“First we want to learn Finnish,” say Chinese nursing students

At the end of June, the Lohja Campus welcomed 22 Chinese nursing students who aim to complete a Finnish nursing degree at Laurea. They will participate in commissioned education and pay Laurea a tuition fee for the education it provides.

The students will begin their nursing studies in an English-language programme later in the autumn. Before that, during the summer months, they will participate in preparatory studies in the Finnish and English languages as well as learn about Finnish culture, method of studies and health care.

“Finland is beautiful and peaceful”

The Chinese students arrived in Lohja in June, and many of them came to Finland with family members. One of them is Jiang Ying, who arrived in Lohja with her daughter a few days before the interview:

-    My daughter already likes Finland. It is beautiful here, and the strawberries are excellent, says Ying, from Beijing, describing her first experiences of Finland.

Wang Chen is also from Beijing:

-    Life here is very different from China. Lohja is really quiet and peaceful. I’m sure it will be easy to concentrate on studies here, says Chen, who has already spent a few weeks in Finland.

Introduction to language and culture

The students participating in the programme were selected through entrance exams. Most of them have 5–10 years of nursing experience in China. The students have a good command of English and they are highly motivated to study and find employment in Finland.

Many of the students who arrived in Finland have already worked outside their home country. Both Liu Hongling and Wang Yilan have worked as nurses in Singapore and New Zealand.

-    It is very important for us to learn Finnish, but we also want to learn about Finnish culture, says Liu Hongling.

-    I have also worked at an international hospital in Beijing, and there I noticed how much people and cultures can differ from one another. The Finns and Chinese have at least one thing in common: we are slightly shy, but also helpful, continues Hongling, smiling.

The Chinese students aim to complete their nursing degree at Laurea in approximately three years. In the future, they hope to secure a job in Finland.

-    I began to think about studies abroad, because I wanted my three-year-old daughter to get a good education. After I complete my degree, I would like to stay in Finland and work as a nurse in a Finnish hospital, says Liu Hongling, sharing her hopes for the future.

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