AYY proposes Joona Lipponen as Chair of the SYL Board

AYY proposes Joona Lipponen as Chair of the SYL Board for the coming year. Lipponen, 27, is a master’s student in Urban Studies and Planning in Real Estate Economics at Aalto University.

Lipponen has been an influential figure in the student movement. This year, he serves as Chair of the AYY Board and has previously served on AYY’s Finance Board, as a member of the Board, and as a student representative in university administration, among other positions.

‘I’m grateful for AYY’s support and excited about the opportunities ahead’, Lipponen says, delighted by his appointment. 

SYL represents university students in Finland at the national level and takes positions on education policy, social policy, and international issues. The AYY Representative Council’s Advocacy Committee interviewed the applicants and made its proposal to the AYY Board, which confirmed the proposal at its meeting 20/2026.

‘I’m applying to chair the SYL because I want to bring what I know works in Otaniemi and Aalto to the broader student community and societal sphere in Finland. The coming year is an election year, and it will shape the role more than anything else’, Lipponen emphasises.

Lipponen highlights three key themes: free education, students’ financial security, and student housing.

‘I want to safeguard free education and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to study, regardless of their age or background. Students’ livelihoods and student financial aid must be secured. In addition, state support for the construction of student housing must be strengthened to ensure that student housing is also available to future generations’, he outlines.

SYL will elect the 2027 Board at the general assembly in Espoo on 13–14 Nov 2026. At the general assembly, AYY is represented by a delegation appointed by the AYY Board. 

Further information:

Joona Lipponen
+358503539325
joona.lipponen@ayy.fi