International Riihimäki draft program begins extensive consultation

28.3.2025 News Welfare and health Vitality Internationality Town government Town council Participation Decision making Population

People of different ages gathered in front of a building. Two balloons with a red letter R in the air. — Photo: Jenniina Nummela

The City of Riihimäki has prepared a draft program for the city's internationalization efforts. The draft program includes proposals for the city's vision, mission, goals, measures and indicators for internationalization.

The goals of internationalization are reflected in the three themes of the city strategy: a community of sustainable growth, a home for future creators, and an irresistible city of the quarter.

The program was created because the city's population has become more international. The number of people who speak a language other than Finnish as their mother tongue has increased in Riihimäki by about eight hundred people in two years. The city has a reception center, from which people who receive international protection become residents of the city. Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) has started two new international study programs on its Riihimäki campus. This has been reflected in the arrival of international students and their families to Riihimäki.

Riihimäki uses internationalization as a competitive advantage

The city council outlined in its seminar at the end of 2024 that Riihimäki's goal is to be a pioneer in internationalization and to utilize internationalization as a competitive advantage over other cities. The seminar set the goal for the city to work on an internationalization action plan, which would highlight the challenges and opportunities and consider how we can be a pioneer.

Several stakeholders participated in the work

The MDI consulting company was invited to tender for the program work, which brought together a team of experts to support the city. The draft program was prepared as an interactive process, with extensive participation from representatives of the city organization and key stakeholders. The process took into account those who had already moved to the country. They were given a survey, partly in English and Ukrainian, and a workshop in English.

The drafting of the program consisted of creating a situational picture based on statistics and document analysis, stakeholder interviews, a survey and three workshops. In addition, the views of children from Riihimäki were collected in a children's parliament.

"I would like to give a big thank you to all the Riks residents and those who worked here who participated in this process. A huge number of ideas from different parties about internationality in Riihimäki were squeezed into the final draft," says Juha Hiltunen, the city's integration manager.

The aim of the action plan, which is now being circulated for comments, is to guide the city's operational activities and use of resources, facilitate integration, and increase the city's attractiveness among international experts, companies, and investors.

The program continues after the committees to the city council.

The first to request a statement on the draft program will be the Education and Welfare Committee at its meeting on April 9, 2025. During April, statements on the draft program will also be requested from the Vitality Committee, Technical Committee, Inspection Committee, Welfare Division, Employment Division, Youth Council, Disability Council and Elderly Council.

The City Board will discuss the draft program, modified based on feedback from the committees and councils, at its meeting on May 19, and the City Council on May 26. The goal is to implement the action program from autumn 2025.

A draft of the International Riihimäki action plan can be found on the integration services page.