​YFK
Helsinki Pharmacy Students’ Association, YFK for short, represents the local pharmacy students. Our aim is to provide the students many kinds of activities and we warmly welcome foreign students to join!
 
The purpose of YFK is to
  • connect those who study pharmacy at the University of Helsinki
  • work for the benefit of our members
  • develop the teaching in pharmacy
  • keep track of research
  • maintain and promote the awareness and pastime of our members on professional and general aspects
 
To actualize its purpose the association
  • makes propositions and initiatives
  • arranges presentations and discussions, excursions, cultural and sports events and gatherings
  • practices publishing
  • provides scholastic handouts
  • stays in contact with other associations in Finland and abroad
 
The actions of YFK are carried through the executive board, each member having a specific area of expertise. You can find the list of the board members on the next section.
 
Clubroom
YFK has a clubroom in Viikki campus. It’s located in the first floor of Biocenter 2 (Viikinkaari 5). From the club room you can buy tea, coffee and some snacks. There is also the library cabinet where you can buy books, overall badges and other useful things.
 
Käärmeenpesä
Käärmeenpesä (Snakes’ nest in english) is YFK’s own apartment where we can organize our events, meetings and hang-outs. At the apartment we have a hall, lounge, well-equipped kitchen, bar and of course a big sauna. Käärmeenpesä is located in Sörnäinen part of Helsinki: Sörnäisten rantatie 33 C (4th floor) 00580 Helsinki.
 
Address
YFK
Biokeskus 2
PL 56 (Viikinkaari 5)
0014 Helsingin yliopisto

​The Executive Board of YFK

Board members of YFK 2020:
The emails are in the form firstname.lastname@helsinki.fi, unless told otherwise.
To address the whole board, email yfk-virkailijat@helsinki.fi .


President
Sanne Keskimäki
President presides the board meetings, monitors and guides the board and its members. In concert with the board members, Presidents’ mission is to see that the organization of the association works. Also, the President acts as a representative of YFK.


Secretary
Nella Laurikkala
Secretary is responsible for writing the records of board meetings and dealing with paperwork.


Treasurer
Kalle Manninen (talous@yfk.fi)
Treasurer pays the bills, does the invoicing and supervises the financial interests of YFK. Treasurer also follows the realization of budgets and financial decisions.


Vice President of International Affairs
Sébastien Chiaroni


Vice President of international affairs maintains YFK’s connections to international pharmacy student associations and coordinates international projects with the international committee. They also arrange some events for exchange students, and are a link between exchange students and YFK.


Host


Aarni Pyy
Host coordinates co-hosts and is often involved in planning and realization of parties.


Hostess
Noora Häyrinen
Hostess takes care of food serving in different events and is involved in planning and realization of parties. Hostess also arranges the serving of buns during Shrove Tuesday, Sipis’ name day and when the new students arrive.


Chief Editor of MDS
Joonatan Haapalainen (mds@yfk.fi)
Chief Editor of YFK’s magazine, MDS, runs the editorial staff and defines the general layout of the magazine. Chief Editor is responsible for the content and regular publication of MDS. Chief Editor is also involved in the lay out and planning the look of the magazine.


Vice President of Healthcare and Internal Affairs
Lauri Rentto
Vice President of Healthcare and Internal Affairs is responsible for excursions and events in cooperation with different student associations and trade organizations. Vice President also represents YFK in the meetings of FSHS and FiPSA, is responsible for YFK’s medicine cabinet and organizes campaigns and events related to healthcare issues with healthcare and internal affairs committee.


Vice President of Education
 Aukusti Alanko
The mission of Vice President of Education is to oversee that the education in the faculty of pharmacy is high-quality. Vice President develops the education together with student representatives of administration and with education committee.  If you have any opinions or suggestions related to our education, you can contact Vice President of Education!


Freshmen Coordinator
Simo Hintikka
With freshmen committee, Freshmen Coordinator is in charge of all the activities for freshmen’s first year. Freshmen Coordinator takes also part in the tutor training and is alink between the freshmen and the board.


Librarian
Tyyra Jero
Together with the library committee, Librarian organizes the library sercive in YFK clubroom in Viikki on Tuesdays and Thursdays 11.45-12.05. From the library cabinet you can buy for example books, overall badges and copy cards. Librarian also takes care of the joint book orders and the YFK table at the Pharmacy Fair.


