Are you international or internationally minded? A social scientist? If yes, then CISSI – the Organisation of International Social Scientists – is for you! CISSI is an organisation that operates under the Student Union (HYY). We organise exciting and cultural events to further encourage Finnish and International students to get to know one another, to highlight the most unique parts of Finnish student life, and to make living in Helsinki as smooth as possible. We are one of many social sciences organisations, however we are the only ones focused on the needs of international students specifically.
Whilst the COVID-19 circumstances have made organising indoor in-person events largely not possible, we do look to organise small outdoor events such as hikes to the beautiful Nuuksio, Luukki and Sipoonkorpi national parks. This time of year presents a great opportunity to explore Finnish nature in the midst of a snowy winter, enjoying the Finnish cultural food of makkara grilled outside whilst enjoy the relaxing and albeit biting cold! As the summer season draws closer, we will look to how we can arrange similar events that will introduce you to the beautiful beaches, such as Mustikkamaa, that Helsinki has to offer and also provide you many suggestions of others places and events to explore during the summertime. We are hoping that by the beginning of the new semester in Autumn that COVID-19 restrictions have eased so there may be the possibility of a Sitsit event! This is a truly Finnish experience not to be missed! We will also be hosting various walking tours of Helsinki as the situation improves to give you the best opportunity to get to know the city as a local, so keep an eye out on our events page.
The international side to our organisation goes beyond just those of you that have come to Helsinki to study – we also aim to organise collaborative events with sister organisations in Tallinn this year, and events to the embassies of foreign nations in Finland. Networking and career-mapping are important aspects that we as an organisation look to help our members develop during their time in Finland. We will do this by organising events and talks focussed on helping those of you within the social sciences field find potential employers, and also go over helpful information related to CVs and the recruitment process typical in Finland. We also love to hear about the type of events our current members would like to see moving forward, so if you have any ideas or suggestions then feel free to send us an email, or a message on Facebook.
Membership is open to exchange and permanent students here, so you’re all welcome to come and get involved with us! We at CISSI look forward to meeting and welcoming you all to the organisation!
Hamish, Sami, Satu, James, Thibault, and Ilmari