Nordic Brilliance Blogs – Page 4 – Get to know Hanken, the master’s programmes and student life through our international student ambassadors. This is where they share their stories and insights on studies and everyday life in Helsinki and Vaasa.

Simulated Court, Real Arguments, and Garbage Bags: The Story of “Hanken Four” at the Nordic Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition 2019

In September 2019, four students from the Intellectual Property (IP) Law track, persuaded by the encouragement of their professor (as well as by the temptation to gain credits!), decided that they would give a shot at representing Hanken in a competition for law students from all across the Nordic countries. From humble beginnings of a few meetings, squeezed in between classes, the team reached all the way to the finals in Copenhagen, Denmark, where they managed to win in the category of the best oral presentation.

A moot court competition is, as the name suggests, a contest where students act as lawyers and try to argue based on the facts of a fictional case problem. Competitors have to prepare written documents, which should be as close to court documents as possible. The next step is usually to compete in the oral round, where contestants argue on the opposite sides and judges decide who the winners are, based on the quality of the written and oral submissions.

The Nordic IP Moot Court Competition concentrates on IP law, a field that involves, i.a., copyright, design, patent, and trademark laws. This year, the problem concerned the marketing of garbage bags. Vipp, the manufacturer of garbage bins and bags, claimed that it had various kinds of IP rights over these items and that the company named BaggIT was infringing upon these rights by marketing garbage bags (the case problem is available via this link).

Before going further, here is a brief introduction to the “Hanken Four” team.

Anu is a second year Master’s student and a practicing lawyer. With her professional background, she became the go-to person for navigating the intricacies of Nordic laws. She was also kind enough to host the team’s first oral rehearsal, and her inputs shaped what would become the winning oral arguments of the competition.
Axel is a second year Master’s student and a marketing specialist in a large consumer goods company. Given this interesting background, he became the trademarks guy! He dealt with all the issues of trademark law in the fictional case problem, approaching it with the keen eye of a person, having experience of brand marketing in the real world.
Jitesh is a first year Master’s student, who had enrolled in the course because he had some prior experience with moot courts in his home country, India. His favourite area of IP law is patents, and he stuck to this domain, trying to figure out how inventive (or not) a garbage bag could be for patent lawyers.
Vera is a second year’s Master’s student with a legal background in her home city of St. Petersburg, Russia. Vera donned many hats. Apart from handling both the creative challenges of copyright and design law, she also led from the front, whether it was in giving the actual oral presentation, editing the written submissions in proper format, or in communicating with the organizers about various queries.

The journey for the contest began with the written rounds. In early September, the case problem was made available to all the participating teams. Teams were to draft two documents: a statement of claims, representing the interests of Vipp, and a statement of defense, representing the interests of BaggIT. In mid-November, it was announced that four teams out of nine total participants had made it to the finals: one each from Norway and Sweden and two from Finland (as there was no participant from Denmark). The “Hanken Four” team became the wild card entry, as the University of Helsinki had won the national round for Finland. The team hardly got time to celebrate the result (allegedly, one team member screamed out during a work meeting after reading that they had qualified, while another team member walked outside the Hanken campus for an hour to calm down after getting the news of their qualification!), and they started preparations for the final round which was to be held in December.

The finals took place at the City Court of Copenhagen. The “Hanken Four” team represented BaggIT against the “Nova” team from University of Oslo. Similarly, “Facta Sunt Servanda” from the University of Helsinki competed against “IPEA” from Stockholm University. There were four judges for the competition, and each of these persons was an actual court judge from a Nordic country. The judges finally announced the results of the event, and “Hanken Four” won the award for the best oral presentation!

What has the team learned from the competition? Participating in this event was a real privilege for everyone and definitely a lot of fun as well! It was always an exciting challenge to come up with new arguments and discuss them within the team. Besides, interactions with mentors, practicing attorneys assigned to the team, was a very useful experience. The team even managed to apply project management techniques while preparing its written and oral submissions (e.g., defining tasks, dividing them among the team members, setting deadlines, and controlling the timing). After the finals, everyone was invited to a dinner at a Copenhagen law firm, where participants chatted with each other, thus making new connections.

Axel: “This court competition was a ton of fun. Because the written claims were drafted with the guidance of a practicing attorney and the case was presented in front of real judges, I definitely gained some valuable experience in how court proceedings work and how good legal arguments are formed. Getting the chance to meet other Nordic students who are into IP law was great, and the extra credits don’t hurt either!”

Jitesh: “My real intention was to use the course as an excuse to meet the second year students! And it feels great that I can now count them as my friends! I’ve learned a lot through the entire process! It was really interesting to see how the same bunch of facts can be interpreted in so many ways. It is always challenging and fun to think of things from the perspective of an opponent. Finally, interacting with people from the Nordics and beyond was an enriching experience! This course has been an adventure, and the trip to Copenhagen – a fitting conclusion!!”

Vera: “I didn’t participate in a moot court during my Bachelor’s program, and now, with practical legal experience, I realize how useful these moot court competitions are. One indeed gets a chance to apply theoretical knowledge to a close-to-reality situation – and doing this is not trivial. Besides, by teaming up with other participants, I felt as if I got into some private club for IP enthusiasts which is quite inspiring!”

The team expresses gratitude to their mentors Ms. Hilma-Karoliina Markkanen and Ms. Eerika Tirkkonen, as well as Professor Nari Lee and the Marketing Team at Hanken for their support and encouragement in this great journey!

My Winter experience way up North

Hello there! Jennifer here. I hope that the long dark days hasn’t given you blues yet these past few weeks. Having grown up and lived in countries with continuous sunshine all year round, the winter darkness was something quite new and challenging for me. Over the years I’ve learned to deal with it in my own way.

