Mastering Finland

Paola, originally from Italy, shares her family's remarkable journey of adopting internationally in Finland. She talks about her multicultural family, identity and details the process of adopting her son from India. Find out how her efforts to improve the adoption services for foreigners helped international families and how it also ended up impacting adoption services in Finland as a whole! Links...

Jean chats with Lorena who relocated to Finland for her job at Nokia. Lorena gives an inside look at working in a Finnish company, the work culture, and the relationship dynamics with colleagues and the manager. She also shares many resources for organizations she had taken the initiative to join to build her social network/community. Find out how she built her life in Finland and her advice for t...

Petra chats with diversity and inclusion public speaker/coach and CEO/co-founder of Businesswiz, Priyanka Banerjee. Priyanka's work helps Finnish companies transition to a more internationally-minded environment through hands-on cooperation and trainings. She believes that the successful inclusion of foreigners in the workforce is essential as Finland inevitably moves towards a more diverse societ...

Petra interviews Raysa and Katarina, students at the University of Tampere and creators of "Diversity for Future." Their mission is to address the topic of diversity in the Finnish workplace through discussions and personal stories and to highlight the value of international cooperation! LINKS: https://esnfint.org/diversity-for-future https://esnfint.org/international-student-employability-team ht...

Petra and Jean talk about some of the most popular Finnish inventions and brands (you'll be surprised to see what's on the list!). Get to know a little bit more of the 'Finnish way' through the ingenuity and uniqueness of their creations and ideas!

What better way to prepare for the new academic year than to speak to Raul- a former tutor, student and teacher (triple threat!) at the University of Jyväskylä. Raul gives insight into the realities of life outside of the university bubble based on his own experiences. Raul touches on: ✔️the role of a 'tutor' and the kind of assistance international students can expect as they settle into (univers...

Alvaro looks back on the good times as an Erasmus exchange student (EU program) in Finland! He talks about his studies in Education, 'friendship family program' (see link below), student life, traveling and dating. He also gives valuable tips for new students! SOURCES MENTIONED: ⭐Erasmus Student Exchange Program- https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en ⭐Friendship Family Program at...

Community is key to surviving and thriving! Petra and Jean share their experience of making friends and building a community as international students in Finland. SOURCES MENTIONED: ⭐Friendship Family Program (University of Jyväskylä) https://www.jyu.fi/en/study/day-to-day-life-housing-and-free-time/friendship-family-programme

Petra and Jean continue to share their travel experiences in Finland. In this episode, they give an overview of: ✔️Lahti ✔️Oulu ✔️Kemi ✔️Kuusamo ✔️Ranua ✔️Rovaniemi ✔️Inari (Saariselkä village) ✔️Tallinn ✔️Alands/Ahvenmaa ✔️Stockholm (*Listen with a pinch of salt! We're sure there were many things/experiences missed possibly because of the poor winter weather ☹️) ✔️St. Petersburg🧳Happy and safe...

Wondering how you can travel safely around Finland now? From popular tourist attractions to hidden gems, join Petra and Jean in this two-part series audio tour as they hit up 22 different cities in and around Finland! In this episode they give an overview of their travel experiences in: ✔️Helsinki ✔️Sipoo ✔️Porvoo ✔️Turku ✔️Naantali ✔️Rauma ✔️Pori ✔️Tampere ✔️Jyväskylä ✔️Petäjävesi ✔️Kuopio . ⚠️Pl...

Davide moved to Finland from Italy with the intention and mindset to settle long-term. He shares practical tips for writing effective job applications and navigating one's social life in Helsinki as a foreigner. His perseverance, introspection and can-do attitude help him get through the highs and lows, which eventually lead him to his current success in Finland. This episode is an uplifting and t...

Petra and Jean share their experience of transitioning from student to job-seeker status, particularly in regards to: ➡️ new residence permit ➡️ documents required for employment ➡️ online banking ID (This episode was recorded in May 2020. Always do your own research for up to date information) ***NOTE ERROR IN EPISODE: Online banking ID is only for EU citizens who registered for the right of resi...

