FIRST (Finnish Russian Student Exchange Programme)

 

The Finnish Russian Student Exchange Programme (FIRST) aims to promote partnership and bilateral mobility of students and teachers between north-western Russia and Finland. The purpose of the programme is to strengthen existing co-operation between institutions of higher education, to create new contacts and to aim at balanced mobility between Finland and Russia. In addition the programme supports joint intensive courses. The FIRST network is always coordinated by a Finnish institution of higher education.The Universities in Turku/Åbo are cooperating with several Russian universities within one FIRST-network.

 

Flows and subjects:

TY – SPbSU                    Humanities; History, Political History, East and East Asian Studies, Area Studies, Law

TY – IKSUR                     Humanities, Political Sciences, Area Studies, Law

TY – HSPU                      Education

TY – PSU                         History, Political History

TY – TSU                         Geography and Geology, Area Studies / Any field

TY – SPbSPU                  Technology, Social Sciences, Area Studies / Any field

 

ÅA – PVU                         Humanities – Languages and Philological Sciences

ÅA – SPbSPU                  Business Administration

ÅA – PSU                         History, Mathematics

 

TSE – SPbUEF               Business Studies

 

 

As a student you should contact the International Office in your own university to receive more information on the internal application procedure and timetable.

 

Grants for students:

Student exchange can take place either during the autumn or spring semester.

A scholarship of minimum EUR 510 per month will be given to each selected Russian student. The Russian students will pay their insurance and travel costs to Finland themselves.

 

The students will be paid their first monthly grant upon their arrival in Turku/Åbo after proving they have a valid travel insurance covering their entire exchange period. The rest of the scholarship will be paid as monthly grants. The students will pay the Student Union membership fee (voluntary) and accommodation themselves.

 

All exchanges have to begin from the beginning of the autumn or spring semester, in Finland this will be from the beginning of September or January. All selected Russian grant holders have to participate in the Orientation course that starts the last week of August or the first week of January in Turku/Åbo.

 

Conditions of participation:

—    first-year students cannot participate in the exchanges

—  students should be enrolled in a first degree programme at their home university

—  the sending university selects its own student(s) to be sent

—  the official duration of exchange is 3–9 months, but due to the amount of scholarships it may, in practice, only be 3–5 months. If your candidates prefer a whole academic year, please ask them to make a note in the application if they could also accept one semester if nothing else is offered due to financial circumstances.

—  students must be citizens or permanent residents of Finland or Russia 

—  the sending university must make sure, before the selection of participants, that they have a sufficient command of the language of tuition to be used during the exchange. Please note that in order to successfully complete the agreed programme, the incoming Russian students must have an adequate knowledge of either English or Finnish/Swedish. Russian is required from the Finnish students.

—  the exchange period should be an integral part of the curriculum of the sending university, and the home university of the exchange student must accept it fully as part of the student’s degree

—  the home university and the student must agree in writing on the student’s study programme abroad before the exchange period. The student shall commit to completing the study programme agreed upon; otherwise the whole grant or a part of it can be required to be returned. After the completion of the exchange period, the student must receive a written certificate of the studies completed while on exchange

—  it is recommended that the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) system is used when recognising the credits received

—  students cannot be required to pay any tuition or corresponding fees

—  the hosting institution shall be responsible for arranging accommodation for incoming students

—  the students participating in the FIRST programme must have an insurance during the period of stay in the host country 

 

 

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