Welcome to Oulu – the city with a higher grade of quality. Oulu offers you an international, inspiring, and evolving place to call home. Here your daily life will run smoothly, and the quality of life is excellent.
Villa Victor – learn Finnish and take part in events
Multicultural Centre Villa Victor provides activities for immigrants and Finns living in Oulu, such as Finnish language lessons and guidance in different languages free of charge. Villa Victor’s multilingual staff provide guidance and information on public authorities, tips for different aspects of life, and help in problematic situations. At Villa Victor you can also learn new languages, meet people, and participate in a variety of events.
Are you looking for a sneak peek into Finnish? Or have you already studied some Finnish and wish to continue learning? Oulu has hundreds of Finnish courses on offer for all levels of students.
The University of Oulu offers language courses to degree students in all faculties. At the Open University and the Summer University (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan kesäyliopisto), you can also study Finnish and other languages.
Read more about the University of Oulu courses.
Vuolle offers many courses in Finnish. A new project has started for those with basic education, those who know no Finnish, and those who have already studied some Finnish but would like to speak Finnish more fluently. The training is free of charge, and after completing the course, participants will receive a certificate of participation and competence.
The Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia offers over 600 different courses annually. The summer university organises language courses, open university courses, vocational education, and hobby and well-being courses.
Read more about the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia.
The Oulu Upper Secondary School for Adults offers many educational opportunities for immigrant students, such as Finnish as a second language or basic education for adults during the day. Most of the teaching is free of charge.
Read more about education at Oulu Upper Secondary School for Adults (in Finnish).
Oulu Talent Hub – home for international talents
Are you planning to move to Oulu? Or have you already arrived and need support? Oulu Talent Hub offers a versatile selection of services and activities for international talents – including events, company visits, and career counselling. Our website contains information about our services and support for job seeking, for example.
The Oulu Talent Hub project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and carried out by BusinessOulu, the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, OSAO Educational Consortium, and Oulu Chamber of Commerce.
Oulu Skills Centre (Maahanmuuttaja Oske) provides individual skill assessment plans for foreign job seekers, including guidance on courses and networking with potential employers. Counsellors meet job seekers personally and work closely with employment services.
SIMHE-Oamk – are you interested in academic studies?
Are you an immigrant and you live in Finland? Are you interested in higher education?
SIMHE-Oamk offers guidance for the immigrants living in northern Finland. SIMHE-Oamk provides personal guidance related to study opportunities for immigrants interested in higher education studies. The guidance services are available also for all immigrants with higher education background.
The Finnish educational system supports individual and flexible educational paths for immigrants. Oulu offers plenty of opportunities. Find your personal path to education and enjoy studying!