The International Student Barometer (ISB)

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The International Student Barometer* (ISB) from Etio is the global benchmark for the international student experience. It enables University of Helsinki to compare satisfaction levels of our international students and to identify specific areas of key importance to them. ISB is part of the student feedback system of the University of Helsinki.

The International Student Barometer (ISB) project aims to gather information on the international student experience both in and outside the classroom environment and will produce aggregated data that will help to inform future policy and practice at an institutional and national level. It is designed specifically to track the decision-making, perceptions, expectations and experiences of students studying outside their home country. Results are compared against national and global benchmarks.

The University of Helsinki has participated six times in the International Student Barometer, a survey targeted at international students. Survey results will be used for developing teaching and other activities.

 

Participating in the survey
Content of the questionnaire
Processing feedback at the University
User Support

Participating in the survey

The University of Helsinki participates in the ISB survey every two years. The survey usually takes place at the end of the year. This will enable students studying in master's programmes to give feedback at least once during their studies.

You can participate in the ISB survey if you are an international degree student or exchange student (bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral researcher). In the case of the ISB survey, all non-Finnish or dual-nationality students are counted as international students.

Answering the questionnaire is voluntary. The i-Graduate staff will carry out the survey and submit the results to the University. Answers to the questionnaire are given anonymously. The results are processed by group so that the identity of individual respondents cannot be determined. The survey will be sent by email to the addresses you have entered in the student register.

Content of the questionnaire

The survey examines studies and student life extensively from the application stage to employment.

Matters affecting the choice of place of study

What was important for you to consider when you made the decision on where to apply to study?

Experiences of the application process and the agents involved

How did you experience the application process? If you used an agent, what did you think of the experience?

Establishment in Finland and the early stage of studies

How were you accepted as a new student?

Studies and teaching

There are several questions about studies and education.

Housing

Housing and daily life are the focus of a number questions.

Support services and wellbeing

What support services have you used, and how have they responded to your needs?

Recommendations

What kind of wishes do you have, what could be further developed, and would you recommend the University of Helsinki as a study place?

Future plans

Are you planning on staying in Finland after graduation? How do you feel about your possibilities of employment after your studies?

Processing feedback at the University

An open event will be organised at university level for the entire University community at which a representative of Etio will present the results from the University of Helsinki. At the event, the results will be compared with other higher education institutions that participated in the survey and with earlier results from the University of Helsinki.

A student feedback tour is organised for the faculties in the autumn, where the presentation of the ISB results are included. The event will be attended mainly by the directors of the study programmes and members of faculty steering group.

User Support

If you have any questions about the ISB survey, you can contact us at isb@helsinki.fi.