The mission of the UNICOM+ project is to help international university talents build their lives in Finland, and to help employers find the right talent to thrive in their businesses. This is done by accelerating the access of international talents to labour market and supporting business creation.
International university talents face greater challenges in integrating into working life in Finland compared to their domestic peers. To address this problem, the UNICOM+ provides services that facilitate connections between international university students, early career researchers and employers in a way that supports employment in an existing company or an organisation, as well as in starting a business. In doing so, the project addresses the current and future deepening needs of skilled workforce in South-West Finland.
UNICOM+ is coordinated by the University of Turku and implemented jointly with Åbo Akademi University and Turku University of Applied Sciences. The participating universities develop, pilot and integrate new university career and work-life services in close collaboration with companies and public employment and entrepreneurship support services thereby creating better and easier services paths from higher education to employment.
UNICOM+ is co-funded by the European Union. It is a continuation of the Uniting Companies and International University Talents (UNICOM 2021-2023) initiative, also funded by the European Social Fund.
UNICOM+ for International Talents
The target groups of the work package 1 (WP1) are international and domestic basic degree students at the University of Turku and the Turku University of Applied Sciences as well as companies in South-West Finland. Activities in this work package are focused on facilitating the employment of international basic degree students into existing companies and organisations.
In this work package, we will develop new services and operating models targeted to international basic degree students and pilot them together with all the target groups. Our aims is to integrate the new services as part of the universities' regular career services.
Key activities include:
- Student Forum: Giving the International Students a Voice. The Student Forum offers a platform for international students to share their needs and expectations regarding services that support employment and work-life connections during and after their studies. The Student Forum aims to foster dialogue between students and university services and is a part of the service design process in the UNICOM+ project together with in-depth interviews.
- Student Forum of The University of Turku:
- Student Forum has been established: https://sites.utu.fi/rekry/en/call-for-participants-to-first-ever-student-forum/
- Seminar: Behind the Scenes of Finnish Working Life, Read more: Seminar: Behind the Scenes of Finnish Working Life | Career Services
- Student Forum event 16.1.2026: Student Forum: Design Your Ideal Career Service | Career Services
- Student Forum of Turku University of Applied Sciences
- Student Forum of The University of Turku:
- Thesis Fair: Connecting Master’s Degree Students with Employers. The Thesis Fair provides an excellent platform for employers to connect with master’s degree students who are seeking thesis or final project placements. This yearly event allows businesses to present their operations, showcase available thesis opportunities, and engage with students eager to apply their academic knowledge to real-world projects.
- The University of Turku Thesis Fair event will be held in spring 2026. Follow for more information: | Career Services
- The Turku University of Applied Sciences Thesis Fair event 27 November 2025: Find Your Future - career and recruitment fair - Turku AMK
- Networking Days: Connecting Employers with Higher Education Talents. The Networking Days are designed to connect local employers with university students and graduates. They will include one-day visits to companies in order to provide an opportunity for businesses to engage with highly-educated university candidates already residing in Finland, offering a personal and interactive setting.
- Company visits organised by the University of Turku: Company visits | Career Services
- Networking for career organised by Turku University of Applied Sciences, Uniting Companies, Employers and International University Talents (UNICOM+) - Turku AMK
- Cultural Working Life Skills Training: Increasing Knowledge, Experience and Networks. This long-term (4-5 months) group-based coaching model is designed to support the integration of international students into the local society and working life, as well as supporting their networking with Finnish and Swedish speaking university students.
- Multicultural Work-life Coaching at the University of Turku in autumn 2025: https://sites.utu.fi/rekry/en/multicultural-work-life-coaching-in-autumn-2025/
- Life Competence Training Series at Turku University of Applied Sciences in autumn 2025: Uniting Companies, Employers and International University Talents (UNICOM+) - Turku AMK
For more information, please contact:
- Lotta Metsärinne, lotta.metsarinne@utu.fi, University of Turku
- Lucia Vuillermin, lucia.vuillermin@turkuamk.fi, Turku University of Applied Sciences
The target groups of work package 2 are international and domestic basic degree university students, early career researchers and work-life experts at the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Turku University of Applied Sciences in Turku as well as companies in the South-West Finland. Activities in this work package are focused on accelerating entrepreneurship and business creation among international basic degree students and early career researchers.
In this work package, new services and operating models are developed and piloted together with all the target groups. Finally, the new services are integrated as part of the universities' regular entrepreneurship service provision.
Key activities include:
- Entrepreneurship Workshops: Specialised Topics to Deepen the Knowledge-base. Entrepreneurship workshops together with other support measures form a structured pathway to establishing a company. Six thematic workshops (Ideation, Customer Validation, IPR, Commercialization Strategy, Business Planning, Pitching) are run twice per year.
- Degree students and Researchers of the University of Turku, Read more: Entrepreneurship workshops | KONTTORI
- Students at Turku University of Applied Sciences, Read more: Uniting Companies, Employers and International University Talents (UNICOM+) - Turku AMK
- Entrepreneurial Stories Events: Meet Inspiring Entrepreneurs. In the Entrepreneurial Stories Events, entrepreneurs in the South-West Finland area share their journeys and insights. Two events per year are organised in the Konttori Entrepreneurial Hub.
- Read more, e.g. https://www.turkuamk.fi/en/event/female-founder-afternoon-be-inspired-by-entrepreneurial-stories/
- Follow for more: Yrittäjyystila Konttori | KONTTORI
- Mentoring for International Talents: Accessing the Untapped Potential of Work-life Experts. Universities have work-life experts (such as Professors of Practice) as well as contacts to work-life experts (such as international alumni), who can act as mentors to international students and early career researchers interested in an entrepreneurial career.
