Maantieteen Opiskelijat Ry

What is MaO?

MaO (Maantieteen opiskelijat ry) is Geographer students association established 1971. Our aim is to activate and bring together our members as well as promote for our rights at the department, in the student union and in the University of Helsinki. Anyone studying geography or geosciences in the University of Helsinki can join the association.

We organize various kinds of activities for our members from parties to sports event and overseas excursions and freshman tutoring plays important role in MaO. To integrate students into the world of university our tutors keep the new arrivals busy with hang out nights, parties and other events such as Freshman baptism and Academic dinner party for freshmen. Apart from the help of tutors MaO supports new students in their studies by organizing an info lecture on the vast variety of subjects ideal to study alongside of geography and geosciences.

Some of the activities directed to all of our members include physical and regional geography excursions in the local area as well as weekly sports nights, occasional game nights, Pre Christmas party and Full Strike party in the spring. One of the highlights of the year is a traditional overseas excursion to an interesting cultural geography destination in one of the neighboring countries.

As an open minded association we have good relations not only with other student at organizations at Kumpula campus but with organizations outside the University of Helsinki. Throughout these years we have thrown multidisciplinary game nights and academic dinner parties with computer scientists, biologists, geologists and geomatics students from Aalto University to name a few.

MaO is based in Physicum building in the heart of Kumpula campus. There we have a lounge area with a kitchen to provide our members a facility to have a nice cup of coffee or  tea with student friendly prices. You can relax at the lounge, reading the local herald Helsingin Sanomat, geography related publications or just mingling with other students. If you want a bit more privacy or want to interact with geologists outside the lectures, make your way to our brand new mutual studentroom “Suppa”, which was proudly taken into use in spring 2011. Suppa is ideal for group discussions and meetings as well as just for general hanging out!

MaO also publishes its own gazette Mantu five times a year. All members are encouraged to put in articles, photos or give ideas. The gazette is available in paper and in the internet to everyone, for free.

Information on the upcoming events and current affairs can be found here at our homepage, on the board at the lounge area and in Suppa student room. All the same info – and more – is sent to our members’ very own e-mail list mao-lista[a]helsinki.fi (see how to subscribe on the sheet “MaO e-mail lists”).