University of Helsinki
Before the Summer School started, our HSS team went to the empty small “cube” in Porthania for decorating it. We put the world map on the empty wall, placed the Finnish comic books and played a little bit of table hockey. On the opening day, Tuesday the 6th of August I went to look at the place again. The empty room had converted into students’ lounge Kontti and it was full of people: there were plenty of postcards and greetings from different countries and everybody was chatting with each other inside and outside. I was amazed; the place was lively and definitely intercultural. The idea of Helsinki Summer School as an interactive and international community had become true in Kontti!
Kontti is the official HSS student lounge during the Summer School, but normally it is part of the Think Corner (Tiedekulma) of the University of Helsinki, a small and cosy room just in the corner of Porthania. This mixture of a cafeteria and university lecture room offers various discussions, scientific books, a small shop and snacks. Think Corner moved this year from Aleksanterinkatu to Porthania but has the same fuctions than before: a meeting place for students, teachers and those interested in science and critical thinking and debate.
Helsinki Summer School courses have the permission to hold presentations and workshops in the Think Corner. For example one of our courses, Emotions and Interculturality, will have presentations there on the 19th of August. Besides HSS courses, Think Corner offers various lectures and discussions from many fields of studies, for example on the 15th of August there will be a lecture by Daria Krivonos and she will discuss with the title “(Dis)ability and Beauty: Rethinking the Body”.
It seems that the students like to be in both of the places, Kontti and Think Corner, and no wonder why. Everytime when I go to Kontti, I want to look at the postcards, relax a little bit on the Fatboy bean bag and play a match of ice hockey. If I have found somebody there, it has been nice to hear his/her thoughts about the Summer School or just chat. I think the students think the same as me, at least I have heard that they have time to relax there during the lunchtime. Also the Think Corner is day after day more active and I’m waiting for the first discussion that will be held there. Hopefully the HSS students will see and experience through the Think Corner what the research and teaching at the University of Helsinki is all about!
Larissa & Lotta exploring the world map in Kontti.