Yuliia Maliienko, a first-year student in the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development, arrived in Finland from Ukraine two years ago. Not a day passes without her thinking about the war and the loved ones left behind in her homeland. Yet, during her time here, she has embraced a determined mindset: to concentrate on the present moment, her studies in global education, and mastering the Finnish language in a safe environment. The support from helpful people has been heartwarming, but as long as the war persists, the world must not forget.
When the full-scale Russian invasion started on the 24th of February 2022, it was only two weeks later that her father decided it was best for her daughter to leave the Dnipro region and come to Finland to stay safe. Yuliia's aunt had already moved to Finland before the invasion, so while Yuliia’s father couldn’t leave the country and her mother stayed in Ukraine with him, she travelled to the small town of Juva to her aunt’s place with her grandmother – to start everything from scratch.
"It was painful, of course, to leave my parents and all my friends behind at the age of 17. But Finland felt immediately like a place of peace and harmony, so the most important thing was to be safe", says Yuliia.
While working at a local gas station, Yuliia applied to several universities including UEF, got accepted into the new Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development, and started preparing to move to Joensuu for the start of her studies in September 2023. She was excited to move to a bigger city – at least in Finnish terms, as her home city in Ukraine has more than double the number of citizens.
"That is probably the biggest difference between Finland and Ukraine – here you have access to beautiful nature everywhere and a lot less traffic, while in Ukraine it’s more densely populated and busy. I didn’t encounter a culture shock at any point, but the low temperatures and short hours of daylight in the winter felt quite challenging in the beginning – you had to learn to put on a whole lot of clothes, and drink lots of coffee, " Yuliia laughs.
Support in various forms
When Yuliia arrived in Joensuu, she was contacted by Ms. Outi Väyrynen from UEF International Mobility Services, who offered basic furniture for her empty student apartment. Apart from concrete support in the form of beds and chairs, the university has provided Ukrainian students free tuition for degree programs based on temporary protection by the Finnish Immigration Service. Additionally, if a Ukrainian student wishes to study individual study modules, non-degree courses, and courses in the Open University in English language are free of charge. UEF also provides living cost allowances to help Ukrainian students cover daily expenses.
Regarding her studies, everything was new to Yuliia: she was only 17 years old when she fled the war, had just finished high school, and had no university experience.
"It took some time to get accustomed to reading numerous books and papers and writing essays, but after the first semester, I learned how to manage, and it’s not that difficult. You just need to understand how the system works, and it takes some time."
What she continues to appreciate is the safety and the assistance she has received. She believes the university and Finland as a whole have supported her in every possible way, and she is very grateful for that.
"The university is a safe place for me; there’s everything you might need. People are always ready to help. Even though they say that people in Finland might be a bit introverted, I’ve learned that they are always ready to help if you just ask", says Yuliia.
It makes me feel warm and means that people have not forgotten about the war. It is crucial that people will not forget and keep supporting Ukraine because in the end, it’s a war for the whole of Europe. That is also the reason for me to share my experiences, so that people get to know what is happening in reality behind all the news.
Yuliia Maliienko
Student of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development
Now Yuliia’s life in Finland has found its rhythm, studies are progressing, and she has found hobbies and activities in Joensuu: yoga at the Sykettä sports services, meeting friends, going for walks. However, it’s precisely these seemingly ordinary things that Yuliia has learned to value differently.
"Before the war, I would complain about minor things like school grades or something like that. After losing basically everything familiar to me, I have started to appreciate the small things. Previously, I would take it for granted that I could spend time with my childhood friends or gather to celebrate Christmas with my family. Now, my hometown friends have moved to different countries in Europe or to the US or safer parts of Ukraine, and I haven’t seen my father in two years apart from video calls, so of course, sometimes you feel lost when you don’t see the end of it.
Important signs of solidarity
When thinking about her future plans, Yuliia seems to have adopted a very calm and focused attitude, despite the ongoing war that is a part of her everyday life – starting in the morning, when the first thing she does is check the news and messages from her family to hear if everyone is okay, and if something has happened, whether good or bad. Even though people in Ukraine have gotten used to the war and try to continue living their lives, going to school and work, the danger is always there, and air alerts are heard every day, also in Yuliia’s home city. Schools might be closed all day due to the alerts.
"In my first year in Finland, I thought that the war would finish at some point and I would return home. Now I don’t really see it ending, so I have adopted a mindset where I just focus on the present. I just try my best to do what I can, which is to study now when I have the chance and integrate into Finnish society as well as I can".
Yuliia’s determination to study the Finnish language shows that she is genuinely motivated to integrate. She has taken every possible university Finnish class so far – but the only problem is that they are not enough for her, as she would like to have classes more frequently than the current two times a week.
"I think learning Finnish is a good challenge for your brain, being one of the most difficult languages in the world. Learning the language of the country is the best way to take part", says Yuliia.
It is also comforting for Yuliia to see expressions of support in the surrounding society. Many cities and organizations, including the University of Eastern Finland, will illuminate their buildings or art installations with blue and yellow, the colours of the Ukrainian flag, or fly Ukrainian flags on flagpoles on February 24th.
"It makes me feel warm and means that people have not forgotten about the war. It is crucial that people will not forget and keep supporting Ukraine because in the end, it’s a war for the whole of Europe. That is also the reason for me to share my experiences, so that people get to know what is happening in reality behind all the news. The commemoration day of the start of the invasion will be a sad day for me, and I will have a silent moment for those who have died or suffered in the war, but in the end, it’s not that different from other days. Every day I think about the war and my family in Ukraine".
In the Bachelor’s programme, the studies focus on education from the perspective of global education, which aims to foster critical awareness of global challenges and promote a sustainable way of life. Additionally, she is interested in geopolitics and takes courses from the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies. Both her academic interests and life experiences have reinforced the message she hopes to convey:
"I just hope that people would appreciate the normal, everyday things in life and be kinder to each other. This is already a sustainable and kind society, but we can do even more", Yuliia concludes.
