Every summer, we organise a course for kindred peoples for students of Finnish at universities in the Finno-Ugric regions in Russia.
Students in adult education working together
Photo: Satu Haavisto

The course for kindred peoples is intended for students of Finnish at universities in the Finno-Ugric regions in Russia. The course is organised in cooperation with the universities of Komi, Mari-El, Mordovia and Udmurtia on a rotating basis. The course teachers come from Finland, and other staff from the local university.

The course is organised subject to being awarded an annual grant from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

In 2022 there will be no course for kindred peoples.

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You can apply to get on the course for kindred peoples in Russia, if you study Finnish language in a university in the Finno-Ugric regions in Russia. 25 students will be accepted on the course.

You can get further information about applying for the course from your Finnish teachers. Teachers are informed about the course of the following summer in February/March. The deadline for application is normally at the turn of March/April.

The course director will inform about selection results by the end of April.

Application forms will be kept for two years. We need your personal information for the selection process for the course. The information will only be given to the course teachers, nobody else.

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The aim of the course for kindred peoples is to improve your knowledge about Finnish language and culture and learn about the other Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia.

There will be a total of 70 hours of tuition. You get to practise speaking, writing and grammar.

There will be two proficiency levels. Teachers will provide the teaching material for the course.

Free time activities will also be organised during the course. You will learn about the host region and the home regions of other participants. You will also get a chance to present your own region to others together with your fellow students.

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Tuition, teaching material, free time activities and accommodation are free of charge. You need to pay for your travel from home to the course location.

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Every year, we look for a director and two other teachers for the course for kindred peoples. They are not in a formal employment relationship with EDUFI, but we will pay them a compensation for the lessons taught, a contribution to travel costs and a per diem allowance to cover subsistence costs.

The director and teachers will be compensated for the lessons, get a per diem allowance and be reimbursed for their travel costs. The course director will also be compensated for course planning. Compensation and travel costs will only be paid after the course has taken place.

The director and teachers will have 70 hours of tuition. This includes tuition in writing, grammar and speaking. They will also take part in organising free time activities during which participants learn about the cultures of Finland and the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia.

What do we require from applicants?

The director and teachers selected for the course for kindred peoples are expected to have studied Finnish and/or Finno-Ugric languages.

In addition, it is desirable to have

  • completed intermediate-level (aineopinnot) studies in Finnish and/or Finno-Ugric languages
  • experience in teaching Finnish as a second/foreign language
  • knowledge of a Finno-Ugric language spoken in Russia (in particular Komi, Mari, Mordvinic or Udmurt)
  • knowledge of Russian, and
  • previous experience from the kindred republics of Russia (e.g. studying, language course, study trip).

Applicants for the position of the director will benefit from previous experience of course planning and organisation of events.

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The deadline for applications to become the director or a teacher for the course for kindred peoples for the following summer is in October/November every year. The exact application deadline and the application form will be posted on the corresponding Finnish page before the call for applications starts.

Please send your application with the required annexes to hakemukset_skk [at] oph.fi. The following annexes are needed with your application:

  • degree certificate and/or a transcript of study records, and
  • a recommendation by a teacher. If you send the recommendation of your teacher yourself, it should be signed by the teacher in question.
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The director of the course 

  • makes all the practical arrangements with the organising university
  • designs the course programme, schedule, study materials and travel arrangements in cooperation with the other teachers and the contact person from the local university.
  • keeps the contact person at EDUFI informed about the progress and estimated costs
  • informs teachers of the universities of kindred peoples in Russia when the call for applications is open
  • receives the applications and makes the selection together with the contact person at EDUFI
  • teaches on the course
  • participates in organising free time activities during the course, and
  • writes a report about the course.

Teachers contribute to the design of the course programme, study material and free time activities working together with the director, teach on the course and participate in organisation of free time activities.

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Contact person

Leena Kärnä, leena.karna [at] oph.fi
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