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Press release 14 October 2025
The Student Union of Åbo Akademi University
For immediate release
A new Student Union Council, set to lead the Student Union of ÅAU (ÅAS) during the 2026–2027 term, will be elected in the upcoming Student Union Council Elections. The Election Committee has at its meeting on 10 October verified the candidates in the Student Union Council Election 2025 and drawn candidate numbers. Eight election associations have set a total of 107 candidates in the election. The number of candidates is the highest in twenty years.
“The Election Committee is happy that the interest in running in the election is this large. It is essential that the Student Union has active members who are committed to working for the best interests of their fellow students. We hope that students are active and use their right to vote in November,” says Amanda Byskata, Chair of the Election Committee.
More information on the Student Union Council Election, the election associations, and candidates is available on ÅAS’ website. Voting in the Council Election is done digitally between 3 and 6 November 2025. The list of all candidates running in the election can be found on ÅAS’ website.
For more information, please contact
Veera Gustafsson
Secretary General, The Student Union of ÅAU
gs@studentkaren.fi
tel. 02 215 4652
Valnämnden har på sitt möte den 10 september konstaterat vilka kandidater som ställer upp i Kårvalet 2025 samt lottat ut kandidatnummer. Åtta valföreningar ställer upp kandidater och totalt är det 107 kandidater som ställer upp.
Rödgröna Listan
2 Niklas Vaulanen
3 Matti Saarinen
4 Sam Sågfors
5 Niko Sandberg
6 Charlotta Ekman
SF-listan
7 Anton Gröning
8 Hannes Ulfvens
9 Antonia Holmberg
10 Lina Kronström
MK-Listan
11 Lotta Nurminen
12 Lina Hermansson
13 Malva Sjöblom
14 Aada Järvinen
15 Isabel Björklöf
16 Dennis Söderling
17 Greta Mäkelä
18 Minea Salminen
19 Wilma Alho
20 Lucia Stenger
21 Valentin Vainio
22 Martin Påwals
23 Axel Bondestam
24 Markus Huurinainen
25 Mikael Lehtinen
26 Max Kaituri
27 Robin Seppälä
28 Eddie Bäckström
29 Tony Bergman
30 Maria Smeds
31 Sini Piippo
32 Emilia Degerth
33 Madeleine Lönnqvist
34 Samuel Valjus
35 Julia Stenhammar
36 Tristan Frank
37 Tony Rantanen
38 Viktoria Björn
DKL-Listan
39 Jesper Öhman
40 Oliver Söderström
41 Rasmus Österlund
42 Benjamin Hjelt
43 Linda-Maria Franz
44 Jacob Rönnberg
45 Ronja Eklund
FNT-Listan
46 Risto Ruohola
47 Tilde Strömsbäck
48 Kevin Hede
49 Felicia Lindström
50 Joel Saarinen
51 Liam Söderlund
52 Ida Puskala
53 Rebecca Ahlskog
54 Svante Södergård
55 Simon Sundström
56 Daniel Kass
57 Julia Limnell
58 Robin Rönnback
59 Erik Malmström
60 Gustav Johnsson
61 Lotta Martin
62 Minea Laakso
63 Saga Kujansivu
64 Robin Holmström
65 Jasper Paalanen
66 Runa Åberg
67 Walter Törnwall
68 Casimir Ruohomaa
Liberala Studerande
69 Mi Adolfsson
70 Alexander Kruglov
71 Anton Åkerman
72 Vilma Sirén
73 Ronja Fast
74 Emilie Jäntti
75 Sabina Olin
76 Olivia Landén
77 Karin Jyrkänkoski
Gemensamma Vasa
78 René Närhi
79 Emilia Grönlund
80 Nea Olli
81 Oscar Tallberg
82 Aurora Peurala
83 Emilia Lervik
84 Hope Klemets
85 Emma Vikman
86 Frida Holgers
87 Casper Loo
88 Sonja Niemimaa
89 Noomi Talvio
90 Julia Kultti
91 Oliver Pimenoff
92 Julia Aspholm
93 Johnny Lindfors
94 Nora Jakobsson
95 Kajsa Glader
96 Christel Still
97 Johannes Perätalo
De Rättvisa
98 Linn Turkki
99 Melina Lindholm
100 Svea Välimäki
101 Sofie Lehtovaara
102 Santeri Kylämäki
103 Cassandra Ewalds
104 Matilda Bei Korkiala
105 Emilia Melén
106 Rebecca Aherto
107 Artur Ekman
108 Satu Tahko
Mer information om Kårvalet finns här. Kårvalet ordnas den 3–6 november 2025.
