Finland is at a turning point. International talent is essential to its industrial future — yet attitudes, policies, and everyday experiences still push skilled people away. This research project will produce the evidence that changes that conversation, at the level of companies, policymakers, and the public.

The Context

Our Attitude Change Collective and the Immigration is National Interest campaign have already shifted the needle — engaging business leaders, media, and politicians in the conversation about why welcoming international talent is a strategic imperative for Finland.

Now we're going further. Funded by TT-Säätiö, we're commissioning a rigorous, nationally representative research study that will become the empirical backbone of Finland's debate on international talent retention — and generate concrete, actionable recommendations for industry and government.

What You'll Research

Drawing on guidance from researchers active in this field, the study should address four under-explored dimensions of international talent experience in Finland:

• Family integration: Spouses, children, and the whole household

• Workplace culture: Diversity management and inclusion in organisations

• Social integration: Leisure, hobbies, and neighbourhood connections

• Diaspora communities: The role of country-of-origin networks

You'll design and run a nationwide survey targeting international talent across different sectors and regions, segmented by time in Finland, career level, family status, and background. 

Depending on your methodology, you could complement this with focus groups, thematic interviews, and statistical analysis, producing a report with clear policy and business recommendations.

Project Tasks

• Research design & target group definition: Finalise segmentation, design survey instrument, confirm distribution channels

• Nationwide survey fieldwork: Deploy survey through unions, employer networks, social media, and corporate partners

• Qualitative deep-dives: Organise focus groups with employees and specialists, based on regional and sectoral breakdowns

• Analysis & report writing: Statistical analysis, qualitative synthesis, report writing with recommendations

What We're Looking for

You're a master's student with sharp analytical instincts, genuine curiosity about society, and the drive to make research matter beyond academia.

• ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

  Social sciences, economics, organisational behaviour, management, or a related field. Enrolled in a Finnish university at master's level.

• RESEARCH SKILLS

  Comfortable with quantitative methods (survey design, statistical analysis) and ideally qualitative methods (focus groups, thematic coding).

• COMMUNICATION

  Able to write clearly for non-academic audiences in English. You know how to make findings land.

• MINDSET

  Motivated by impact. You want your thesis to do something;  influence decisions, spark debate, be cited in parliament.

• INTEREST IN THE TOPIC

  You care about Finland's future, diversity, and the international talent ecosystem,  and you're frustrated that evidence-based debate is still too rare.

• BONUS

  Personal or professional experience with international communities in Finland. 

What We Offer

• A fully funded thesis project with real-world scope, data, and reach — not a desk exercise

• €6,500 compensation for the full project, funded by TT-Säätiö

• Direct access to extensive network: international talent communities, corporates, NGOs, media, and policymakers

• Your research disseminated to parliament, the business community, and national media — with your name on it

• Co-authorship of a report freely available and actively promoted through a national campaign

• A front-row seat at the panel discussion and press launch — presenting findings alongside decision-makers

Why This Matters

Finland needs tens of thousands of new workers per year to sustain its economy. International talent is not optional — it is structural. Yet Finnish workplaces, housing markets, and social environments still too often signal: you don't fully belong here.

This research won't just document that problem. It will quantify it, segment it, and — most importantly — translate it into solutions that companies and policymakers can actually act on. The findings will feed directly into the ongoing Immigration is National Interest campaign and beyond.

Application

Send us a short note telling us why you're the right researcher for this project along with your academic CV. Applications open 13 May and close 31 May 2025 — but we begin conversations on a rolling basis, so earlier is better.