Frequently Asked Questions 

Updates on the seminar related to the coronavirus – Covid-19 pandemic!!

Minority Seminar 2020 has been canceled!

Registration

How can I change the language of the seminar registration page on the ÅAU web-shop?
You can change the language of the web-shop to English from upper right corner of the page (under the shopping cart) by clicking on “In English”.

I am an unemployed/unfunded student/scholar, can I have a discounted rate?
Yes, you can select the student rate upon registering online. If you are a PhD student, please send us an official letter from your supervisor/university indicating you are currently without funding by email. If you are an/a independent/senior scholar, please send us an official document showing you are unemployed by email.

Accommodation and Travel

Is there any accommodation possibilities on campus? 
Unfortunately, we don’t have any campus accommodation at our university. Please check for the seminar hotels or other options for accommodation.

How do I get to Vaasa from Vaasa Airport? 
You can take a taxi to the center for € 25.- €35.
Bus 10 and Bus 4 run infrequently during weekdays. (Airport = lentokenttä/lentoasema in Finnish and flygplatsen in Swedish). You can find the timetable of the buses here: https://www.wasacitybus.fi/aikataulut/talvi-2019/lentokenttaliikenne/

Please note that if you take the bus from Vaasa airport to Vaasa city center:
The final station for bus 4 is the market square (Tori/Torget) while the final station for bus 10 is City Hall (Kaupungintalo/Stadshuset). The hotels in Vaasa are within walking distance of both stations.

I’m flying into Helsinki. What are the best ways to get to Vaasa? 
There are several ways to get to Vaasa, if you choose not to fly to the Vaasa airport.
You can purchase a train ticket, which will take around 4 hours: https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/frontpage. You can purchase the ticket so that you leave directly from the airport to get to the connecting station. You can purchase your ticket  online or from ticket machines at the airport.
Alternatively, you can purchase a bus ticket, which will take about 6 hours: https://new.onnibus.com/etusivu or https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en/

Check these sites if you are traveling from other cities in Finland as well!

How do I get to Åbo Akademi from the city center?
Vaasa is a small city and everything is in walking distance. The recommended hotels are around a 15 minute walk from the University. There are also local buses, which you may want to take if you wish to visit sites outside of the center.
Journey planner: https://reittiopas.vaasa.fi/reittiopas/main?lang=2
Ticket information: https://www.vaasa.fi/en/living/traffic-and-streets/public-transport/tickets-and-service-points/

Is there any travel/accommodation grant for the seminar? 
Unfortunately, we cannot provide any support for the travel or accommodation for the seminar. We recommend you look for grants from your home university or country.

Presentations

When do I need to submit my full paper?
We only require a presentation and abstract, not paper submissions. We are still considering the possibility of publishing a conference proceeding/edited book, but won’t request submissions until after the conference.

Can I switch presentation topics or change the title of my presentation? 
You must present on the topic you were accepted to present on. However, prior to the conference we will send you a rough draft of the conference programme with abstracts. You will have a chance to review your information and request any necessary changes. This includes changing the title, or revising your abstract.

Can I register at the venue?
In order to plan for coffee breaks, lunches, and to arrange the program, we require registration is completed prior to the event. Presenters must register by January 31, 2020 and registration for audience members will be open until March 31, 2020.

Visiting Vaasa

I’ll be in Vaasa for a few additional days before/after the conference. What is there to do?
https://www.vaasa.fi/en/, Vaasa city web page.
Söderfjärden, a meteor crater valley.
Tropiclandia, a spa and water park:
Various city museums, including Old Vaasa.