Program Snapshot
Åbo Akademi University - Vasa campus specializes in research-based teacher education, providing an ideal location for students majoring in teaching-related fields or education. The city of Vasa overlooks the unique World Natural Heritage Site of Kvarken and is an important center for Finnish-Swedish culture, as most inhabitants speak both languages well. The Vasa campus is small and friendly with easy access to service and outdoor activities, and the location and university have been very highly rated by international students over the years.
Fast Facts
Vasa, Finland (pop. 59,670)
Student Enrollment: 2,000
Language of instruction: English, Swedish
www.abo.fi/student/en/ievasa
Courses in English
Studying in Finland
Location
Åbo Akademi University - Vasa campus is located in the city of Vasa, situated on the west coast of Finland with direct connections to Helsingfors (Helsinki) and Stockholm, Sweden. The region is one of the most innovative in Finland and an important center for Finnish-Swedish culture.
Vasa is a bilingual city - most inhabitants speak Finnish and Swedish well and use both languages in their everyday life. The city also has a lively university feel, as it is home to over 10,000 students attending its many institutions of higher education, including Vaasan Yliopisto (Vasa University), Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK), the Swedish School of Economics (Hanken) and Novia University of Applied Sciences.
For more information on Vasa, visit the City of Vasa website at http://www.vaasa.fi/.
Program Type
ISEP-Exchange for International students.
ISEP-Exchange for US students.
Program Dates
Academic year: September to May; Semester 1: September to December; Semester 2: January to May.
Programs
The Åbo Akademi University - Vasa campus fields of study are Developmental Psychology/Conflict Resolution, Pedagogy/ Education, Social Policy, Language Studies and Optional Studies.
Courses taught in English
Language Studies (Swedish, Finnish, English);
Optional Studies (Culture, Winter Sports, Snow and Ice, Art, Piano);
Pedagogy/Education (Early Childhood Education, Leadership and Human Relations, Sports/ Physical Education, Learning Disabilities, Comparative Education, English Teaching Methodology, Teaching Content in English, Literature in Education, Teacher Motivation and Learning, Teaching Practice);
Developmental Psychology/Conflict Resolution (Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping, Political Psychology, School Bullying, Media's Role in Crisis, Well-Being through Action and Creativity, Legal Perspectives, Negotiation and Mediation Techniques, Research Methods, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Theory and Practice of Nonviolence and Social Change, Child abuse and Domestic Violence, School Psychology, Literature Seminars in Developmental Psychology); and
Social Policy (Nordic Model of Welfare).
Housing and Meals
Student housing is situated nearby, within 10 minutes walking distance from the campus. Students are housed in single rooms typically with shared kitchen and a private bathroom. Married/co-habitation student housing is available. Students receive a meal stipend to prepare their own meals or to purchase inexpensive meals at student cafeterias.
Orientation
Åbo Akademi University - Vasa Campus provides an orientation week, which includes activities such as a city and campus tour, information about studies, a meeting with the Rector, personal one-on-one sessions and a dinner with tutors. Students will be met at the airport or the train station. The World Natural Heritage Site course starts in early September with lectures, excursions and kayaking and is open to all exchange students.
Student Activities
International students have many opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities through the many student organizations on campus. Students may also join the student choir. The international tutors also arrange programs and outdoor activities and can help you plan travel to nearby locales such as Lapland and Russia. There is also a staffed student union on campus (located in the two towers at the waterfront), with meeting rooms and computers.
Profile
The Åbo/ Turku Consortium consists of Åbo Akademi University (founded 1918; 7,000 students) and the University of Turku (founded 1920; 20,000 students).
Åbo Akademi University has two main campuses, one in Åbo (Turku) and one in Vasa (Vaasa). The Åbo Akademi University - Vasa campus is situated in the building "Academill" which is an old mill renovated for the university's purpose in 2004 at the waterfront of Vasa. The campus building houses classes for all subjects, creating a nice environment for students studying different subjects to meet and get to know each other.
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