Bridging integration barriers: the MISAS project at Novia

Photo: Local and foreign students during excursion in Vaasa.

International students bring fresh perspectives, skills, and innovation, but integrating into a new country can be difficult, especially in one where the language is different. In Finland, international students in English language degree programs often struggle to develop strong skills in local languages. This is becoming a barrier for networking and communication, not just for students, but also for businesses looking to recruit international talents. Novia University of Applied Sciences recognized these challenges and embarked on an important project in the first quarter of 2025 in collaboration with Arcada University of Applied Sciences, called MISAS (Model for Integration of Foreign Students through Language Immersion Studies and Work Life Collaboration). The two-year project kicked off in spring 2025 with a goal in mind, to develop a model for integrating international students through Swedish language immersion and workplace collaboration. This project is financed by The European Social Fund (ESF+) and The Swedish Cultural Foundation

Photo of Misas project team during kick off meeting.

Why MISAS?

The typical international student journey starts with great anticipations about their host country. Sometimes, these quickly turn into challenges when they encounter difficulties securing relevant job opportunities in the Finnish labor market due to lack or limited knowledge of Finnish or Swedish language. The MISAS project seeks to address this issue by integrating Swedish language in the academic programs of these foreign students. As a starting point, the initiative is piloting this approach within the MBA degree programs in Vaasa and Turku

The Novia MBA degree programs are aimed at both local and international professionals in different fields who intend to build or improve their business management skills. Since the locals already possess the required language skills, there is no specific focus on language learning in the course curricula of the programs, thereby significantly affecting the foreign students, as they expect to integrate into the professional environment more quickly than is typically achievable. The MISAS project, which is relevant to complementing this gap, promotes the importance of building foundational language competencies before arrival in Finland, by recommending channels for basic language learning to its 2025 international intakes. In addition to this, Novia and Arcada have developed forms of language learning support, language activities, targeted specifically at international students.

Diving into culture and making new connections

The MISAS project welcomed its first set of pilot MBA students to Finland in the 2025 Autumn semester with lined up activities. This kicked off with an enriching excursion, visiting several cultural and historical locations for the Digital Business Management students in Vaasa, while the Turku Sustainable Business Design students had similar cultural events, a chance for international and local students to interact with people and the environment. Beyond the educational highlights, a deep dive into regional history, culture, and the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, these activities fostered cultural exchange, meaningful conversations, and new friendships, making it a memorable experience of learning and connection.

Photo of local and foreign students during culture event in Turku.

How workplaces give language learning a boost

Employers play a key role in helping internationals learn the language through supportive onboarding mentoring systems and multilingual teams to create low-pressure opportunities to practice language speaking and learning directly through daily tasks. The MISAS project pilots the Swedish ‘Språkombud’ concept, developed by Vård- och omsorgscollege in Sweden, which has been used and refined for over a decade.  The MISAS project offers a cost-free short training course for interested employers and their staff, focusing on fostering communication in multilingual work environments, strengthening inclusiveness and supporting language development for employees and students who are still learning Swedish. The relationships with these employers are expected to encourage the “Work and Study”, another MISAS concept which is expected to kick off in the spring 2026 semester, where students can apply and improve their language skills in real workplace contexts by engaging in part-time employment or internships during academic term, aligned with their field of study and earn study credits. This experience will not only help build practical language skills but also support academic and career goals.

Why the MISAS project is leading the way

Novia is deeply committed to creating an inclusive, multilingual educational environment for students to thrive in. With its international student body from diverse countries and several English language programs, Novia is well positioned to pilot this kind of integration model. By linking language studies and work, Novia strengthens its role in regional development and social sustainability.

Texten har granskats och godkänts av Novias redaktionsråd 15.1.2026.