Creativity in Action: The Spirit of Student Life
Creativity in Action: The Spirit of Student Life
Creativity in Action: On the Street
Click here to see images and stories demonstrating imagination for social change
Creativity in Action: On the Street - Demonstrating imagination for social change
Culture of student activism expanding in many areas of life, student unions and organisations have an influential role in keeping dynamic community spirit alive. It is important to recognize that students have made important contributions benefiting the entire university community and beyond with their commitment to social justice, greater social and economic equality. Many of the students involved in the demonstrations, protests, and youth movements for the social good especially during the 1960s became leading figures in Finnish politics then.
Unionization in higher education has a long history in Finland. The Association of Finnish Student unions was founded in 1921 and has taken an active stand on all issues concerning students, education and social policy since then. Indeed, `The earliest known group of students was in 1913, the Toverikunta (“Comrade Community”), which published its own magazine with the same name.` And Aalto University Student Union (AYY) being inclusive of student union TOKYO “the Student Union of the Art Teachers’ Department of the Institute of Industrial Arts” , the Helsinki University of Technology Student Union (TKY) and the School of Economics Student Union (KY) was formed in 2010 when Helsinki School of Economics, University of Art and Design Helsinki and Helsinki University of Technology were merged, since then they all have been actively contributing to the student culture and make sure that student voices are heard.
Student Solidarity and Higher Education Reforms
1970 The administrative reform of higher education
With the support of the Minister of Education Johannes Virolainen, the democratization of universities, the empowerment of students and other staff, and universal and equal suffrage in university decision-making were pursued. At the request of SYL, the student unions organized extensive lecture strikes to push for administrative reform towards a more democratic university.
Source: https://syl.fi/historia/
Taistoism and student socialism - 1973
During the 1970's there were also pamphlets and flyers related to student activism in the pro-Soviet “taistolaisuus” era.
Taistoism was an orthodox pro-soviet tendency in the mostly Eurocommunist Finnish communist movement in the 1970s and 1980s. The Taistoists were an interior opposition group in the community Party of Finland, named after their leader Taisto Sinisalo whose first name means "a battle", "a fight" or "a struggle". Sinisalo's supporters constituted a party within a party, but pressure from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union prevented the party from formally splitting. The term taistolaisuus was a derogatory nickname invented by Helsingin Sanomat and was never used by the group themselves.
PERSPEKTIIVI and student socialism - 1975
Perspektiivi magazine was a publication by socialist students of The University of Art & Design and their student Union TOKYO.
Demonstrations for Student Aid reform 1991-1992
Large student demonstrations began in 1991 to protest the government proposals to introduce tuition fees for university students. Student unions across Finland took to the streets and the Teekkari spirit of bringing visual imagery to the public to perform what was at stake continued in the form of several Tempaus.
In 1992 The study support for university students was reformed but it continued to be something student unions would watch and hold the line on. Following the solidarity of demonstrations across universities, student support was thoroughly reformed. With the reform, the tuition fee increased and became taxable, the guardianship increase was abolished, the subsidized loans became market-based and the income and assets of the parents and spouse as well as their own assets were no longer taken into account when granting the study grant. University support months were introduced.
Source: https://syl.fi/historia/
Student Aid Demonstrations - 1993
In 1993 SYL crofts the government's tuition fee proposal
In 1993, the Council of State made a decision in principle in favor of tuition fees for university studies, but SYL managed to bury the decision. Tuition fees were opposed in a demonstration that gathered thousands of students, as well as other political means.
Source: https://syl.fi/historia/
Architecture Demonstrations
'Creativity in Action: The Spirit of Student Life' Online Exhibition
