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.