Past Events

Social Events 2024

ItäVä Annual BBQ 2024 in Joensuu

The annual BBQ in Joensuu was a hit, with participants from both Kuopio and Joensuu gathering for a fun-filled day of great food, lively conversations, and a warm sense of community, making it a much-anticipated ItäVä tradition.

Kuopio Geocaching Event

The geocaching event in Kuopio offered an exciting outdoor adventure, drawing participants to explore the city’s hidden treasures, fostering a sense of discovery and community engagement.

Kuopio Fencing Trial

The recent fencing trial in Joensuu showcased impressive skill and sportsmanship, reflecting the growing interest in the sport within the local community.

Vappu/May Day Celebrations in Joensuu and Kuopio

This past May Day, both Kuopio and Joensuu came alive with vibrant celebrations in a joyful display of springtime spirit.

Promoting ItäVä 2024

In May 2024, our chair, Pracheta, presented the association at a panel discussion of the UEF Faculty of Health Sciences Doctoral Researcher Symposium, dedicated to the future of doctoral education.

Social Events 2023

Pikkujoulu 2023 Joensuu

We embraced the festive spirit together on Friday, November 24th, starting at 6 pm in AU110, located within the Aurora building (Joensuu Campus).

It was a delightful evening filled with merry moments. We arranged snacks, beverages, and the chance to craft delicious joulutorttu.

For those seeking relaxation, sauna was available.

Afterwork Unwind in Kuopio

We met up after the work day in order to unwind with a group (un)guided meditation. Meditation is a great way to relieve stress and its effects are much stronger when done in groups.

No prior experience in meditation was needed.

VENN Hangout in Joensuu

A cozy and friendly atmosphere
Engaging conversations with fellow Joensuuers
No formalities, no dress code
Discussions on a variety of topics, from local news to hobbies and interests

BBQ and Celebration of the 10th Anniversary

We met in Kuopio at the Rauhalahti beach on 30 September. We celebrated the 10th anniversary since our association was established with a homemade cake, great food, and a relaxing sauna. Raindrops did not spoil the mood.

Online Networking

We gave out members an opportunity to connect with their fellow doctoral researchers at UEFw with a laid back networking event online in Teams!

We used this opportunity to talk about our research areas, our interests, and our skills to make meaningful connections for our doctoral journeys and beyond.

ItäVä Organizational Events

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was in the first quarter of the year 2024. The main discussion points of the AGM were:

Audit results from the year 2023
Electing a new chair (by voting)
Electing the executive board
Possible change in the membership fee

We also announced the winner of the logo contest!

New logo formats by our former chair, Lenka!

Additional General Meeting 2023

ItäVä ry organised an additional general meeting (online) on 21 May 2023, where the association members had the opportunity to join the association’s executive committee (board) for the current term.

In the meetings of the association, each full member has one (1) vote. Other members have the right to be present and to speak at the meetings of the association.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023

The annual general meeting of UEF DSA was held in the first quarter of year 2023.The main discussion points of the AGM were:

Approving changes to the bylaws
The financial statement and annual report of the previous year
Results of the audit for the last year
Confirming the action plan and budget for the next year
Proposed changes to the association bylaws
Re-introduction of the annual membership fee
Electing the chairperson and other members of the executive committee (aka UEF DSA board)

Personal & skill development events

Hello Helsinki! 2023

Let’s meet, greet & get some work done!

These monthly events for doctoral researchers living in (or just passing by) the Capital Region aim was to gather people interested in getting to know other fellow PhD students in the region while getting some work done. It was a small but surely nice event to network and share experiences! More similar events are yet to come!

Social Writing Mondays 2023

Weekly hybrid event for working in a group were happening every Monday from 15:00-17:00. We motivated each other and tackled some tedious work together (writing an article or thesis, data analysis, or other office work).

Public Speaking Club 2022

Public speaking is an essential skill for your academic career, but it is also a big fear for many. We organised Public Speaking Club meetings to practice not just presentation skills, but also listening and evaluation skills.

The meetings were hybrid and held both in Joensuu and Kuopio. They were organised for doctoral researchers, UEF employees and Master’s students.

PISH Toolkit Test

The PISH project (Problem-based learning, Intercultural Communication and STEM in Higher Education) is an Erasmus+ partnership which aim is to collect educational methods for a better group work experience. The UEF DSA supported the organisation of the project test open for all.

It was an opportunity to get new ideas for engaging students or team members. We tried work exercises and brainstormed about their potential for online use (while applying elements of design thinking).

Should I stay or should I go… But where? 2021

Every month we focused on one faculty of UEF. In the seminar, we met with a representative from either the academic or industry field, who gave a talk about their career path.

Faculty of Sciences and Forestry: September, January
Philosophical Faculty: October
Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies: November
Faculty of Health Sciences: December

Doctoral Studies Ambassador 2021

Doctoral studies ambassadors aimed to guide individuals interested in applying for doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland!

Doctoral studies ambassadors were students of the Doctoral Students Association at the University of Eastern.

Social events

2022

Pikkujoulut 2022

Joensuu Bowling 2022

Kuopio Bowling 2022

Summer BBQ 2022 (Joensuu)

This traditional event, organised since 2014, is held to gather people from both campuses to socialise, chat and have some delicious snacks. In 2022, Joensuu was the lucky place. We met on Saturday, 24 September 2022 at Koivuniemen Huvila.