Bästa studerande,
Ärade kansler, rektor, rektor i Vasa, personal och övriga festdeltagare,
Dear students,
Hej! trevligt att få vara här! Det är alltid lika spännande med nytt läsår, oavsett om man är ny studerande eller redan hunnit delta i studielivet en längre tid. Jag tror det här gäller nästan alla i universitetssamfundet: när hösten kommer har man fått vila, andas ut under sommaren och har mer energi för någonting nytt. Hösten för ofta med sig lite frisk luft.
Hi! It’s nice to be here! A new academic year is always just as exciting, whether you’re a new student or have already been part of student life for some time. I think this applies to almost everyone in the university community: when autumn arrives, you’ve had time to rest, breathe out during the summer, and you have more energy for something new. Autumn often brings with it a bit of fresh air.
Mycket blir ju faktiskt nytt vid ÅA i höst. Fyra fakulteter blir två med tillhörande sex institutioner. Det är nervöst och väcker kanske fortfarande en del frågor som ännu inte har svar, men det är helt okej.
Det har funnits en oro för hur allt ska se ut i praktiken: oro kring en identitet som länge varit knuten till fakulteterna, samt en allmän oro inför förändring. Men det är bra att komma ihåg att förändring också för med sig nya möjligheter.
This autumn brings many changes at ÅAU as four faculties become two, with six departments. While the transition may feel uncertain and raise questions, it is important to remember that change also brings new opportunities.
Jag hoppas att det här är en påminnelse för oss studerande att alltid göra våra röster hörda och ta en aktiv plats i den nya organisationen. Om det är någonting som jag hoppas alla studerande kan ta med sig från det förra läsåret och in det nya är att vi har rätt att höras vid vårt eget universitet.
I hope this reminds us students to always make our voices heard and to take an active role in the new organization. If there is one thing I hope all students bring with them from the past academic year into the new one, it is that we have the right to be heard at our own university.
Just detta studieår känns det undantagsvis lite svårt att med positiv energi hälsa alla studerande välkomna tillbaka till campus, och de nya studerande välkomna till studielivet. Situationen för studerande just nu gör det svårare att ta beslut om att faktiskt börja studera eller fortsätta sina studier, på grund av bristande ekonomiskt stöd, osäkerhet kring karriärmöjligheter samt en allmänt mer oviss framtid. Allt fler behöver arbeta vid sidan av studierna, i en tid där Finland har den högsta arbetslösheten i Europa. Detta och mycket annat gör att studievardagen känns allt svårare att hantera.
This academic year, it feels unusually difficult to welcome all students back to campus with positive energy, and to welcome new students to student life. The current situation for students makes it harder to decide whether to actually begin or continue studies, due to insufficient financial support, uncertainty about career opportunities, and a generally more uncertain future. More and more students need to work alongside their studies, at a time when Finland has the highest unemployment rate in Europe. All this, and much more, makes everyday student life feel increasingly difficult to manage.
Jag vill framhäva att situationen för studerande har nått en kritisk punkt, där en god levnadsstandard inte längre är självklar i den rådande utbildnings- och socialpolitiken. Dessutom är världsläget spänt och bidrar till en växande känsla av oro hos många.
