Welcome to Kuopio -event welcomed recently moved recidents to the local commutiny
Welcome to Kuopio event was held for the third time in the beautiful Kuopio City Hall ballroom at the beginning of October. This time, the event attracted about 120 participants, most of whom were international residents who had only recently moved to Kuopio and came from diverse backgrounds.
At the event, newcomers were introduced to local services available to support their settlement and integration. Although services like the city’s immigration services, International House Kuopio, and various associations and organizations continuously strive to collaborate, it is true that summarizing or coordinating all services across the city is challenging and nearly impossible. Therefore, it’s understandable that newcomers sometimes find the information fragmented and hard to find.
Each organization naturally knows the most about its own service and is familiar with its clients, which is why the event also serves as a channel for information sharing and networking among different organizations and their employees. Cooperation and communication between organizations are constantly being developed and strengthened to better serve new international Kuopio residents. Additionally, the event offers people the opportunity to meet others in similar situations. Participants share their experiences and information and make new contacts. I believe quite a few coffee meet-ups were scheduled for networking purposes during the event!
The event received excellent feedback, and although the ballroom almost reached capacity, we still fit in comfortably this fall.
“The event was extremely helpful! I gained many valuable contacts and a lot of information,” one participant commented afterward.
In addition to service presentations, Vimbiso Kombora, Sophie Beckord, Chris Mukuye, and Ezekiel Kuhoga, who have settled well in Kuopio, shared their own experiences in a panel discussion and answered questions from the participants.
One of the participants had arrived in Kuopio just a few days before the event and found it incredibly valuable. On the feedback form after the event, they wrote:
““The event was an unforgettable introduction to my new city! My heartfelt thanks to International House Kuopio for organizing this fantastic event. As an international university student, I registered for the event in advance while still in my home country. Just a few days after my arrival, I already felt warmly welcomed to Kuopio and the local community. Thank you for making me feel at home right from the start! I hope the event continues to bring new Kuopio residents together in the future. Keep up the great work!””
Encouraged by the positive feedback, we are excited to continue developing the event further. Will we see you at the next Welcome to Kuopio event in March 2025? Follow our website and social media to stay updated as the event approaches!
On the event day, nearly 30 professionals from various organizations were present, in collaboration with International House Kuopio. A warm thank you to everyone involved.
