Young Nord­plus Voic­es on Oulu and Europe

Gior­gi Rohel­saar and Zhiger Mus­sagalee, Tallinn Euro­pean School, Esto­nia, with Emi­ly Smith as host, Sven­s­ka Pri­vatskolan i Uleåborg, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? We expe­ri­enced Oulu as wel­com­ing, mem­o­rable and easy to enjoy. We espe­cial­ly liked explor­ing the city cen­tre, spend­ing time with friends and feel­ing the city’s friend­ly atmos­phere and strong sense of com­mu­ni­ty.

Gior­gi: I espe­cial­ly enjoyed the wel­com­ing atmos­phere and the time we spent togeth­er in the city.
Zhiger: For me, Oulu felt mem­o­rable because of the city cen­tre, the friend­ly peo­ple and the strong sense of com­mu­ni­ty.
Emi­ly, host: For me, it felt mean­ing­ful and nos­tal­gic to show the vis­i­tors around my home city.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For all of us, the Euro­pean Union means oppor­tu­ni­ty, con­nec­tion and the chance to learn from dif­fer­ent cul­tures.

Gior­gi: For me, the Euro­pean Union means peace, free­dom and safe­ty.
Zhiger: For me, the EU means cul­tur­al diver­si­ty and the oppor­tu­ni­ty to meet peo­ple from dif­fer­ent back­grounds.
Emi­ly, host: For me, the EU brings lan­guages, tra­di­tions and com­mu­ni­ties togeth­er.

Vivian Porthán, Laani­la High School, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? I real­ly love how many rivers and lakes there are in Oulu. See­ing water every­where makes the city feel even more beau­ti­ful to me. I espe­cial­ly like Oulu­jo­ki Riv­er, where this pic­ture was tak­en, because it has such a peace­ful and beau­ti­ful view.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? One of the most impor­tant things about the Euro­pean Union for me is being able to trav­el freely in Europe. I love how easy it is to dis­cov­er new places and expe­ri­ence dif­fer­ent coun­tries and cul­tures.

Haukur Rúnars­son and Tómas Ingi Rag­nar, Men­ntaskólinn á Tröl­lask­a­ga, Fjal­labyg­gð, Ice­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? We had a very pos­i­tive expe­ri­ence in Oulu. We enjoyed the beau­ti­ful land­scape, walk­ing around the city and notic­ing how dif­fer­ent it felt from our home coun­try.

Haukur: I espe­cial­ly liked the scenery and the calm atmos­phere of the city.
Tómas: I found it mem­o­rable to see how dif­fer­ent Oulu feels from Ice­land.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For both of us, the Euro­pean Union means oppor­tu­ni­ty, con­nec­tion and eas­i­er trav­el across Europe.

Haukur: For me, the EU means rights and oppor­tu­ni­ties.
Tómas: For me, the EU means meet­ing peo­ple from oth­er coun­tries, using a shared lan­guage and trav­el­ling more eas­i­ly.

Ava Illikainen, Sven­s­ka Pri­vatskolan i Uleåborg, Oulu, and Sin­dri Hafþór Halldórs­son, Men­ntaskólinn á Tröl­lask­a­ga, Fjal­labyg­gð, Ice­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? We had a very pos­i­tive expe­ri­ence in Oulu. We enjoyed meet­ing new friends, dis­cov­er­ing new places and try­ing new food. We also appre­ci­at­ed the strong sense of com­mu­ni­ty, the qual­i­ty of edu­ca­tion and how safe the city felt.

Ava: I espe­cial­ly enjoyed learn­ing about dif­fer­ent cul­tures with the Eston­ian and Ice­landic groups.
Sin­dri: I was sur­prised by how fast Finnish peo­ple walk and how expen­sive things are in Fin­land.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For both of us, the EU is an impor­tant part of our lives because it brings safe­ty, con­nec­tion and a sense of belong­ing.

Sin­dri: For me, the Euro­pean Union means peace, safe­ty and diver­si­ty.
Ava: For me, the EU means com­fort, con­nec­tion and a sense of belong­ing.

Matil­da Oja, Fan­ni Kerä­nen and Hel­mi Tuovi­nen, Laani­la High School, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? We think Oulu is a beau­ti­ful place to live, and because it is famil­iar to us, the expe­ri­ence felt espe­cial­ly warm and pos­i­tive. Nal­likari Beach is one of the most beau­ti­ful places in Oulu, because you can swim, play vol­ley­ball with your friends and enjoy the relax­ing sea­side atmos­phere there.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For us, the Euro­pean Union is impor­tant because it gives young peo­ple a sense of belong­ing and the chance to be part of a wider Euro­pean com­mu­ni­ty. We val­ue the EU for the free­dom, safe­ty and oppor­tu­ni­ties it offers.

