My Travel Notes to Finland: An Enthusiastic Academic Environment

"This is your captain speaking. We will be landing shortly. Welcome to Helsinki"

The announcement from the captain over the plane's loudspeaker sent shivers down my spine. We would soon be landing in Helsinki, where I would have the opportunity to study in a country renowned for its exceptional education system.

Finland is the special country to Achenese people, which has endured 30 years of war and the devastating 2004 tsunami. Thanks to the efforts of Marti Ahtisaari, a Finnish mediator, hope was restored to Aceh through the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding, commonly known as the "Helsinki MoU".

Rain greeted my arrival at Vantaa Airport. I hurried to immigration for the necessary travel administration check. Dealing with immigration is straightforward. Since I had been invited by Tampere University, I presented my invitation letter and was quickly granted my entry into Finland. The immigration officer bid me farewell with a warm and friendly "Enjoy your time in Finland."

During my 10-day stay in Finland, I will be participating in various educational activities. This includes visiting the faculty of education, touring schools, engaging in discussions with teachers, sharing Sukma Bangsa's experience in climate change education, and attending classes on campus. Additionally, I have some informal plans to explore the socio-cultural aspects of the country.

On this occasion, I would like to recount my visit to the Faculty of Education at Tampere University. I was accompanied by a post-doctoral student from Aceh, who is also a teacher at Sukma Bangsa and also a teacher from Malaysia.

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The first thing that caught my attention was the sight of numerous bicycles neatly arranged in the university parking lot. It seems that the students here prefer to commute to campus by bike, and walking is also quite common view in Finland.

In the university we started our journey by visiting the handicraft room, there we found a wide variety of handicraft models and shapes. There were clay handicrafts, dolls, foot mats, bracelets, fabric key chains, and many other items. It is important for aspiring teachers to have a good understanding of various handicraft techniques. Additionally, the room also had a sewing machine for sewing activities and clothing production.

After that, we were welcomed into the next room, known as the origami room. I was truly astounded by the sight of numerous origami creations adorning the walls, hanging in attics, and showcased in cabinets. It was a truly stunning room. Aspiring teachers are also expected to master the skill of origami folding.

Continuing our journey, we entered the painting room. Here, a plethora of exquisite artwork crafted by prospective teachers was on display. Whether it was exhibited on the walls or arranged neatly on tables, it was undeniably captivating. It's fascinating, isn't it? Aspiring teachers are not only required to learn their subject matter, but also explore the realm of art and various forms of creativity.

They give equal importance to art and creativity as they do to math, science, and social humanities. In schools, children who create art will receive the same recognition and rewards as children who excel in math. This allows the child to take pride in their achievements regardless of the field they choose. Moving on to the next room, we were welcomed into the woodworking lab. It was equipped with hand drills, machine drills, and other woodworking tools. It is also expected that teachers have woodworking skills. The room showcased various student projects made from wood, which were displayed in cabinets or arranged on tables.

Next to the woodworking laboratory, there is a metalworking laboratory. This is considered unusual in Indonesia. Aspiring teachers are required to have skills in metalworking, such as cutting iron with a saw or machine, and other related skills.

Now, let's take a moment to imagine the activities of students who want to be a teacher (aspiring teacher) in Finland. Apart from the aforementioned labs, they also have laboratories for mathematics, science, and languages. However, I won't go into detail about these labs as they are common in Indonesia as well.

Moving on from the practice rooms and lab area, we were taken to the study rooms, public facilities, and libraries. All of these are located in one building. Let's explore each of them one by one.

The part of the building that caught my attention was the area with multiple swings. I was intrigued and quickly made my way towards one of them, asking someone to take a photo of me. It was interesting to see that most of the swings were occupied by college students.

Additionally, there was a discussion room available for anyone to use. It had a cozy café-like atmosphere and was very comfortable. There were multiple discussion rooms, so even if one was full, there were still others that could be utilized.

Furthermore, there is a designated area where individuals can relax and rest. This space is furnished with sofas, mattresses, and bean bags, allowing students to comfortably sleep. Adjacent to this area, there is a separate section with small booths for watching. Interestingly, all of these booths are occupied by students who are watching content on their laptops. Notably, each room also features a bookcase, showcasing a variety of books that are available for anyone to read.

Later on, we received an invitation to visit the library. The library is quite large and is divided into different sections. Some areas are equipped with computers, allowing students to freely use them. There is also a section where journals can be accessed both online and offline. In another part of the library, there is a quiet area where people appear to be deeply engrossed in reading or writing.

The atmosphere of the library is very enjoyable. It is filled with students from various academic levels, ranging from undergraduate to doctoral students. People of all ages can be found in the library, from the young to the elderly.

At the end of our trip, we were invited to the cafeteria. The cafeteria offers a vegetarian menu that includes a variety of fruits, raw vegetables, and fish that is served separately. However, the fish is no longer served whole like in Aceh, but it has been processed and shaped like bread.

One interesting cultural aspect here is that after every meal, it is customary to have coffee. All university cafeterias provide free coffee. For the Finns, it is essential to have coffee to cleanse their palate after a meal. The campus is a joyful, peaceful, and satisfying place.

Perhaps this is why the Finns are known as one of the happiest people in the world. Even in campus the Happiness can easily be found.

Tampere, Sept 2023

Zubir, a participant in the Finnish short course "Curriculum Development for Climate Change Education" and the Director of Sukma Bangsa School of Lhokseumawe.