A panel of international student ambassadors answer your questions regarding studies in Finland!  This is packed with information and lots of great insights. Don't miss you! A big thank you to our student ambassadors from:  ➡️University of Helsinki ➡️University of Turku ➡️University of Jyväskylä (Other universities were invited to participate but unfortunately did not respond). Please see timestam...

Petra and Jean look back on their student years in Finland and chat about university life, education and culture and not to mention all the student perks! Tune in to find out how independent learning is cultivated and how students are cared for and seen as equals to professors. ***UPDATED INFO: as of August 1, 2020 student lunch prices have increased from 2.60€ up to 3.06€ (depending on location)....

Petra sits down with Henna Pursiainen - CEO of the initiative, "Dare To Learn." The initiative organizes an annual event, which attracts visitors from all over the world from various professional backgrounds, with the goal of contributing to learning at any stage of life. Henna shares a glimpse of future projects that we can expect centered around continuous learning and how you can get involved!...

Tune in to find out how some listeners are coping and how their daily lives have changed because of COVID-19 in Finland. We hope that through this episode you feel a sense of oneness, regardless of where you may be, as we all try to adjust to our new reality. ***Many thanks to those who submitted an audio/text message and allowed us to share it in this episode! (Stay up to date with https://www.wh...

Shanarah (Australia) and Maria (Philippines) moved to Finland for their significant others. We chat about how they obtained their residence permits, went through the required integration period for immigrants and also what working as kindergarten teachers in Helsinki is like. This episode is loaded with practical information that even our guests wish they had known before moving here, so take note...

Turning a house into a home is a process but having to do it alone while in a foreign country can seem like a daunting task. Petra and Jean talk about their experience of settling into Finland and share tips on where to buy furniture, groceries and eco-friendly items! They also touch on recycling practices and the many specific dietary needs Finland caters to with all their products.  Links:...

Saswati came to Finland from India in 2017 to study Education in a Master's degree program. Coming from a country of 455 people per square km to Finland (with 15 people per square km) imagine her surprise when she first arrived! She talks about an unfortunate incident involving racism, her dating experience and how she smoothly transitioned into a PhD program.

Petra and Jean talk about what you should do once you arrive to Finland. Jean delves into the process of obtaining a personal identity code (henkilötunnus) and opening a bank account as a non-EU citizen (among other things), while Petra shares her experience as an EU citizen. Are you sure you’re all set for your new life in Finland? Tune in and find out! Links: Finnish Immigration Service www.migr...

Kadiya moved to Finland with her husband from Urumqi, China back in 2015. Since then she has experienced significant life moments, like getting her Master’s degree in education and giving birth to her first child, all while navigating her new life in a foreign country! Find out how she intentionally changed her mindset to help her adapt to the Finnish culture and overcome the struggles and which a...

Petra and Jean share all the nitty-gritty details of planning your move to Finland. Whether it’s applying for a Finnish residence permit or finding housing, get a heads-up about some of the key things you should tend to prior to your arrival to ensure a smooth start! Links: Checklist for moving to Finland https://www.infofinland.fi/en/moving-to-finland/checklist-for-a-person-who-is-moving-to-finla...

Katerina talks about her move from Greece to Finland with her Finnish-Greek fiance and recalls some hilarious and challenging moments that she faced in the beginning. She also shares useful tips for getting a pet, car shipping, and starting a teaching career in Finland! Links: Finnish Tax Administration https://www.vero.fi/henkiloasiakkaat/ Importing your car to Finland https://www.traficom.fi/fi/...

Petra and Jean share their first impressions of Finland. Is Finland everything the media makes it out to be...or more? Was it love at first sight? Find out if pre-existing notions the world seems to have about Finland are true! Links:  This is Finland - things you should and shouldn't know about Finland https://finland.fi/ Study Portals Masters https://www.mastersportal.com/countries/9/finlan...

Meet your hosts! Petra is from the Czech Republic and Jean is from California and they met while studying in a Master’s degree program in Jyväskylä. Find out what inspired them to take the leap and start this podcast and what you can look forward to in later episodes!