Melin­da Raak, Sven­s­ka Pri­vatskolan i Uleåborg, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? I expe­ri­enced Oulu as live­ly and var­ied, with beau­ti­ful sur­round­ings and a clean, safe atmos­phere. Dur­ing the week, I took part in cul­tur­al activ­i­ties, vis­it­ed local sites and the uni­ver­si­ty, and built new friend­ships through shared every­day experiences with the group.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For me, the Euro­pean Union cre­ates oppor­tu­ni­ties to learn about dif­fer­ent cul­tures, make friends across bor­ders and imag­ine a shared future in Europe.

Sil­mu Kat­vala, Laani­la High School, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? I was real­ly hap­py to show our guests around the city and share some of the places that make Oulu feel spe­cial to us. One of the best things about Oulu is the wide range of oppor­tu­ni­ties to spend time in nature, which are both plen­ti­ful and var­ied.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For me, Europe means free­dom and safe­ty. I also asso­ciate the EU with val­ues such as equal­i­ty and human rights, even though there is still work to be done in Europe as well.

Nicu Cor­nesco, Tallinn Euro­pean School, Esto­nia

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? Vis­it­ing Oulu was an eye-open­ing expe­ri­ence. Finnish cul­ture felt dif­fer­ent from what I had seen before, espe­cial­ly the food, with its fresh ingre­di­ents and sense of authen­tic­i­ty. The city stood out because of its friend­ly peo­ple, calm atmos­phere and acces­si­bil­i­ty, which made it feel inclu­sive and wel­com­ing. Over­all, Oulu is a place I would glad­ly vis­it again and could even imag­ine liv­ing in one day.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? To me, the EU is a com­mu­ni­ty of cul­tures work­ing togeth­er for peace and coop­er­a­tion. On a per­son­al lev­el, it means safe­ty, sta­bil­i­ty and the pos­si­bil­i­ty of a bet­ter life. Hav­ing moved from Moldo­va to Esto­nia, I have felt clear dif­fer­ences in every­day life, includ­ing secu­ri­ty, devel­op­ment and oppor­tu­ni­ty, and that has made me val­ue even the small things that improve people’s lives.

Matilde Bluemink, Laani­la High School, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? It was real­ly nice to show our guests our city and cul­ture. The pro­gramme includ­ed many activ­i­ties that high­light­ed some of the best sides of Oulu. For me, Oulu is espe­cial­ly impor­tant because the peo­ple who mat­ter most to me live here.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? To me, the Euro­pean Union means free­dom and a sense of safe­ty. It also stands for human rights and equal­i­ty, includ­ing progress in women’s rights.

Mia Sofi Maulud and Ilana Chernyak, Tallinn Euro­pean School, Esto­nia

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? For both of us, Oulu was an excit­ing and mem­o­rable place where we made new friends, dis­cov­ered a new cul­ture and shared many spe­cial moments.

Mia: Being an exchange stu­dent in Oulu was an excit­ing expe­ri­ence because I got to dis­cov­er a new cul­ture, meet new friends and enjoy the snowy win­ter. Since Fin­land is part of the Euro­pean Union, I also learned about dif­fer­ent Euro­pean coun­tries and tra­di­tions from oth­er stu­dents. The expe­ri­ence helped me become more inde­pen­dent and open to new ideas.
Ilana: My week-long trip to Oulu was an amaz­ing expe­ri­ence. I espe­cial­ly enjoyed mak­ing new friends, meet­ing new peo­ple and shar­ing mem­o­rable moments through­out the week.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For both of us, the Euro­pean Union rep­re­sents con­nec­tion, oppor­tu­ni­ty and an eas­i­er life across Europe.

Mia: The Euro­pean Union is a group of Euro­pean coun­tries that work togeth­er to sup­port peace, trade, edu­ca­tion and trav­el between coun­tries. It also gives stu­dents oppor­tu­ni­ties to learn about dif­fer­ent cul­tures and con­nect with peo­ple across Europe.
Ilana: For me, the Euro­pean Union means eas­i­er trav­el, study, work and trade across many Euro­pean coun­tries. It also means more oppor­tu­ni­ties to meet peo­ple from dif­fer­ent cul­tures, trav­el freely and enjoy the ben­e­fits of com­mu­ni­ca­tion and coop­er­a­tion across Europe.

