Study title

The objective of the survey was to find out how the international students in Finnish universities experience their level of integration in the academic community and Finnish society, and to examine the factors influencing the integration. The survey included six sections with the following themes: background information; immigration to Finland; academic integration; social integration; subsistence, accommodation, employment and health; and future plans. In view of immigration to Finland, the respondents were asked whether university studies were their primary reason for moving to Finland. Depending on the answer, the importance of various factors on pursuing a degree in Finland was charted. They were also asked whether they had visited Finland before and if they had, the reason for the potential visit was queried. The respondents were presented with a list of various institutions (tax authorities, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, etc.) and asked to assess how easy it was to interact and co-operate with them. They were also asked to evaluate the importance of different factors in selecting the university to study in, and the importance of various sources of information about possibilities to study in Finland. The quality and amount of information was also canvassed. In the next section (academic integration), the respondents were asked about the satisfaction with the progress of their studies and the possible reasons for not progressing as planned. Satisfaction with study-related issues and services provided by the student union was also charted. The most important sources of guidance, help and support in study-related questions were investigated, as well as participation in tutoring and reasons for possible absence. The respondents were also asked to indicate whether they had felt they had been excluded within the academic community because of their foreign background. Regarding social integration, the respondents' participation in social activities...