Consulate extends welcome to Chinese students bound for Finland

The Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai on May 21 hosted the "Happy Students" party in Shanghai to extend a welcome to Chinese students who will be furthering their studies in the Scandinavian nation.

The event was held at the residence of the Consul General of Finland in Shanghai and shared with participants aspects of education in Finland.

Attending the event were Chinese freshmen admitted by Finnish higher education institutions, Chinese who had studied in Finland, scholars, and partners in the field of Sino-Finnish education.

Three Chinese who formerly studied in Finland shared their experiences at the event.

"Mobile students, especially degree-seeking students, are the glue of our education institutions. We welcome all kinds of diversity in our higher education institutions. Congratulations to all of you who have been admitted to our higher education institutions," said Pasi Hellman, Consul General of Finland in Shanghai.

Mari-Anna Suurmunne, the Counselor of Education and Science, Embassy of Finland in Beijing, pointed out that Finland has been named "the happiest country in the world" for four consecutive years and this is reflected in the country’s "high-level education quality, equal educational opportunities, a free academic environment, generous student welfare, and career development options that match the characteristics of each student.

To better communicate with Chinese students and alumni members, the Finnish National Agency for Education has launched official Weibo and WeChat accounts to share information on studying in Finland and stories of Chinese alumni.

Last October marked the 70th anniversary of China-Finland diplomatic relations. In recent years, the cooperation and exchange between two countries in the field of education and science have deepened, according to officials.

Jin Xinyi contributed to this story.