Man­na Moila­nen, Laani­la High School, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? Oulu is my home­town, so it will always hold a very spe­cial place in my heart. Koitelinkos­ki Rapids is espe­cial­ly dear to me because so many of my child­hood mem­o­ries are tied to it, and Nal­likari Beach is anoth­er place that I have always loved.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For me, the Euro­pean Union means coop­er­a­tion, peace, free­dom of move­ment and excit­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties to study or work abroad in the future.

Bohdana Piro­hovs­ka, Sven­s­ka Pri­vatskolan i Uleåborg, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? Oulu is a won­der­ful city to vis­it if you want to expe­ri­ence some­thing dif­fer­ent. My time here has been very pos­i­tive. It is easy to get around, the air feels fresh, and nature is always close by. The city also has a strong cul­tur­al side, espe­cial­ly as Oulu is the Euro­pean Cap­i­tal of Cul­ture in 2026.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? I am very hap­py to be part of the Euro­pean Union. It brings sta­bil­i­ty and offers peo­ple many oppor­tu­ni­ties, such as work, rights and a sense of belong­ing. For me, the EU plays an impor­tant role in cre­at­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties and con­nec­tions.

Mint­tu Vil­jakainen, Sven­s­ka Pri­vatskolan i Uleåborg, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? My expe­ri­ence of Oulu has been very pos­i­tive. The city feels safe and clean, and there are many enjoy­able things to do, espe­cial­ly in sum­mer. It was love­ly to have the Nord­plus guests here and show them around the city, its walk­ing paths and beau­ti­ful sea­side. I have lived in Oulu almost my whole life, and I tru­ly val­ue its nature and out­door oppor­tu­ni­ties.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? The Euro­pean Union makes it pos­si­ble for us to trav­el freely between mem­ber coun­tries and expe­ri­ence oth­er Euro­pean cul­tures with­out need­ing visas. For me, that free­dom makes the EU espe­cial­ly valu­able.

Mila Bucure­ci, Tallinn Euro­pean School, Esto­nia

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? Com­ing to Oulu for our Nord­plus exchange felt sur­pris­ing­ly sim­i­lar to being back home in Tallinn. The city cen­tre was pleas­ant and calm, but there did not seem to be much for teenagers to do, espe­cial­ly in the evenings. The weath­er, peo­ple and atmos­phere remind­ed us a lot of Esto­nia, so at times it hard­ly felt like we were in a dif­fer­ent coun­try.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? You can clear­ly see that Fin­land is part of the Euro­pean Union through the euro, stu­dent exchange oppor­tu­ni­ties, EU flags on pub­lic build­ings and how easy it was for us to trav­el here with­out bor­der checks.

Noo­mi Ras­mussen, Sven­s­ka Pri­vatskolan i Uleåborg, Oulu, Fin­land

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? Oulu is a peace­ful and safe city, which I val­ue a lot. Life here can some­times feel qui­et, but there are also many good things: friend­ships, calm cafés, free sports activ­i­ties on cer­tain days and plen­ty of hob­bies for young peo­ple. The city is clean, acces­si­ble and a good place for study­ing because it offers both com­fort and safe­ty.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For me, being part of the Euro­pean Union means safe­ty and free­dom of move­ment. It makes it eas­i­er to trav­el, study or work in anoth­er EU coun­try, which gives young peo­ple more oppor­tu­ni­ties. I also val­ue the EU’s role in address­ing shared chal­lenges such as cli­mate change and in sup­port­ing access to edu­ca­tion.

Zara Tehi­lah Chizaram Onochie, Tallinn Euro­pean School, Esto­nia

Your Oulu expe­ri­ence? My trip to Oulu was a mem­o­rable expe­ri­ence. There were many inter­est­ing things to do and explore, and I espe­cial­ly enjoyed dis­cov­er­ing the local food. The peo­ple, although some­times reserved, were help­ful and kind. Oulu also felt famil­iar to me, because Finnish and Eston­ian cul­tures share many sim­i­lar­i­ties.

What does the Euro­pean Union mean to you? For me, the Euro­pean Union means peace, har­mo­ny and con­nec­tion between Euro­pean coun­tries. It also rep­re­sents the idea of work­ing togeth­er to cre­ate a bet­ter future for every­one.