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Diversity, food and community at International Students’ Day at Academill
Students from more than 20 countries took part in the first International Students’ Day at Academill.
“Akwaaba,” I say. Then you should reply, “medaase.” It means “welcome” and “thank you”, explains Ebenezer Gaisie from Ghana as he smiles and hands over a homemade pastry.
He also points to a cold drink whose flavour is slightly reminiscent of Finnish glögg. Beside him, his friend is playing a drum. The atmosphere is lively at the first-ever International Students’ Day to be held at Academill.
The entire foyer is buzzing with life and filled with the aromas of pastries and food. Laughter and music can be heard, and visitors can take part in traditional Chinese qigong in front of a screen.
At another of the many tables, Sakiba Ahmed and her husband, Md Towhid Islam, have laid out traditional dishes from their home country, Bangladesh. At the moment, Ahmed is the one studying.
“I taught at a university in our home country, and I may continue my studies once my wife has completed her education studies at Åbo Akademi University. For now, I am working,” says Islam.
Emmanuel Acquah, Professor of Education with a specialisation in minority studies, initiated the event. The theme of the day is From Internationalisation to Inclusion: Rethinking the Value of International Students and Staff in Finnish Universities.
“Our international students enrich the university every day and bring new ways of thinking that can broaden our perspectives. When I started here nine years ago, I was the only person at my workplace who was not Finnish, and it was sometimes difficult to feel understood. I began thinking about how we can change our surroundings. I believe we benefit from viewing our university from an outside perspective and considering what we can change,” he says.
The idea for the event emerged during a course in which he asked his students how we can change society and celebrate diversity. The result was a day for international students, providing Finnish and international students with an opportunity to meet and celebrate diversity by listening to talks and learning about each other’s cultures.
One of the invited speakers was Frans Villanen, Chair of the Vaasa City Council. He explains that around 123 languages are spoken in the city and says that Vaasa has always had an international mindset that has shaped and enriched it.
“There is hardly a better way to work than by embracing diversity and working together. By welcoming our different backgrounds and experiences, we can enrich our society and move it forward. As society becomes increasingly global, we as a city must also remember that the sooner Vaasa begins to feel like home, the better we have succeeded,” he says.
International Students’ Day was held at Academill on 30 October 2026. The event was funded by the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.