Business Relations Coordinator
Karri Aalto
Business Relations Coordinator is responsible for the cooperation and advertisement agreements and is the advertisement manager of MDS.


Property and Environmental Affairs Coordinator
Aleksi Kallio (lauri.antelo@helsinki.fi)
Property and Environmental Affairs Coordinator takes care of the state and upkeep of YFK’s properties and appliances and the acknowledgement of environmental issues in YFK’s actions.


Leasing Coordinator
Veera Lanu (vuokraus@kaarmeenpesa.fi)
Leasing Coordinator coordinates and takes care of leasing of Käärmeenpesä. This includes answering emails about the leasing, agreeing about the lease, passing the key to the lessee and introducing Käärmeenpesä to new users.


Party Coordinator
Oona Saranpää
Party Coordinator plans, coordinates and realizes parties, sitsit and events with party committee. Party Coordinator also collaborates with other student associations and organizes parties with them.


Publicist
Noora Jansson (yfk-tiedottaja@helsinki.fi)
Publicist is responsible for informing the members of YFK. Publicist also maintains YFK’s membership register and email lists.


Culture Excursion Coordinator
Maria Hytönen
Culture committee is responsible for offering YFK members different cultural experiences. The excursions are meant to encourage and activate the spontaneous culture interest of the members.




Theme Night Coordinator
Ella Anttolainen
Theme Night Coordinator is responsible for organizing partner events (so-called theme nights) with different pharmaceutical companies.


Clubs and Sports Coordinator
Daniela Wollstén
Clubs and Sports Coordinator organizes different sports events and coordinates club activity.

Yerly events

Spring
February
  • Shrove Tuesday (Laskiainen)
Shrove Tuesday is celebrated seven weeks before Easter. It’s a big celebration here in Finland. Typical activities for the day are sledding, enjoying other outdoor sports and eating buns filled with whipped cream. Usually during the day our Hostess offers buns at YFK clubroom and in the afternoon there’s a big happening at Kaivopuisto, and also a lot of after-parties ;)
  • Sipi’s name day 15.2
Sipi Siintola is regarded as the unofficial founder/supporter of YFK, because of who the association has become what it nowadays is. In the honor of Sipi’s name day, our Hostess usually offers buns at the YFK clubroom in Viikki.
  • Anniversary Gala (Vuosijuhla)
The anniversary gala of YFK is usually celebrated the weekend after Sipi’s name day. The gala is an academic evening party consisting of a cocktail party, the actual celebration/ball which is a three-course dinner and an after party. The actual celebration is a very sophisticated event and the dress code is white tie.
April/May
  • Day before 1st of May
This is a big event in Finland, especially for students. During the day we have lot of different activities and parties going on. This is something you don’t want to miss!
  • May day/Walpurgis night/Labor day (Vappu) 1.5
This is a holiday .Lots of people gather around Ullanlinnanmäki to have a picnic after partying through the night.
 
Autumn
    • Freshmen orientation week
During the last week of august there is traditionally lot of activities for the freshmen. There’s get-togethers, a city race and sport, board game and movie nights. You are very welcome to join all the activities, just contact your tutor, the freshmen coordinator or the vp of international affairs and ask more!
  • Welcome fair
The University of Helsinki arranges a two day welcome fair for all the arriving exchange students (usually in the end of august). There you have the possibility to get your student certificates, info about student life in Helsinki and get some official things done. You should really participate in this if you’re arriving in autumn.
September
  • Opening ceremony and festivities in the city campus
In the beginning of September there’s an opening festival for the starting of the new academic year. At the main buildings many associations and clubs present their selves, and later in the evening there’s a party.
  • Host’s pub crawl (Isännän suunnistus)
Host’s pub crawl is basically bar-hopping in Kallio-area with different kinds of tasks you have to perform in groups. Afterwards there’s a party at Käärmeenpesä.
September-October
  • Freshmen-sitsit (Tappisitsit)
This is an academic table party for the first timers, to teach them how to behave during the sitsit. Before this there’s usually also a song night where older students teach you most of the songs traditionally sang in sitsits.
  • Cabin trip (Tappimökki)
Every autumn we organize a trip to some cottage for the freshmen. All the exchange students are also very welcome to join in! Usually there’s a race and of course sauna in the evening. This is an experience you don’t want to miss! ;)
    • Smoke-jubilee (Savujuhla)
This is an elegant party we throw to celebrate that in 1980 the building of the pharmacy department did not burn down. It’s our second best occasion after the anniversary gala. It pretty much follows the sitsi traditions and the dress code is black tie/cocktail dress.
  • Pharmacy-cruise (Farmasian risteily)
Finnish Pharmaceutical Students’ Associations (FiPSA) arranges a 23 hour cruise for all the pharmacy students from Helsinki, Kuopio and Turku. This is a great opportunity to try out a Finnish style cruise and meet Finnish pharmacy students!
    • Pre-Christmas party (Pikkujoulut)
Every year the 4th year students organize a pre-Christmas party with christmas cookies, rice porridge, plays and of course music and dancing!
  • Independence Day of Finland 6.12
On the Independence Day evening students arrange a torch parade from Hietaniemi cemetery, past the Presidential Castle to the Senates’ Square. You can join in to feel the Finnish spirit while marching through the center of Helsinki.
 
