Category: Student stories

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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”

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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””

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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”

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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”

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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”

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Meet our students: Champagne, Coconuts and Explorers – How did a Scandinavian Language student from Belgium end up in Finland?

Hi! I’m Pieter and this is my story.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away… Well, truth is, far away is Belgium and long ago is also pretty relative. But anyways, many years have passed since I moved to Finland. My name is Pieter and this is my story.

Continue reading “Meet our students: Champagne, Coconuts and Explorers – How did a Scandinavian Language student from Belgium end up in Finland?”

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Meet our students: Belarusian and Georgian students happy in Helsinki

Elene Sonya Chumburidze, Elena Natenadze and Katsiaryna Ivanova (picture: Laura Quist)

The first three exchange students from Belarus and Georgia have arrived in Finland in January 2013 via the Baltic Sea Region – Caucasus Network (BASERCAN*) coordinated by the Aleksanteri Institute.

Two of the students, Katsiaryna Ivanova (Belarusian State University, Minsk) and Elene Sonya Chumburidze (Ilia State University, Tbilisi), shared their first impressions of the University of Helsinki and Finnish university culture with Aleksanteri News.

“The studying process is quite different from what I have experienced at my home university. I really like it that students here have so much freedom in their studies and this keeps them motivated all the time. The university library pleased me a lot. I found many good books on the topic of my course paper. I think the best thing here is that the students can actually get access to almost anything they need for their studies,” said Ivanova. Continue reading “Meet our students: Belarusian and Georgian students happy in Helsinki”

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Meet our students: Shristi Neupane from Nepal wants to promote peace and understanding

Shristi Neupane studies at International Master’s Degree Programme in Plant Production Sciences (picture and text: Dina Nitisa)

In spite of freezing temperatures outdoors, Helsinki is possibly the warmest place one might choose to spend the winter. I’m not talking about the heating system (though it is generally excellent), rather – the remarkable people one meets daily in the campuses of University of Helsinki: the teachers and students, each carrying their own unique story of their past and future, but all sharing their current common belonging to the university. Enrolled in the International Master’s Degree Programme in Plant Production Sciences, a student from Nepal Shristi Neupane enjoys the high standard of the studies, as well as embraces herself in a variety of extracurricular activities the City of Helsinki offers. Continue reading “Meet our students: Shristi Neupane from Nepal wants to promote peace and understanding”

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Meet our students! Feeling part of an academic community

Olsi Dudumi is studying in the Master’s Degree Programme in Ethnic Relations, Cultural Diversity and Integration (ERI).

The day I got the email letting me know I was accepted at the Ethnic Relations, Cultural Diversity and Integration Master’s programme (ERI) was one of the happiest days of my life. Soon however, anxiety about a new move in my life kicked in. Four years earlier I had made my first move when I left Albania to pursue my Bachelor studies at the University of Malta. I loved to travel and experience new things, but the move to the North was going to be a different one. Continue reading “Meet our students! Feeling part of an academic community”

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Meet our students! Why is the University of Helsinki so special?

Our Russian student Veronika Kiseleva shares her insights and experiences on studies, career and life in Helsinki. Veronika studies in the International Master’s Degree Programme in Forest Sciences and Business (MScFB). Read more about why you should also choose one of our International Master‘s Degree Programmes, all taught in English. Continue reading “Meet our students! Why is the University of Helsinki so special?”

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