- Mentoring will be launched in spring 2026!
For more information, please contact:
- Antti Nuutinen, antti.nuutinen@utu.fi, University of Turku
- Maria Ljung, Maria.Ljung@abo.fi, Åbo Akademi University
- Johnny Långstedt, johnny.langstedt@turkuamk.fi, Turku University of Applied Sciences
The target groups of work package 3 are early career researchers (international and domestic) and dissertation supervisors at the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University as well as companies and other organisations in South-West Finland. Activities in this work package are focused on accelerating the employment of international early career researchers into existing companies and organisations in order to speed up innovation and development activities in Finland.
In this work package, new services and operating models are developed and piloted together with all the target groups. Finally, the new services are integrated as part of the universities' regular doctoral education and guidance service provision.
Key activities include:
- Work-life Placements: Gaining Work Experience Outside Academia. These non-academic working life placements are designed specifically for early career researchers in the so-called generalist research fields. Two tracks are available starting from 2026: full-time (1-4 month) job placement for doctoral researchers and post-doc researchers, and a part-time (max 20%, up to 6 months) job placement for post-doc researchers.
- Early career researcher, read more here: https://www.utu.fi/en/research/utugs/for-doctoral-researcher/career/working-life-contacts
- Company representative, read more here: https://www.utu.fi/en/business-collaboration/recruit-an-early-career-researcher
- Business Essentials for Researchers Training: Understanding the Utilisation Potential of Academic Research. This annually run (autumn 2025-2027) workshop-based training includes basic information any early career researcher should know about how to turn research into business.
- Networking Events: Connecting Researchers With Potential Employers. Two annual events are organised during spring-time (2026, 2027) in cooperation with Culture Campus Turku, Health Campus Turku and Technology Campus Turku in order to accelerate the networking of early career researchers with companies and other organisations.
- First networking event will be organised in spring 2026!
For more information, please contact:
- Jenni Gray, jenni.gray@utu.fi, The University of Turku
- Maria Ljung, Maria.Ljung@abo.fi, Åbo Akademi University
The target groups of the package 4 are project partners, international talents, potential employers, financier, other organizations and Finnish higher education institutions and their Talent Hub operators, the general public and the media. Activities in this work package are focused on ensuring that the measures of the UNICOM+ project reach the intended target groups and that the results of the project and the outputs created in it reach a wide target audience and thus promote their spread outside the project.
For more information, please contact:
- Kirsi Peura, kirsi.peura@utu.fi, University of Turku
UNICOM+ for Companies and Organisations
International students at the University of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences are interested in applying their academic knowledge to real-life business projects.
You can meet them at the Thesis Fair that connects highly educated experts and companies in the South-West Finland.
The Thesis Fair offers your company a suitable place to find and create contacts for students looking for thesis work placements.
Welcome to our autumn 2025 and spring 2026 thesis fair events!
- The Turku University of Applied Sciences Thesis Fair event (Find Your Future) on 27 November 2025. Inquiries: Lucia Vuillermin, lucia.vuillermin@turkuamk.fi. Read more here: Find Your Future - career and recruitment fair - Turku AMK
- The University of Turku Thesis Fair event will be held in spring 2026: Inquiries: Lotta Metsarinne, lotta.metsarinne@utu.fi. Read more here: Thesis Fair 2025 | Turun yliopisto
Could an international expert boost your business? We will find an highly-educated international expert to fit your company's needs!
What you will get
- A full service from marketing and curating the best candidates among our international researchers for a salaried short-term employment in your company
- A motivated expert with up-to-date knowledge of current research and methods in their research field
- An expert to support your company in, for example, research work, process and product development, reporting and international marketing
Job placement options
- Full time 1-4 month salaried job placement of an international doctoral researcher or a post-doctoral researcher
- A part time (maximum 20% working time) salaried job placement of an international post-doctoral researchers
Interested? Read more here.
Have you encountered and solved situations in your entrepreneurial career that have provided you with important lessons about entrepreneurship? You are welcome to share your experiences and lessons learned at our Entrepreneurship Story events!
We want to offer our international students and early career researchers realistic, yet inspiring examples of entrepreneurship in Finland. Your experience can be valuable to them.
If you would like to tell your story, please contact us:
- Antti Nuutinen, antti.nuutinen@utu.fi, University of Turku
- Johnny Långstedt, johnny.langstedt@turkuamk.fi, Turku University of Applied Sciences
The networking days provide companies and other organizations located in Southwest Finland an opportunity to meet with international and domestic students and recent graduates of the University of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences.
The networking days include a one-day visit to the company/organization. During the visit, the company can present its operations to the students and offer them a personal and interactive experience in the company.
If you would like to invite students to visit, contact us:
• Lotta Metsärinne, lotta.metsarinne@utu.fi, University of Turku
• Lucia Vuillermin, lucia.vuillermin@turkuamk.fi, Turku University of Applied Sciences
Contact us!
Please contact the relevant work package leaders or us the main coordinators
University of Turku: Irinja Paakkanen (irinja.paakkanen@utu.fi), Head of International Affairs and Kirsi Peura (kirsi.peura@utu.fi), Senior Advisor
Åbo Akademi University: Maria Ljung (maria.ljung@abo.fi), Research Coordinator
Turku University of Applied Sciences: Johnny Långstedt (johnny.langstedt@turkuamk.fi), Researcher