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Apply to be a member of the board of SYL and apply to be a delegate in ÅAS’s delegation during the SYL General Assembly

Apply to the board of the National Union of University Students in Finland

The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) will elect a new Board for the coming year. SYL is a student organization representing 140,000 students and serves as an umbrella organization for all student unions in Finland. The organization safeguards students’ interests at the national level, working to improve students’ everyday lives.

Board work is full-time and remunerated, and requires residence in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The Board for 2026 (consisting of a Chair and six members) will be elected at the General Assembly on November 14–15, 2025. More information and the schedule can be found on FSF’s website.

If you are interested in applying, you can submit a statement of interest to ÅAS no later than October 9 at 12:00. The application may be freely formulated and should be sent to fo_karen@abo.fi. The Student Union Council will process the applications at its following meeting.

Would you like to represent ÅAS members at FSF’s General Assembly?

SYL’s General Assembly will be held on November 14–15, 2025. The Assembly is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the Finnish student movement and influence what FSF will work on in the coming year. ÅAS is represented at the Assembly by a delegation consisting of six delegates and their alternates.

The Assembly takes place over two days. The meeting agenda is divided so that the first half is handled on the first day and the second half on the second day. On the evening of the first day, various working groups meet to address specific matters, which are then brought up the following day. When registering for the Assembly, participants also register for the working group that seems most interesting to them.

During the Assembly, SYL’s action plan and budget for the following year are discussed, and the SYL Board for the next term is elected. Member organizations (the student unions) usually review the material beforehand, comment on the content, and propose amendments. At the Assembly, all material is then reviewed, and participants vote on the final version.

In addition to the meeting itself, there is also political debate, where participants can raise topics relevant to the student movement. Invited guests often deliver greetings from various organizations. Other activities may also be included, such as optional evening events for those interested.

A delegate’s task during the Assembly is to follow the proceedings and vote on various issues. No special preparation is required, and each delegate votes as they see fit. The ÅAS group usually discusses actively before and during the Assembly so that delegates are well informed about the votes.

For alternates, the role is to be available if needed, to replace a regular delegate in case they cannot be present, for example during votes.

According to ÅAS’s administrative regulations, the Student Union Council elects representatives of the Student Union to, among other things, SYL’s General Assemblies. If you are interested in participating and representing ÅAS at the Assembly either as a delegate or an alternate, you can submit a freely formulated application to fo_karen@abo.fi no later than October 9 at 12:00. The Student Union Council will elect the delegates at its following meeting.

Every year, the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University celebrates its annual ball on the weekend closest to 18 February, which is the birthday of the university’s founder Per Brahe. The annual ball of 2026 will be celebrated on 21 February in Åbo.

The Annual Ball Coordinator works closely with the Student Union’s Board and staff to coordinate the preparations for the annual ball. 

The Board of the Student Union has announced on its meeting 14/25 the position of Annual Ball Coordinator as vacant. Furthermore, the Board has determined a remuneration of 500 euros for the elected coordinator. The coordinator will be elected by the Board on 14 October. Together with the board the coordinator will choose members to the committee.

If you became interested, please send your application to Board member Melina Lindholm evenemang-abo@studentkaren.fi

The deadline for applications is 26 October at 11.59 p.m. 

 

Scholarships are offered from the Agneta and Carl-Erik Olin Fund to individuals pursuing a licentiate or doctoral degree at Åbo Akademi University, who have been regular members or senior members of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University. Applicants are expected to have held positions within the Student Union and/or its student associations. The fund is owned and maintained by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation.

The scholarship is awarded to one or more individuals for a total period of 18 months, with a monthly stipend of 2400 euros. Scholarship recipients are expected to engage in full-time research and produce a research report.

The application is in free-form, but should include:

  • A curriculum vitae/ resume detailing the applicant’s activities within the student union and its special associations.
  • A research plan prepared by the applicant, outlining the purpose of the research, materials, theoretical framework, working hypotheses, methodological approach, as well as any travel plans or need for laboratory facilities. The research plan should be condensed to one page.
  • Information about any other funding applied for or received for the same purpose, as well as the number of scholarship months being sought.
  • A statement from the supervisor, which should be sent directly to the General Secretary of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University, Veera Granroth (gs@studentkaren.fi).

Applications should be submitted to the Senior Council of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi no later than May 15, 2025, at 3.00 p.m. Applications are to be submitted via electronic form, which can be found here. The supervisor’s statement should be sent directly to the General Secretary of the Student Union via email.

Decisions regarding scholarship distribution will be communicated in early June. Scholarship recipients are required to report on the use of the scholarship to the Senior Council no later than two months after the end of the scholarship period.

The service points in Åbo and Vasa will be closed during the summer.

The service point in Åbo will be closed from 30th April. But don’t worry, on Monday 6th May 2024, from 12:00 to 13:30 p.m., ÅAS will host a pop-up service point in Arken, giving you another chance to collect your student card sticker before the summer. The service point will reopen on 26 August!

The service point in Vasa will be closed on 9th May, but will be open for one last day before the summer on 13th May. The Vasa service point will reopen on 2 September.

For inquiries or other matters regarding the service points, please contact kansli@studentkaren.fi (Åbo) or havtornen@studentkaren.fi (Vasa).

Looking for someone else from the ÅAS staff or board? You can find our contact information here!

Scholarships are offered from the Agneta and Carl-Erik Olin Fund to individuals pursuing a licentiate or doctoral degree at Åbo Akademi University, who have been regular members or senior members of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi Univeristy. Applicants are expected to have held positions within the Student Union and/or its student associations. The fund is owned and maintained by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation.

The scholarship is awarded to one or more individuals for a total period of 44 months, with a monthly stipend of 2400 euros. Scholarship recipients are expected to engage in full-time research and produce a research report.

The application is in free-form, but should include:

  • A curriculum vitae/resume detailing the applicant’s activities within the student union and its special associations.
  • A research plan prepared by the applicant, outlining the purpose of the research, materials, theoretical framework, working hypotheses, methodological approach, as well as any travel plans or need for laboratory facilities. The research plan should be condensed to one page.
  • Information about any other funding applied for or received for the same purpose, as well as the number of scholarship months being sought.
  • A statement from the supervisor, which should be sent directly to the General Secretary of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University, Sandra Österlund (gs@studentkaren.fi).

Applications should be submitted to the Senior Council of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi no later than May 22, 2024, at 3:00 PM. Applications are to be submitted via electronic form, which can be found here (application form in Swedish). The supervisor’s statement should be sent directly to the General Secretary of the Student Union via email.

Decisions regarding scholarship distribution will be communicated in May or early June. Scholarship recipients are required to report on the use of the scholarship to the Senior Council no later than two months after the end of the scholarship period.

During the autumn enrollment ceremony, two deserving teachers at Åbo Akademi Universty are awarded the titles of Teacher of the Year or Educational Visionary of the Year.

Do you have a teacher who excels in teaching, is inspiring, pedagogical, present, and knowledgeable? If so, suggest them for Teacher of the Year!

Have you collaborated with staff or had a teacher who inspires, encourages innovation, is student-centered, and innovative? Nominate that person for Educational Visionary of the Year!

Submit a well-motivated nomination here by June 4 at 12 p.m.