Friends Family Concept
Finland – Hong Kong Trade Association “Friend Family for Hong Kong Students” Concept

The Association has launched a new program, where the target is to support exchange students from Hong Kong and southern China to integrate into Finland and Finnish culture.

This is not a traditional host family activity, but helping and supporting the student to learn and integrate into the Finnish way of living in a way suitable for the family and the student:
  • It can be inviting the student for a dinner or to visit the family at home
  • Perhaps it includes showing Finnish food and cooking
  • Visit to a Finnish “mökki” or hiking trip in the forests could be fun
  • Perhaps you want to introduce the student to your hobbies – or bring him or her to visit your company
We hope the joy of learning goes both ways.  You and your family can also learn from the life and culture of the exchange student.

The Idea

The idea is very simple: We help to establish a personal contact between a student from Hong Kong (or southern China), studying in Finland and a Finnish family.

- for the hosts - individuals and families in the Association this is interesting: they may establish an own personal contact and this way a live update of Hong Kong today

- for the students it offers
  • a way to integrate and learn more about Finland
  • a base for practical questions
  • possibly long term personal contacts
  • subscribing to the family concept also gives you a membership in the Association for a year, with all its contacts and services
- for the Association – we are contributing in the most important mission we have, strengthening the relations and in particular business relations between Finland and Hong Kong for the long term

There is no obligation to none of the parties

- The family is not giving housing or anything traditional  – but the family may invite the student to activities: just to their home, to the summer cottage, concert, dinner etc. This may greatly help the student in integrating and getting deeper experiences of Finland during his or her stay

- The student is not obliged to anything either – other than good behavior, of course. The fee to be part of the concept is 20 €, giving the student at the same time a membership in the Association for a year.

- The Association just helps to create the contact. We also underline that we do not take any responsibility for the actions after the contact. Everything after the contact is between the student and the family – it may lead to active contacts or nothing at all.

How can you subscribe into the concept – as a student

  1. If you are interested to join – please fill in the Student Program membership application from the website or send an email to hb@berhan.fi
  2. We will process the application in the Association
  • We approve / reject the application
  • If positive, we try to find a Friend Family for you
  • We send you an email within 2 weeks from your application
     3. You pay the 20€ fee within 2 weeks from getting the email, which informs you about you being accepted into the Student Program
     4. We register you as Student Program member into the Association
  • We establish the contact to you Friend Family and send the contacts to you and the family by email
  • We will ask you to send feedback about the contact in about 1-2 months, in order to develop the concept further
  • We start sending you the Association Newsletter and other information about our events, if you wish
How can you subscribe into the concept – as a family (company or individual)

  1. The hosts are the members of the Finland Hong Kong Trade Association.
    If you are not yet a member, please subscribe on our website.
  2. Once a member, please fill in the website application aimed for the families or send an email expressing your wish to be part of the program to hb@berhan.fi
  3. We will process the application in the Association
  • We approve / reject the application
  • If positive, we send you an email and try to find a Student for you
    4. We establish the contact
  • We establish the contact to your student and send the contacts to you and the student by email
  • We will ask you to send feedback about the contact in about 1-2 months, in order to develop the concept further
If there are any further questions, do not hesitate to ask from the program coordinator hb@berhan.fi


Finland-Hong Kong Trade Association