HEI LIFE Seminar 31.8.2022 Summary

The HEI LIFE project organised a seminar on 31.8.2022 at the Think Corner in Helsinki to contribute to the discussion on talent attraction and retention in higher education and research, as well as to share the current results of the project. HEI LIFE is a two year project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture that aims to find better ways to support international academics, staff, and spouses in Finnish higher education and research. The seminar gathered a good amount of interest, and 65 people attended the seminar in person while another 99 people joined to watch the stream online. On-site participants came from all over Finland, and online participants joined also from e.g. Germany, Latvia, and Sweden.

The seminar started with welcome words from HR Director Tiia Tuomi from the University of Helsinki, who congratulated the project partners in their active engagements towards shared goals in international education and research. Together with a keynote speech from Henna Juusola , a postdoctoral researcher from the Faculty of Management and Business at Tampere University, the day was set for forward-looking thoughts and discussions.

In her speech titled ‘(Re)framing inclusive internationalisation in the higher education sector: towards diversity and equity of Finnish HEIs’, Juusola called for stronger social engagement and global responsibility. According to Juusola, diversity should be considered in institutional decision-making processes and practical level, for instance in different kinds of services. Higher education institutions should also recognise the individual’s point of view. For its part, the HEI LIFE project supports diversity and inclusion in support services and by engaging the international academics, staff, and spouses themselves.

Juusola shared comparisons between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education institutions in Finland, Sweden, Ireland, and the UK. Based on the GATE research project’s findings, all levels of education matter in DEI. In addition to higher education, it is important to consider other levels of education, such as basic and upper secondary level, and what kind of entity they create together. Juusola also pointed out that fostering a stronger steering mechanism, for example including DEI aspects in legislation and funding models, may have more impact on how higher education institutions are operating.

Furthermore, stable funding for DEI activities in higher education is called for as project-based activities do not provide long-term sustainability and development. Sustainable inclusion requires systematic development work and resources on global, national, and organisational levels. Juusola also noted that more qualitative research is needed in this area so that we would have better data to support decision making, for instance.

Following Juusola’s speech, HEI LIFE project manager Kirsi Korhonen ( University of Helsinki ) and subproject coordinators Raisa Suominen ( Tampere University ) and Irinja Paakkanen ( Turun yliopisto - University of Turku ) presented an overview of the whole project and each subproject. Each subproject was further introduced and discussed in workhops after the presentations. The workshops were open to the on-site participants in the Think Corner.

Subproject 1, managed by Raisa Suominen and Tampere University, focuses on creating material to support the arrival and integration of international academics, staff, and their families. The material also takes into account the work community and its importance in welcoming international talents. Diversity and inclusion in any organisation or community is everybody’s right and responsibility.?

Tampere University has started a network for international academics and staff. Suominen noted that Tampere University welcomes everybody who feels internationally minded to the network regardless of nationality or length of stay in Finland, for instance. When asked how similar activities could be implemented in other organisations, Suominen noted that Tampere University also collaborates closely with International House Tampere in talent attraction and retention, and encouraged all employers to be in contact with their local international house or talent hub too. The material mentioned above will be available on the EURAXESS Finland website later in 2022.

Subproject 2, managed by Irinja Paakkanen and University of Turku, focuses on creating meaningful connections with working life for international researchers. The subproject has collated an overview of all international talent programs in Finland, piloted mentoring models, and released a guidebook on guided peer groups. Paakkanen commented that while it is important to have companies involved in mentoring models and other support measures linking researchers to business and working life, it is also very important to engage the company staff in becoming mentors. The involvement of organisations has more impact when individuals are also invested in the actions.

Subproject 2 collaborated with Empower Wednesday by IWWOF - International Working Women of Finland Ry to organise three webinars for international researchers. The webinars discussed networking between academia and business, recognising academic skills and utilizing them in business life, and selling a research project to a company. With 118 participants joining the session from all over Finland, they provided people with the opportunity to network, hear inspiring speakers, and exchange thoughts about working life and integration in Finland. Empower Wednesday also organised one webinar on the hidden job market for subproject 3 and the international spouses of the HEI LIFE Spouse Network.

Lucia V. from IWWOF, the organiser of the webinars, said Empower Wednesday hopes to contribute to education, add value, and provoke thoughts in their audience. Lucia Vuillermin had a powerful message to share to all the participants. ‘Stop considering yourself as an immigrant but rather an active member of society’, Vuillermin said. ‘Finland needs us and we want to be in Finland, so let’s cooperate.’ Vuillermin also shared other tips based on IWWOF’s experience, and a call to action for higher education institutions to step into the shoes of their audience, in this case international talent, when they are planning and implementing support services and activities.

Subproject 3, managed by Kirsi Korhonen and the University of Helsinki, focuses on the spouses of international academics and staff in higher education institutions. Within the subproject, the higher education institutions in the capital region have created the HEI LIFE Spouse Network. The network aims to provide information, networking opportunities, and career support for its membership, now comprising of over 80 individuals. The partner HEIs have organised 30 events after the network’s launch in March 2021, and collaborated with many other networks and organisations, including the City of Helsinki’s Spouse Program, the City of Espoo’s Career Club, Mothers in Business International, and IWWOF. A report of the subproject’s activities and findings will be published online later in 2022, along with a guide on how to create and manage a similar network.

The most important aspect of the project activities is the impact on the academics, staff, and spouses. One of the HEI LIFE Spouse Network members, Jordi Yern shared his experience with the seminar audience. Yern commented that it’s interesting to meet people from different countries, and participating in the activities is a good way to meet people and grow your own network. Organised activities make it easier to approach people and explore and discover new places. Peer support is welcome, as it is often challenging to find out the right source of information on any topic when moving to a new country. Yern also noted that there is a lot of uncertainty related to long-term planning for the international spouses, as they are often not sure how long they will stay in a country, especially with the nature of work contracts in the academic sector. It is difficult to know if it is worthwhile to find a job and learn the local language, for instance. ‘The decision to settle down depends on a lot of factors’, Yern said, offering a reminder on the realities of life for all internationally mobile people.

During the discussion it was also noted that while it is understandable that especially newcomers find support among others in the same situation and tend to network together, it would also be important to mix and mingle with the locals as this supports integration and a sense of belonging to the community and society. It is also good to know that many of the support services are available regardless of how long one has lived in Finland or where they are coming from. HEI LIFE encourages everyone associated with a higher education institution to contact the HEI’s HR or the international office, if they want to know more about local networks and support. Also, the regional international houses and talent hubs have a key role in supporting the established international talent.

Many thanks to everyone who joined the seminar online or on-site and contributed to the fruitful and versatile discussions. It is clear that talent attraction, retention and DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) are important to many organisations and individuals in Finland. We are glad to be part of the discussion and act as agents of change in our project and as part of the wider Talent Boost network, along with other academic support networks like EURAXESS Finland, also present at the seminar.

We all have a role to play in creating a more diverse and inclusive Finland. Each organisation, individual, and project can make a difference in making Finland a great place for everyone to live and thrive. The HEI LIFE project partners hope that in piloting these models and services, and disseminating the results openly for public use, they will have contributed to these goals.

HEI LIFE website

HEI LIFE Guide for Peer Support Groups

EURAXESS Finland website