Company theme nights
In company theme nights different pharmaceutical companies come to introduce themselves to us and/or present different products. The night usually consists of a presentation of the company (usually in Finnish unfortunately) and in the end the company in question serves some food and sometimes you also get a gift bag of the company’s products.
The presentations are in Finnish, but I'm sure that the presentatives of the company will be glad to give you some info in English also after the actual presentation.
 
Sitsit
Sitsit is an academic table party that is traditional in Finland and Sweden. It consists of a three-course dinner, drinking and singing. Different organizations have their own traditions and the dress code varies from different themes to formal and casual. Sitsit is a very unique thing which you should definitely experience before leaving Finland!
 
International nights
At least once in the autumn and once in the spring we throw a party with other student associations in Viikki for all our exchange students. There we have good music, nice people, some snacks and games, so bring yourself and friends with you to enjoy the night!
 
Board game nights
About once a month YFK organizes a board game night at Käärmeenpesä. We have lot of different games there, so join us for some nice board gaming!
 
General meeting of YFK
Once in a while we have general meeting to let our members know what’s going on in YFK and what decisions the executive board has made. There’s coffee and some small snack offered, and you can come to meet members of the board and ask if you have some questions on your mind.
 
In addition we also have different kinds of excursions (theatre, exhibitions), movie nights etc. to offer to our members!
 
The Black List
The black list has been implemented to make sure that everybody comes to the events they have registered. If they don’t, they are banned for a month from all the events that require registration (for example theme nights and sitsit). You can still participate on events that don't need registration. The black list is maintained by the executive board of YFK.
  • To avoid getting to the black list, you have to cancel your registration BEFORE the registration time ends OR get a replacement for yourself. In all of the cases you have to inform the person organizing the event.
  • If you're put on the black list, the organizer of the event will inform you of the matter, why it's happened and how long the ban will last.
So just remember to cancel on time if you can't make it to the events, and all will be good ;)
​

To join YFK

Coming to Helsinki for exchange or considering it? Helsinki Pharmacy Students’ Association, YFK for short, represents the local pharmacy students. Our aim is to provide the students many kinds of activities and we warmly welcome foreign students to join!
We organize lots of things from parties and balls to excursions, trips and board game nights. To complete your Finland-experience as an exchange student, we highly recommend you to join in the fun!
To join YFK, you must be studying pharmacy in Helsinki and be admitted by the board. Usually all exchange students coming to Helsinki are admitted as soon as we get their consent.

Exchange student

Exchange students

Coming to Helsinki for exchange or considering it? Helsinki Pharmacy Students’ Association, YFK for short, represents the local pharmacy students. Our aim is to provide the students many kinds of activities and we warmly welcome foreign students to join!
 
We organize lots of things from parties and balls to excursions, trips and board game nights. To complete your Finland-experience as an exchange student, we highly recommend you to join in the fun!
 
To join YFK, you must be studying pharmacy in Helsinki and be admitted by the board. Usually all exchange students coming to Helsinki are admitted as soon as we get their consent.
 
When you’ve left back to your home country and don’t want any more emails from YFK you can unsubscribe from our email list:
  • To unsubscribe: send an email “unsubscribe yfk-english[at]helsinki.fi YourEmailAddress” to majordomo[at]helsinki.fi
  • It’s important that you don’t write any extra text to the messages, because then the unsubscribing might not go through. Leave the subject field empty.
 
If you have any questions, you can contact our Vice President of International Affairs. Also if you have any questions about studying pharmacy in Helsinki or if you’re interested to know more about the organization of YFK, contact: Simo Hintikka (simo.hintikka[at]helsinki.fi)
​