Jag känner själv en stark oro för att allt fler har mindre tid för sig själva. Studerande, personal och ledning, vi ska alla kunna ha tid för fritid och återhämtning. Någonting som jag i min roll i vardagen ser att många till en mycket lägre grad kan prioritera idag.
Vi måste komma ihåg att ta hand om varandra men också ge oss själva tid och sinnesro. Jag hoppas att studerande även i fortsättningen ska kunna engagera sig i det unika föreningslivet vi har här vid ÅA. Studier är ett heltidsjobb, men du ska fortfarande kunna ha en fritid och ta del av studielivet på det sätt du vill och förtjänar.
We must remember to take care of each other but also give ourselves time and peace of mind. I hope that students will continue to be able to engage in the unique student association life we have here at ÅA. Studying is a full-time job, but you should still be able to have free time and take part in student life in the way you want and deserve.
Till ledning och personal,
Jag hoppas att ni kan ha förståelse för den rådande situationen och den oro som finns hos studerande.
Till alla, Jag hoppas att vi, vid vårt universitet, kan följa en princip om att de rum där vi möts är och ska vara trygga. Att vi sätter vikt vid att vi värderar jämlikhet, inkludering och tillgänglighet. Vi följer en princip om tryggare rum. Det här känns speciellt viktigt just nu med så mycket nytt som påverkar oss alla.
I hope that throughout this academic year, our university as a whole will be guided by mutual understanding and goodwill. Let us communicate openly, listen attentively, and—students, university leadership, and staff alike — strive to understand one another. That is an example of paving the way for sustainable education.
This way of thinking, I believe, also needs to reach the national decision-makers, so that they realize that cuts to university funding and student financial aid, and disregarding free education, are not the way forward and certainly not sustainable.
För att återkomma till frågan om möjligheter, vill jag säga till studerande att situationen vi befinner oss i inte är omöjlig. Jag vill tacka ÅA för att det blivit en plats där studerandes röster hörs, våra åsikter tas i beaktande och där vi blir lyssnade på och hoppas att det här märks av starkt även nu kommande läsår. Den röst vi har kan användas inte bara inom vårt eget universitet utan också på nationell nivå. Man kan påverka mycket tillsammans och det ger mig en känsla av trygghet i en framtid som annars kan kännas osäker.
I feel secure in the community we have at ÅAU and want to thank you for making it a place where students’ voices are heard, our opinions are taken into account, and we are truly listened to. This gives me a sense of safety in a future that might otherwise feel uncertain.
Avslutningsvis känns det viktig att lyfta fram att ömsesidig empati, förståelse och omtanke som något att ta med sig in i det nya läsåret. Jag vill ännu på ÅAS vägnar önska alla en riktigt bra start på hösten!
On behalf of The Student Union, I would also like to wish everyone a really good start to the autumn!
The election committee has at its meeting on 30 September verified the election associations that are running in the ÅAS Council Election 2025. The following election associations are running:
- FNT-listan
- Gemensamma Vasa
- Rödgröna listan
- MK-listan
- De rättvisa
- Liberala studerande
- Humanist listan
- DKL-listan
- SF-listan
All who are interested in running as candidates in the ÅAS Council Election must belong to an election association and are encouraged to contact the association that best suits them. You can find the names of the contact persons here on the webpage. The election associations will be presented further on the Student Union’s social media and here on the webpage.
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. In its latest meeting, the board was authorized to fill the remaining positions. 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 so_karen@abo.fi no later than October 24 at 9:00. The Student Union Council will elect the delegates at its following meeting.
During the summer, Kåren has been renovated with a focus on accessibility and modernization of technology. Now, Kåren is more physically accessible – there is a platform lift in the newly renovated front yard and an elevator between the first and second floors.
Kåren is used for annual parties, concerts, theater, seminars, and many other events aimed at the members and associations of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University. It is an important goal that everyone should be able to participate in the events that are organized.
