for international traineeships for Finnish students in Finnish HEIs. Positions are available in various public sector organisations and enterprises abroad. The programme is funded by Ministry of Education and culture, Ministry of Foreign affairs and Business Finland.
Degree mobility to Finnish HEIs from abroad has increased over the long term. The International strategy for higher education and research 2017–2025 sets the guidelines for the internationalisation in HEIs. One of the top priorities is to increase the international attraction of Finnish HEIs and to support the entry process and integration of international students in Finland. There is no national scholarship scheme for international degree seeking students coming to Finland but all higher education institutions have their own scholarships available for their international students.
Academic staff mobility
Erasmus+ programme funded by the European Commission and Nordplus Programme funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers offers possibilities for international mobility also to academic staff in higher education institutions. In addition there are nationally funded schemes available for academic staff. They are funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and administrated by Finnish National Agency for Education EDUFI.
FIRST (Finnish-Russian Student and Teacher Exchange) offers funding also for the mobility of HE teachers between Finland and Russia.
Asia Programme promotes cooperation between HEIs in Finland and some Asian countries. It also offers scholarships teacher and staff mobility between the countries.
Academic staff receive their usual salary during their mobility periods. Participants are also compensated travel and subsistence costs by the sending institution. The mobility periods are agreed as part of participants’ annual work load by the university.