![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/469070144_10161961117592141_5508799203493154072_n-1-731x1024.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nKuopio<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 It\u00e4V\u00e4 tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recent fencing trial in Joensuu showcased impressive skill and sportsmanship, reflecting the growing interest in the sport within the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This past May Day, both Kuopio and Joensuu came alive with vibrant celebrations in a joyful display of springtime spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We embraced the festive spirit together on Friday, November 24th, starting at 6 pm in AU110, located within the Aurora building (Joensuu Campus).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a delightful evening filled with merry moments. We arranged snacks, beverages, and the chance to craft delicious joulutorttu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those seeking relaxation, sauna was available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No prior experience in meditation was needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We gave out members an opportunity to connect with their fellow doctoral researchers at UEFw with a laid back networking event online in Teams!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was in the first quarter of the year 2024. The main discussion points of the AGM were: <\/p>\n\n\n\n We also announced the winner of the logo contest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n New logo formats by our former chair, Lenka!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u00e4V\u00e4 ry organised an additional general meeting (online) on 21 May 2023, where the association members had the opportunity to join the association\u2019s executive committee (board) for the current term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The annual general meeting of UEF DSA was held in the first quarter of year 2023.The main discussion points of the AGM were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The meetings were hybrid and held both in Joensuu and Kuopio. They were organised for doctoral researchers, UEF employees and Master’s students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Doctoral studies ambassadors aimed to guide individuals interested in applying for doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doctoral studies ambassadors were students of the Doctoral Students Association at the University of Eastern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/christmasparty_kuopio-1-731x1024.png\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/Image-1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/Image-3-1024x768.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/1734948193626-1-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt\u00e4V\u00e4 Social Hangout in Joensuu<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/Hangout-ITAVA-724x1024-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt\u00e4V\u00e4 Laser Tag in Kuopio<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/GetAttachmentThumbnail.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/12\/IMG-20241109-WA0000-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt\u00e4V\u00e4 Annual BBQ 2024 in Joensuu<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/08\/ItaVa-Annual-BBQ-2024-poster-731x1024.png\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Image.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Media-3-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Media-2-edited.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Media-1-768x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nKuopio Geocaching Event<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/08\/454756034_10161352401352141_2136666513632943236_n-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/08\/456214761_10161391563902141_3567371377864939557_n-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nKuopio Fencing Trial<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/08\/Fencing-1024x1024-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Image-1-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Image-2-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/10\/Image-3-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nVappu\/May Day Celebrations in Joensuu and Kuopio<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/KuoVappu-1-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/Image-3-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/JoeVappu-1-724x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/1716375153245-1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPromoting It\u00e4V\u00e4 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/Image-2-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSocial Events 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pikkujoulu 2023 Joensuu<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-731x1024.png\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfterwork Unwind in Kuopio<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
VENN Hangout in Joensuu<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\ud83c\udf7b\"](\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t96\/1\/16\/1f37b.png\")
A cozy and friendly atmosphere![\"\ud83d\udde3\ufe0f\"](\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/tfb\/1\/16\/1f5e3.png\")
Engaging conversations with fellow Joensuuers![\"\ud83c\udf89\"](\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t8c\/1\/16\/1f389.png\")
No formalities, no dress code![\"\ud83d\udcac\"](\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t6e\/1\/16\/1f4ac.png\")
Discussions on a variety of topics, from local news to hobbies and interests<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/10\/joensuu_meetup-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBBQ and Celebration of the 10th Anniversary<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/10\/bbq.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOnline Networking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/10\/ItaVa-Online-Networking-for-Socials.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt\u00e4V\u00e4 Organizational Events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/itava_logo_black-1.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/05\/itava_logo_black_small-1.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAdditional General Meeting 2023<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Personal & skill development events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hello Helsinki! 2023<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Let’s meet, greet & get some work done!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2024\/02\/Hello-Helsinki_Itava_feb_short.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSocial Writing Mondays 2023<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Public Speaking Club 2022<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/dsa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2022\/12\/318166894_1417611878982724_6723843019474222879_n-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPISH Toolkit Test<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/image-9.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/image-10.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShould I stay or should I go\u2026 But where? 2021<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Doctoral Studies Ambassador 2021<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/image-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSocial events<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2022<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/image-7.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/image-8.png\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/dsa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2022\/07\/Meme5-656x435-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/image-12.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/dsa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2022\/08\/289326106_706607867072617_961979341967310948_n-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/itava\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/2023\/07\/260461959_10159455527742141_6210997182183061868_n.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n