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Seeking admission to Finnish universities
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After a hiatus following a slip and injuring my wrist, I am back with something that I hope would be interesting to readers. It is about the Finnish educational system, which I admire very much.
So, today I write about an aspect of the process for foreign students seeking admission to Finnish universities. 
The Finnish educational system is regarded one of the best in the world. It has often attracted admiration even from other highly advanced and well-known rich countries.
And, there is the Study in Finland portal that gives some information or guidelines on the processes about how to seek admission to Finnish universities (see www.studyinfinland.fi/admissions).
Check admission information
According to the Study in Finland portal, once you’ve chosen your programme, the Admissions Services of the university you are planning to apply to can advise you on things like the eligibility criteria, application process and deadlines.
The applicant also needs to attach to his/her application any required documents as part of the application. Such documents may include your certificates, resume or curriculum vitae (CV), and a letter of motivation.
The applicant may later need to take an entrance exam, or some other kind of aptitude test. You must have a sufficient level of English, according to the Study in Finland portal.
Assessing applicants
Generally, the mode of assessing applicants is by checking the applicant’s eligibility based on the filled application form that he or she filled and the accompanying documents.
The applicant needs to apply before the deadline for applications.
From my experience as a student at a Finnish university and that of other Ghanaian or other African migrants in similar educational institutions, one can say that applications are strictly assessed by the university authorities based on the applicant’s quality of the application and accompanying documents.
Moreover, the applicant has to be very serious with everything connected to his/her application, such as giving correct information and writing in clear language.
There is need to go straight to the point; there is no room to dwell on unnecessary or unclear information. This is especially true with the letter of motivation (if the university you are applying to so requires one).
Usually, the universities here consider the letter of motivation one of the key points for a successful application. As I have mentioned already, the letter of motivation needs to go straight to the point.
Letter of motivation
It is a fact that every year, there are countless numbers of applications to Finnish universities, therefore, is always a high competition for admission.
A strong letter of motivation is likely to do the magic and result in a successful application.
Here, I offer a few points that I deem as something an applicant can consider in their letter of motivation.
First, the applicant would need to give his/her motivation to pursue studies in the programme being applied for (sometimes, even why the applicant is choosing the particular university counts). All such points need to be put in sound arguments or be very persuasive.
Again, the applicant may think about how the programme would impact on his/her (future) career.
One may also think about what the applicant’s strengths (abilities or competences) are that can help or enable him/her to pursue the programme.
As I wrote some time ago, a central objective of the Finnish education policy is to offer all citizens (and foreign students alike) equal opportunities to receive education and help build their future careers. The structure of the education system reflects these principles.
Finally, for foreign students I think the goal of gaining an education that would eventually help them in their career especially back in their home countries should be a huge motivation also for the particular university. Thank you.
By Perpetual Crentsil
On Sunday, 16 August 2026, the Church of Pentecost (COP) in Finland held a befitting farewell church service for Apostle Francis Owusu Kwaah, the National Head of COP in Finland. It was a well-attended event and, by all measure, a perfect way to offer a well-deserved gratitude to Apostle Owusu Kwaah for his service and contribution to the growth of the church in Finland.
Apostle Owusu Kwaah arrived in Finland on 22 November 2020 and took up the position as the National Head of COP in Finland, taking over from Apostle Edmund Appiah who then moved to the UK.
Many people extolled the remarkable character and excellent leadership qualities of Apostle Francis Owusu Kwaah.
Achievements of Apostle Owusu Kwaah
A key farewell message stated that under Apostle Owusu Kwaah’s leadership the church has experienced remarkable growth and transformation.
The message said further that there have been significant increases in church membership—two (2) more Assemblies have been added to the church fold while three pastors have been ordained (2 of them have been sent into missions abroad, with the other one is working in Finland).
Testimonies and Appreciations
Testimonies and messages of appreciation were delivered as appeared in the programme by the National Presbytery, the Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Children’s Ministry, and other well-wishers.
“Our Apostle is known for being approachable and reliable. His warm personality and humility have endeared him to many”, the farewell message further said, adding that his ministry has extended far beyond the walls of the church. He has faithfully visited hospitals, homes, and prisons to preach the word of God, pray with people, and bring hope to those in need.
For the over 20 years that the church has existed after it was started in September 2000 as a prayer group with a small number of devoted persons in Helsinki (see www.copfinland.fi), the COP has had smooth running and change of leadership to its advantage.
Apostle Owusu Kwaah took over from Apostle Edmund Appiah, who was the first to be appointed as National Head of COP in Finland from 2013 until early 2020. Indeed, under the leadership of Apostle Owusu Kwaah, and Apostle Appiah before him, the Church has grown and spread to other cities and towns in Finland.
Apostle’s response
Surrounded by his beloved wife, Mrs Joyce Owusu Kwaah, and their five children, Apostle Owusu Kwaah delivered a powerful and infectious message in response to the messages of gratitude to him and his family for their good work in the church.
He preached the importance of loving God with one’s whole heart. He entreated the audience to love God and do His work to glorify his name.
The Apostle thanked the COP Finland, the numerous friends and well-wishers who supported him and interacted assuredly with him and his family and thus made their stay very comfortable in Finland.
COP’s future and growth in Finland
The COP Finland has become very formidable in the religious space in Finland.
Indeed, it has played a prominent role in the religious or spiritual existence of its members, as well as in people’s social lives as a key aspect of integration into the Finnish society.
The church continues to grow and, for example, it has been one of the major channels through which the Ghana Union Finland (GUF), an association for Ghanaian immigrants in Finland, has made more contacts with members of the Ghanaian immigrant community.
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“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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