Arctic Summer Programme

The Arctic Summer Programme offers you the opportunity to experience the authentic local study life in Oulu for two weeks. You can enjoy the unique summer atmosphere of Northern Finland, but also create new connections and improve your study and communication skills within one of the best education systems in the world. You will get to know the University of Oulu as well as the city of Oulu together with your co-students. The programme includes many cultural events and free-time activities, all taking place on August 3^rd–14^th, 2026.

The programme consists of 3–6 hours of classes every day, including lectures, student activities, and group work.

Courses

1. Sustainable Development in the European Arctic (5 ECTS)
2. Global Citizenship Education (5 ECTS)
3. Critical Sustainability (5 ECTS)
4. AI, IoT, and Digital Twin (2 ECTS or 5 ECTS)
5. Sustainability assessment (5 ECTS) - to be confirmed
6. Structural Engineering in the AI Era (2 ECTS or 5 ECTS) – to be confirmed
7. Let’s explore nature in the Arctic together (2 ECTS)

As part of the summer programme, participants will have the opportunity to sign up for social activities. These optional social activities will be a great opportunity to connect with other Arctic Summer Programme participants and experience the authentic Finnish Summer. After the lectures, you can get to know your friends, Oulu and the locals of the city.

The optional social activities will include:

• Oulu City Tour
• Picnic and Playing “mölkky”, a traditional outdoor summer game
• A Finnish movie evening
• One-day excursion to Rovaniemi, Hailuoto, or other local nature site
• Berry picking / Baking a Finnish traditional delicacy (e.g. mustikkapiirakka – blueberry pie)

Note: Participation in social activities is optional and charged separately. More details available below.

The opening date and the link of the applications will be announced on this page. The applications close on April 30th, 2026. We can accept 20 students per course. Places will be filled in registration order - first come, first served.

Admission requirements

• Current student on a Bachelor or Master’s level programme

A certificate of enrollment from your current home institution.

• Fluency in English (min. level B2). All courses are taught in English, and sufficient English language skills are needed to follow lectures and participate in group work. No tests are required.
• Admission is possible for those who are NOT currently enrolled at the University of Oulu.
• For AI, IoT & Digital Twin course:
  - Completed minimum one year of bachelor-level study in ICT-related programs (Currently in 2nd or 3rd year of study)
  - Openness to learning recent technologies
  - Basic programming knowledge of Python

Tuition fee for 2 ECTS courses: EUR 625 (incl. VAT 25,5%)

Tuition fee for 5 ECTS courses: EUR 975 (incl. VAT 25,5%)

Optional Social programme: EUR 150 (incl. VAT 25,5%)

Accommodation fee: to be confirmed (approximately EUR 400)

If you have questions related to the practical matters of the summer school, please send an email to international.affairs (at) oulu.fi.

"The whole summer programme was an unforgettable experience. The best thing is that I have made new friends from all over the world and have also learned a lot about their perspectives and respective cultures. Besides, the activities that were organised have taught me more about the Finnish culture, nature and student life in Finland. The two weeks have given me a good feeling of what it is like to live in Finland. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience what it is like to be an international student at Oulu through this summer programme." – a summer school student