Both the rentable Marlirummet and the gym Roddis have also been refurbished during the summer with new paint and soundproofing for a more pleasant atmosphere.
The renovation was made possible in part by a significant grant that the Student Union received from Fastighetsstiftelsen för Svenska kulturfonden.
Kåren’s renovation also coincides with the Student Union celebrating 100 years on its own lot. On September 22, 1925, the Student Union signed the deed for the property on Tavastgatan 22. For a full 100 years, the Student Union has had its own house to take care of and has worked to ensure that it is a place where all students can feel welcome and that the house belongs to them. This is something the Student Union continues to do – hopefully for at least another 100 years.
Whether you are heading to Kåren for lunch or to attend an event, we hope you feel welcome to join in!
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.
Press release
26 August 2025
For immediate release
To highlight the role of education in a changing Europe, the student unions at the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University are participating in this year’s Europe Forum.
The theme of the discussion is sustainable education in Europe, and our panel participants will consider how we can work together to organise high-quality, sustainable education that reduces inequality.
In addition to MEP and former Minister of Education Li Andersson, the panel will also include the voices of students and universities.
Education is a cornerstone of the development of a sustainable society, both nationally and internationally. In a free Europe, we can work together to combat inequality and promote democracy and a sustainable society through education.
As student unions, we want to highlight this discussion so that decision-makers, universities and students can work together towards a Europe where everyone has equal opportunities to support the cornerstone of society – education.
The student unions’ discussion will be held in English on Thursday 28 August at 1.30–2.15 p.m. on the Sopukka stage.
For more information, contact
Ellen Ijäs
Students’ Rights Expert, The Student Union of Åbo Akademi University
hs_karen@abo.fi , 02 215 4655
The Service Point at Kåren will be open every day, Monday–Friday from noon to 3 p.m., during the orientation week (25–29 August).
After orientation week, the Service Point will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m.
You can always find the current opening hours on our website: studentkaren.fi.
Kårkaféerna is opening a new restaurant in the heart of Åbo Akademi University’s campus in Åbo.
We are proud to announce that in January 2026, Kårkaféerna will open a new restaurant next to Åbo Akademi University’s new building, Astra, on the campus in Åbo.
Kårkaféerna is delighted to have won this procurement. What makes it even more special is that the new restaurant, Kårkafé Astra, will be located in the same building where Kårkafé Gado operated for almost 50 years.
A meeting place with good food, joy and sustainability
Kårkaféerna looks forward to moving into new, beautiful premises and hopes that Kårkafé Astra will become a natural meeting place for students, staff, and other visitors. Kårkafé Astra will be run with the same commitment to good food, joy, and sustainability that characterises Kårkaféerna’s operations. Much will feel familiar: a diverse lunch selection, home-baked treats, and snacks for everyday breaks. Kårkaféerna will also introduce new concepts at Astra.
– We received three competitive bids, and Kårkaféerna had the best overall offer based on the criteria we had set. Kårkaféerna presented an exciting concept, and I believe the students will be very pleased, says Mats Ekebom, Head of Procurement at Åbo Akademi University.
– I see this win as clear proof of Kårkaféerna’s commitment, professionalism, and passion for food and service. As a growing company with high customer satisfaction in both lunch and catering services, we are ready to take the next step and help create a lively and welcoming environment at Astra, says Susanna Häyry, CEO of The Student Union of Åbo Akademi University and Kårkaféerna.
Astra is being built in the Stjärnan block
Astra is a new university building located in the Stjärnan block in Åbo. It will bring together teaching, research, and support services under one roof and serve as a new hub for Åbo Akademi University’s activities in Åbo. The name “Astra,” Latin for “star,” was chosen through a public naming competition and reflects both the site’s history and its future ambitions. The building is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2025, and Kårkafé Astra will open its doors in January 2026.
