TREY’s Council of Representatives has today, at its meeting on 25 August, decided to propose the Vice Chair of TREY, Rudi Valtonen, as a member of the Executive Board of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) for 2027.
Valtonen, 24, is a fifth-year philosophy student in Tampere University. Valtonen has been actively involved in The Green Left in Tampere University (Viva) and has served in positions such as the Chair of Viva ry and a member of TREY’s Council of Representatives. They have also gained experience in their subject association Aatos ry as well as in civic activism. This year, Valtonen has been serving as the Vice Chair and the board member responsible for social affairs on the Executive Board of TREY. Their areas of responsibility include the parliamentary elections, students’ subsistence and housing, sustainable development, and the Student Union strategy.
“During the current term of government, there have been drastic cuts to the financial aid for students and the funding of higher education institutions. The reform of the policy allowing open higher education institutions the right to grant degrees has sparked a risky debate on fee-based education, and even some ministers have challenged the status of higher education institutions and research. In the upcoming parliamentary elections, the course can be changed. The higher education funding gap should not be filled with any fees but with adequate core funding, and education should be developed in a way that enables as many people as possible to get an education regardless of their background.” outlines Valtonen.
The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) represents Finnish university students on a national level and advocates for them. The SYL board is elected by representatives of all Finnish student unions in the General Assembly, which will be held from 13 to 14 November, 2026. TREY will be represented by a delegation with a whopping 21 votes.