HYY’s candidates for SYL’s Board for 2025 are Antti Kaijansinkko as the chair and Tilda Lassila as member of the Board

In its meeting on 12 September 2024, the Representative Council of the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) selected its candidates for the Board of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) for 2025. HYY is nominating Antti Kaijansinkko as chair of SYL’s Board and Tilda Lassila as member of the Board.

Antti for SYL’s chair for 2025

HYY’s candidate for the position of SYL’s chair for 2025 is Bachelor of Laws Antti Kaijansinkko, 26. This year, he has served as chair of HYY’s Board, having served as the vice chair in 2023. Antti has also gained experience of leadership and advocacy work as the person in charge of academic affairs in his subject organisation and as leader of HYY’s strategy working group.

‘It is a privilege to realise how much trust my fellow students have placed in me, starting from the first positions of trust I held during my fresher year. I will give my all to prove worthy of this trust’, Antti vows.

Antti considers it important for SYL to ensure that students’ affairs and advocacy work get an increasing amount of media coverage. In his positions of trust, Antti has become familiar with dealing with the media. You may have seen him speaking for students’ subsistence in international newspapers or live national broadcasts.

‘Recent decisions on students’ subsistence have been exceptionally hard. However, when faced with setbacks, we can either lose heart or become more determined. The latter is clearly the right choice here, and this resolute desire to defend students will help keep me going’, Antti states.

Tilda for SYL’s Board for 2025

HYY’s candidate for the position of member of SYL’s Board is Student of Social Sciences Tilda Lassila, 22. On HYY’s Board this year, she has been in charge of communication, sustainable development and the municipal elections. Tilda has been involved in advocacy work since lower secondary school, serving on a youth council, for instance.

‘Students are currently in a very difficult situation, and short-term victories do not look likely. We must take a long-term approach in our work, focusing on the future, to ensure that university studies remain a possible alternative for absolutely everyone in the future, too’, Tilda asserts.

During the past year, Tilda has, among other things, met with Helsinki city council groups on the topic student-friendly urban policy, developed HYY’s development cooperation activities, helped draft a municipal election programme and organised a demonstration. She cooperates and seeks compromises across party boundaries, trying to reconcile different views.

‘Education is the cornerstone of our society, and we need broad shoulders to defend it. Work with interest groups and influencing public opinion are at the core of the advocacy work SYL must conduct next year’, Tilda points out.

SYL’s Board will be appointed in its general assembly, held 15–16 November 2024. SYL represents Finnish student unions and looks after students’ interests at the national level, taking a stand on issues of educational policy, social policy and international affairs.

Further information:

Antti Kaijansinkko
antti.kaijansinkko@hyy.fi

Tilda Lassila
tilda.lassila@hyy.fi