Finland is not ready for international students

- By Undisclosed Author

(Identity of the author is kept secret on request)

"Hell ! I just wanna get out of this city, its so crowded, much crowded. Though it is my own hometown, my Dhaka, but I really can not tolerate uncertain future caused with unstable and statelessness of Bangladesh"

Exactly, it was my motivation to leave Bangladesh in 2004. It had been about complete six years now, but this country,Finland, does not make me feel like my own. 

When I arrived here, I just loved it. I just wanted to hug it on a whole. I came here for my Master's Degree. I did not realize when two years passed while struggling with damn freezing cold winters and bright, sunny and greenery summers. It is a gifted land on Summer while tragic on winters. Education is comparatively average while compared with other European countries except it is absolutely free here. If somebody asks me today to list topmost five reasons to choose Finland on European or American continent for study purpose, I would say, topmost four reasons are just because it is free education. Fifth least priority reason could be it is a safe country. I said it is least priority reason since Finland alone is not safe country in Europe or American continent. 

There were very few international people around in 2004. So, it was acceptable not to be noticed. Except few wide minded Finnish, nobody considered our existence, they looked at us like we are intruders of war, unwanted and forceful guests. But, studies kept me so busy that I hardly bothered about it. Since existence of good and devil is natural on every place of the earth, I just took it naturally and kept on struggling for my bright future ahead.

When I started my thesis in early 2006, then I realized schools were not alone where you are given strange looks. My thesis supervisor formed a group of three students for a research group, two Finns and me. While making the agreement for equal amount of workloads on the same project, I was given a contract of 750 Euro per month while Finn were given a contract of 1900 Euro per month. I was shocked but not dare to ask why, later on a good mood, when I asked my supervisor, he directly slammed me on my face saying "... because you were international". I was speechless since I noway expected it. But, I did not object since I was considered an intruder and have left no other alternative expect completing this degree. 

When people say Finn are so calm and friendly, I completely agree with them. But, I do not agree that Finns are transparent, unprejudiced or impartial. They are silently racist. They do not expose or express their rationality directly. They will hide their aggression. But, when time comes, they emotionally hit you so hard that it will take you a long to get recovered. On a party, two Finns were talking in English. Generally, they always prefer to communicate in Finnish only. But, they were only the people present on the party who were speaking in English, so I walked to them. Then, they just stopped talking in English. When I broke the ice and tried to be introduced, one of them told, "I can speak English fluently, but I do not bother to speak." I do not mean to generalize all Finn with this particular one incident, but my six years of experience in Finland says that particular sentence portraits the common mentality of youth generation of my age group of Finland.

I am about to complete my PhD now. I shifted to relatively larger city of Finland for my PhD with bitter experience of smaller towns. Larger cities are more comfortable since they have varieties of people. So, you will face less embarrassment scenarios of being international in Finland. But, larger cities may hit you with direct discrimination or risk of direct racism activity as well. When a Finnish gets abused inside a bus, remaining passenger object and complaints to bus driver to remove the abuser from the bus, but when an international gets abused, remaining passenger stay calm, stationary and acts like they all are deaf and did not hear any words of abusiveness.  

The European dream smashes down when you realized that you got competitive qualification with excellent degree but still you are treated as second class citizen. Your contribution on research, work and taxes are not enough to be considered yourself as good resident of Finland. They won't stop you for what you want to do, but also, they won't encourage and facilitate your growth. They won't point you out directly at some thing, but continuously and regularly their attitude and behavior make you feel that you are not entitled to love this country.

My some friends claims that I feel it bit different since I am not fully merged with Finnish culture. But, it is it not true. I duly respect Finnish social values, cultures and norms. I do enjoy speaking Finnish and love Sauna. I love Finnish foods. But, I don't have Finnish girlfriend. Can't I respect and maintain my own cultures without objecting Finnish culture? Why Finns can't respect other's culture as well?

Some Finns expresses that this disgrace is frustration after wars. But, I feel it is some kind of excuse to normalize the sidelining attitude towards internationals.

When happens if I continue my research here after my PhD? I have already realized that my PhD is not credited as rewarding in many other countries since they hardly know and believes in Finnish education system. Does it mean that I wasted almost a decade of my most energetic and productive youth period? Where will I be after ten years if I remain here? If I need to struggle further to be credited for my earned degree and research on another part of the globe then what was the value of so called international degrees? Does Finland produces graduates just for Finnish markets? If so, then why do they to call it international degree? 

If they act as they promised, can anybody show me any international on decision making level or at least some policy level? If Finland wants their experts to be recognized as global experts, why they can't respect the experts produced on another country? 

So many unanswered questions and queries. But answer is just one. Finland is not ready yet for international students.