A new Student Ambassador Program was launched this autumn in Finland to promote outgoing international mobility in higher education. The initiative aims to bring information about study and training periods abroad, and the opportunities they offer, closer to students through social media. 

Nine students from higher education institutions across Finland have been recruited as ambassadors. All have either already completed an international mobility period or are preparing for one as part of their studies, including short- and long-term exchanges and traineeships abroad. They share their experiences through the new Instagram account @Edufi_Highered. 

By presenting mobility through students’ own experiences, the programme seeks to make study abroad more accessible and relatable, increase its attractiveness and lower the threshold for participation. Peer-to-peer communication can also highlight challenges that may arise during a mobility period and show how students can navigate them. 

The ambassadors attended a training day at the end of August, receiving communication training and learning more about the agency’s work and current trends in student mobility. A shared view among participants was that peer support through social media can be particularly valuable for students preparing for an international experience. 

Aliina, a master’s student in English at the University of Turku, is heading to Bristol, United Kingdom, for an exchange semester this autumn. 

“I enjoy following study abroad content on social media myself, which is one of the reasons I wanted to become involved in creating this kind of content. I also hope to encourage others to go abroad through my own experiences.” 

Marcus, who studies business administration and has already spent nine months on exchange in Germany, similarly noted that he would have appreciated more peer support before his exchange. 

Alex, a physical education student at the University of Jyväskylä preparing for an exchange in Sweden next spring, has previously worked as a student ambassador at university level and sees the national programme as an opportunity both to support other students and to build international networks.