The Interns (part 1)

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For the past couple of months, four interns have been working in different units of the University of Helsinki’s Education Services. For Minna, Lyra, Risto and Emmy (all university students themselves), the internship was not only an opportunity to gain relevant work experience, but it also offered a rare look into the infrastructure of the University’s academic administration and the many services it provides to students, teachers and other staff members. In this two-part series, the interns reveal some of the things they’ve learned along the way, the must-dos in Helsinki for locals and exchange students alike and more…

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The job market has expectations – but what are they?

The career skills course can help students decide what they want to be when they grow up.

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Milica Maksimovic stands at one of the crossroads of her life. This January, she will defend her doctoral dissertation on neuroscience, but after that her future is open. To navigate the jungle of different options, Maksimovic took the Career Services course for English-speaking doctoral students, first one course for her own field and then another one for a multidisciplinary audience.

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Meet our Alumna! Dancing with multicultural children

saara saturo_blogName: Saara Saturo
Study field: Religious Roots of Europe Master’s Programme
Graduation year: 2013
Employer and position: Danceteam International (Formerly COO nowadays Head of Finance) and Head of Danceteam Africa as well as dancer and dance instructor

How did you end up studying in the Religious Roots of Europe Master’s programme?

I was born in Finland and studied there my whole life. I was studying my bachelor in the faculty of theology in Helsinki University when I heard of the programme. I had been looking for something international that would expand my field of study away from purely theological fields. RRE seemed like a good option and i decided to apply.

RRE interested me mainly due to the comparative aspect of three Semitic religions and how they have influenced each other and the modern western culture. Also the international aspect of the programme with 24 students in different countries was appealing. The study method of distant studies in own home universities with intensive seminars was also perfect for me at that time.

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Meet our Alumnus! “I would generally describe my studies in the RRE program as rewarding”

danielName: Danny Eastman
Study field: Religious Roots of Europe Master’s programme
Graduation year: 2013
Employer and position: PhD Student at Yale University

How did you end up in Finland and studying in the programme?

I came to Finland from South Korea, where I had been living for a couple years after finishing my undergraduate degree in history in the US. I wanted to continue my education, but I wasn’t yet ready to return to the US or to enroll in a very narrowly defined program.  I decided on the RRE program in Helsinki because of the wide breadth of coverage offered by the program, the chance to travel in Europe, and the obvious benefit of Finland’s universal free education policy.
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Meet our Alumna! It’s impossible to understand the present if we don’t know the past.

lauraName: Laura Korhonen
Study field: Religious Roots of Europe Master’s programme
Graduation year: 2014
Employer and position: Kiuruvesi parish, Evangelical Lutheran pastor

How did you end up studying in the Religious Roots of Europe Master’s programme?

I was doing my bachelor’s degree in the University of Helsinki at the faculty of theology when Antti Marjanen came to my seminar to advertise the programme. I was immediately interested in the possibility to do my master’s in an international programme and international environment but still be able to live in Helsinki where I had already studied for three years. The combination of seminars in different cities abroad and studying from the comfort of your own home was most appealing. I was hooked with all the travelling that I would be able to do in this programme. Continue reading “Meet our Alumna! It’s impossible to understand the present if we don’t know the past.”

Meet our Alumna! Sarah Stephan works with research and hands-on project management in the area of gender equality

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Name: Sarah Stephan
Study field: Public International Law
Graduation year: 2008
Employer and position: The Åland Islands Peace Institute, researcher & project manager

Hi Sarah, how did you end up in Finland?

I first came to Finland as an exchange student in 2006/07 due to the Faculty of Law’s excellent English-language curriculum in international law. I then decided to pursue even my LL.M. studies at the faculty.

What encouraged me most to continue my studies in Helsinki was the open and encouraging attitude of my teachers, who at all times took my research interests seriously and provided me with excellent supervision and spot-on feedback. I enjoy deliberative environments and liked about my studies in Helsinki that a lot of the teaching is interactive and aimed at encouraging reflection. Continue reading “Meet our Alumna! Sarah Stephan works with research and hands-on project management in the area of gender equality”

Meet our alumnus! Tianyan Liu “Computer Science is revolutionizing all aspects of our lives”

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Tianyan Liu holding the Alumnus’ speech at the International Graduation Event, May 2011.

Tianyan Liu
Study field: Computer Science (Intelligent Systems), minor in Economics
Graduated: 2010
Employer and position: Viivamedia Oy, Software Developer

Hi Tianyan, how did you end up studying computer science in Finland?

My dad used to work in the Chinese Embassy, and I came here to study when I was 18. What motivated me to study Computer Science was the fact that computer related technologies have become the force that is revolutionizing all aspects of our lives. It has a good job prospect, and is also important for basically any career path. During my studies, what motivated me were the interesting studies provided by the university, and the brilliant people around me. Continue reading “Meet our alumnus! Tianyan Liu “Computer Science is revolutionizing all aspects of our lives””

Meet our Alumna! Miryam’s advice: Listen intuition, value imagination, love a sense of curiosity, and learn how to sympathize with others

Miryam_headshotMiryam Haarlammert
Study field: Art Theory, Criticism, and Management
Graduation year: 2013
Employer and position: Program and Communications Associate at American Architectural Foundation

Hi Miryam, how did you end up in Finland?

I applied to study at the University of Helsinki after working for a Miami-based nonprofit for a year. I wanted to obtain a Master of Arts, and the Art Theory, Criticism, and Management program at University of Helsinki was attractive because it was dynamic and comprehensive. Also, location and sense of place are important to me, and I knew that I would have to study in a different country, with different values and customs, to obtain the type of education I was seeking. Continue reading “Meet our Alumna! Miryam’s advice: Listen intuition, value imagination, love a sense of curiosity, and learn how to sympathize with others”

Meet our Alumna! The research internship convinced Laura to the academic career

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Name: Laura Sibinescu
Study field: Political Science
Graduation year: 2012
Employer and position: PhD student, Department of Political and Economic Studies, University of Helsinki

How did you end up in Finland?

A few months before receiving my Bachelor’s degree I started looking into Master’s programmes on European studies. I wasn’t really satisfied with the options until one of my professors suggested I check what the University of Helsinki has to offer. This is how I found the Master’s Degree Programme in European Studies (MES), which was by far the best fit for my interests. There was quite a short time between discovering the programme and coming to Finland, so you could say that my decision to move here was pretty spontaneous. But I’m glad I followed through on it. Continue reading “Meet our Alumna! The research internship convinced Laura to the academic career”

Meet our alumna! Megan combined natural resource management and policy in her studies

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Name: Megan McCormick
Study field: Forest Sciences and Business; Forestry Policy and Economics
Graduation year: 2011
Employer and position: Pöyry Management Consulting, Bioenergy Analyst

Hi Megan, how did you end up in Finland?

Recently after having graduated from my Bachelor’s degree at Towson University in Maryland, USA, I was researching my opportunities to continue my education abroad. At this time, some mutual friends of mine had studied abroad in Finland and introduced me to their Finnish friends, who informed me that pursuing a Master’s degree in English was possible, and I decided to look into that option. The conditions were (nearly) ideal: a developed country, the program in English, low registration and tuition fees and an opportunity to travel. Continue reading “Meet our alumna! Megan combined natural resource management and policy in her studies”