The biggest risk is if Finland starts to be perceived as a place where people are not welcome.
Amid demographic decline, universities aim to achieve growth through international students. The city of Lahti expects that LUT University of Technology and LAB University of Applied Sciences will ensure this growth. However, tightening immigration policies are holding back the ambitious plans of the universities.
If the city of Lahti is allowed to decide, a new generation student campus will emerge there by the 2030s. The rapid growth of Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology inspires the city's residents to dream that the number of students at the university could double.
"Our strategic goal is for 20,000 students to study in Lahti in the 2030s. We expect that most will come from abroad. We need new workers. The age structure of our population is such that we cannot manage on our own," comments Pekka Komu, chairman of the Lahti city council.
LUT University of Technology and LAB University of Applied Sciences aim to raise the number of students in Lahti to 12,000. This means a fifty percent increase. Half of the students would come from abroad.
"One might wonder if anyone would want to come to us, live in darkness, and constantly drive on studded tires, but so far there have been many international applicants, and they have been of high quality," comments Juha-Matti Saksa, rector of LUT University.
The Ministry of Education aims to triple the number of international students by the 2030s. However, most universities responding to the Yle survey are only seeking moderate growth. During this government term, international students coming to the country are required to have a higher level of language proficiency and greater financial capability.
"The biggest risk is if Finland starts to be perceived as a place where people are not welcome. This is a risk for universities, but also for society as a whole. We really need motivated talented people from all over the world. And in the future, we will need many more of them," comments Juha-Matti Saksa, rector of LUT University.
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