During an informal gathering of alumni and the Foundation team in Washington, D.C on May 20, 2019, in alumna Kay Kohl’s home, an idea surfaced that immediately resonated with those present. What if we organized an alumni tour in Finland? Everyone gasped with delight and ideas began pouring in.
In September 2019, the Fulbright Finland Foundation sent a message to alumni with a questionnaire to assess the level of interest among our American alumni to participate in this journey. We received over 50 replies within the first few days and the Foundation team and the Friends of Fulbright Finland (FoFF) alumni council began planning the program in more detail.
For Alumni
For the Fulbright Finland Foundation
It was made clear from the beginning; this would not be just a tourist trip. The Foundation team and the FoFF council unanimously agreed that this would be a unique chance for alumni to reconnect with Finland, the Fulbright Finland Foundation and their Finnish collaborators and colleagues.
The itinerary offers numerous opportunities, formal and casual, to revisit memorable and new locales in Finland and to learn in depth about the broad range of current Fulbright Finland programs and partners. One goal of this visit is to create a group of informed and engaged alumni who want to partner with the Fulbright Finland Foundation, paving the way forward to an ever stronger network of active ambassadors. As our Fulbrighters are recognized leaders and change-makers, "together shaping the future", tour participants will gain exceptional insight into the Fulbright Finland vision for our future. Of course we have also planned several fun and leisure activities: visiting with Finnish alumni, exploring nature, eating great local food, and of course a sauna or two!
During the tour, you will have an opportunity to present your research or current work, and share the impact the Fulbright Finland exchange, experiences, and collaborations have had in your career and life.
The tour gives the Foundation team and program partners a chance to hear how the Fulbright Finland experience has impacted the professional and personal life of the alumni. Throughout the tour, participants will write blog posts reflecting on their experiences in Finland and highlighting insights learned during the tour.
The Foundation will also produce a video series of alumni stories which will be filmed during the tour. Sharing the impact of the program is an important part of the tour and each participant will be asked to submit an impact statement.
Tour Dates
It’s not possible to participate only in some parts of the program, but you are welcome to arrive in Finland earlier or stay longer after the program has ended (accommodation for extra days will be at your own expense).
"Terms and Registration Information" pdf will be uploaded on the page before the registration opens.
Please read the Alumni Tour terms carefully before registering. Please note that we will update them before the registration begins.
After registering for the tour, you will receive the final terms which you need to return to us signed.
| Registration | Fall 2021 |
| Registration fee (non-refundable in case the participant cancels their registration) | TBC |
| Final payment (minus the registration fee) | January 2022 |
| Tour dates | June 12-22, 2022 |
See the tentative program here (pdf) - information as of November 5, 2021.
In addition to Helsinki, the program will take place in the Eastern part of Finland: Joensuu and Lappeenranta. We have two very good partner universities in these cities, and the area is very accessible by train. Also it opens access to the beautiful and very Finnish National Park, Koli for a day in nature.
Please note that we are still planning the program, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, confirming certain sessions and visits will take longer than initially expected.
We will update the program PDF regularly. Each version will have the date indicating the last time it has been updated.
The tour is at everyone’s own expense and the Fulbright Finland Foundation can't cover anyone's tour costs. The total cost of the tour per participant will be max. $3,000 and it will be confirmed when the number of participants is confirmed.
What is included in the price?
What is not included in the price?
Registration opens during fall 2021, exact date will be confirmed later.
The maximum number of participants is 20. Family members are welcome to join, but in order to maximize the number of alumni participants, only 1 adult family member (18+ years old) per alum can join the tour. First come, first served: after the first 20 participants have registered, we will create a waiting list.
Note: The Alumni Tour will go forward as planned as soon as we have received advance payments and binding registrations from at least twelve participants.
To confirm your registration, you are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee of $500 per participant. We will let you know the deadline for the payment in the registration message. If you don’t pay the registration fee by the deadline, your place will be given to the first person on the waiting list. If you cancel your participation in the tour, your registration fee will not be refunded to you.
The final payment deadline for the amount left to pay will be in January 2022, the exact date will be confirmed.
Your registration is binding. This is because any cancellation will directly impact the Alumni Journey costs of the other participants.
If a participant cancels their participation in the Alumni Journey, then a refund is not possible. After we know the size of the group and the final cost of the tour, the Foundation will confirm the offers from the different providers based on the established number of participants. If the tour gets canceled or postponed by the Foundation by March 2022 (exact date TBC), the participants will get full refund, including the registration fee. We strongly encourage all participants to purchase travel insurance to cover costs if the tour needs to be canceled after the March cut-off-date, when refunds are no longer possible.
