# Supporting international students in Finland: lessons from the pilot programme

> This article summarises the results and findings from the student pilot conducted in the Working Ability Project at Savonia University of Applied Sciences.

## The Working Ability Project Pilot
At Savonia University of Applied Sciences, a new pilot programme was launched in 2024-2025 as part of the Working Ability Project. The goal of this initiative was to support international students—specifically those enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration—in building a stronger sense of integration within Finnish society and the higher education system. At its core, the programme focused on one of the most fundamental human needs: the need to belong.

## The "Peacock’s Tail" Metaphor
To frame the complexities faced by international students, the concept of a “peacock’s tail” serves as a useful metaphor, initially brought by John Whittington in his book *Systemic Coaching & Constellations*. This image represents the unique identity each person carries—shaped by their values, beliefs, fears, strengths, cultural background, and life experiences. Our personal “tail” evolves as we move through various relationship systems, from family to school, to workplaces, and broader society.

For international students arriving in Finland, their carefully cultivated “tails” are often challenged. They find themselves navigating unfamiliar educational, cultural, and social systems, often without the foundational support of friends or family. This transition can be jarring, leaving students feeling that their identities are misunderstood or devalued.

## Challenges and Coping Strategies
These pressures take a toll. Students may unconsciously adopt coping patterns—projecting independence while yearning for connection, overcommitting or withdrawing, or attempting to belong to multiple spaces without truly fitting into any. These survival strategies often contribute to exhaustion, impostor syndrome, and emotional disengagement. This emotional toll may explain why nearly half of international students in Finland plan to leave after graduation, citing a lack of opportunity and connection.

## Pilot Structure and Engagement
The pilot sought to create a safe space for reflection, peer support, and experiential learning using a “learning circle” format. The programme focused on second-year students, assuming they would have developed enough familiarity with Finnish life to bring valuable insights to the group.

While 12 students initially signed up, only half attended the first session, and over time, only two students participated consistently. This drop in engagement highlighted a disconnect between the programme’s structure and the day-to-day realities of the students.

## Key Findings from Participant Feedback
Through conversations with the remaining participants, several important themes emerged:
* **Financial pressures:** Many students work alongside their studies to manage basic living costs, making it hard to commit to extracurricular activities.
* **Lack of academic credit:** Activities that don’t offer credit are often seen as non-essential, regardless of their potential for personal growth.
* **Emotional weight of the topic:** The pilot touched on sensitive, often painful topics. By their second year, many students were already confronting feelings of exclusion, struggling to find internships, and wrestling with a sense of not belonging, compounded by language barriers and Finland’s long, dark winters.

## Recommendations for Future Support
The experience made it clear that support must come much earlier. Rather than targeting second-year students, integration efforts should begin from the moment of application and continue through onboarding, orientation, and subsequent semesters. 

Support must be sustained throughout the student’s academic journey, evolving from initial cultural orientation to academic adaptation, and eventually to career development. International students need more than just information; they need connection, recognition, and belonging. A more cooperative and flexible support system is required—one that makes space for international students to reveal and embrace their full identities.

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**Agnieszka Laherto**
International Coordinator and Business Coach
Wellbeing specialist in Tulevaisuuden työkyky project, Savonia UAS