Fighting the Winter Blues

On Thursday (19.12), Yle news gave us a reminder that the winter solstice is upon us. The article (in English) also gave us some “Kaamos tricks” or “darkness tricks” to get through the long winter nights which includes special daylight lamps, exercising regularly, and keeping our social life active. Kauppalehti (in Finnish) also provided the list of tips from the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on how to combat the “the dark side”.

As for me, some of the few changes in our house included putting up some fairy lights and taking out some of my Santa figures and Christmas elves and scatter them all around the house (including a hanging Santa underneath our chandelier :D). One of the best purchases we’ve also made is our alarm clock that slowly gets brighter before waking us up (see photo below).

Even though most of us are now free from studies and work, make sure that you still get out to get some exercise like skating and skiing with friends and family, catch a movie, share a coffee or a meal with someone, or just get out there and have some fun. Don’t heed Vader’s call to “come to the dark side”.

My unusual but lovely winter experience

Hanken also has its own ways to make the season brighter. One of those is the annual Advent calendar which entails solving a puzzle with the lucky winners receiving wonderful prizes from various sponsors. There’s also a very warm and welcoming atmosphere there and my daughter loves going there.

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I’ve had to take her with me to attend a lecture and a few times to study in the library. She actually listened to some parts of the lecture and had her own “study materials” so we’re both “studying” in the library. It’s great to know that when times get tough, I know that Hanken will always welcome my plus one whenever I need to take her with me.

More winter fun in Hanken

After the Christmas holidays, Hanken usually gets back to business with a bang! One of the annual must check-out events in spring is the Hanken Business Forum. I’ve included the link to the 2018 Facebook event below if you’ve like to have an idea about what goes on in this event: Hanken Business Forum 2018

This event has had great guest speakers the past few years. And for people interested in expanding their network, the networking dinner is the perfect opportunity.

My winter escapes

Jennifer here signing off for the year from Helsinki airport with my plus one. We’re off to get some sun and sand and meet family and friends in Philippines. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and hoping that you’ll all take advantage of this time to have fun and welcome the new year with a Bang!

(photo courtesy of hubby)

Making the most of my Hanken experience

Networking, seminars, and the quest for sustainability. These are some of the things that I’ve enjoyed and exploited here in Hanken. Of course, Hanken offers far more experiences than these but for this post I’ll stick with these three.

NETWORKING

The Annual Hanken Networking Day always brings in different things for different people. I’ve heard varied reactions to this event from finding some activities useless to finding a job or an internship. For me, it’s about relevance and timing. I’ve found some activities very useful last year that turned out to be irrelevant for me this year. And some activities that I didn’t appreciate last year got me a lot of job-hunting tips as well as an interview with one of the participating companies. Like any typical job fair, we can only find it useful if we have something that the companies need in conjunction with the kind of available opportunities the companies have.

There are also other events like the “Company of the Week Brunch” and some organized company visits that students can take advantage of. These are some of the events in Hanken where we can practice and learn to network (which is not always an easy thing for everyone including me). As a non-native Finnish speaker at the basic level, some of these events have provided me with the information I needed to strategize my job-seeking activities to target companies that could potentially hire me. Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. I learned that I have the work experience that was relevant but there were some skillsets that I needed to work on to get there. I’m grateful for these events and the learning opportunities it has provided me.

SEMINARS

When my schedule permits, I would attend some of the Fulbright seminars hosted by Hanken. I’ve been to a few and found them quite enlightening. For students who are still a bit lost with their thesis topic, some of these sessions might inspire ideas as well as give a brief overview about what’s currently going on in the specific topic discussed in the seminar. Some of the seminars I’ve been to have touched the fields of Accounting, Finance, and Law depending on the speaker’s background and expertise. And in case that doesn’t inspire you enough, the seminar that I last attended offered free breakfast too! Yum!

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability, together with climate change, has been a hot topic recently. And for a good reason. There’s just one planet that produces chocolate and beer… two of my favorite indulgences 🙂

Long before I’ve heard of Hanken, I’ve already been into reusing and recycling. However, these are more of small impacts that we can see and feel in our immediate surroundings. Since last year, I’ve actually expanded my view on sustainability through the courses I’ve taken. Sustainability doesn’t stop with me, or with the things that I repurpose. It’s extends to the community I live in, and the world we live in.

I’ve learned more about sustainable development, corporate/individual responsibility, and responsible investing, among other things, from the various course I’ve taken. And since these are topics that are seeping into the working world, it is imperative that I learn more about it to prepare me for the changes that are possibly happening in the workplace. This is also a good consideration when finding the right employer. A company that is not prepared for future changes towards sustainable practices might find itself in a compromising position when future legislations render their operations irrelevant. And for me, that could mean job insecurity. So I’m evaluating my prospects wisely.

Jennifer Huttunen (Accounting track) for Hanken Nordic Brilliance Blog

Why did I choose Humanitarian Logistics (HUMLOG) at Hanken?

In today’s blog, I would love to share with you guys about my interesting career choice – Humanitarian Logistics and how did I end up studying this major at Hanken School of Economics.

I bet that the term “Humanitarian Logistics” (HUMLOG) or “Humanitarian Supply Chain Management (HSCM)” causes a huge confusion among if not all, then most of you. Initially, many of my friends asked me whether if it is related to the human resources management (HRM) side of Logistics/SCM, and there are some others even wondered whether if it is a fancy term for “human trafficking”. Well, the answers are “no” and “absolutely no” to both questions since my field of study is much broader, more intriguing, and humane than what was being asked.

Alright, let me sort this out and browse you through the concept of HUMLOG in the simplest possible way from my understanding. Now, try to imagine: if your city has just been hit by a tsunami, most of shops, supermarkets, hospitals, and other critical infrastructures including electricity, telecommunication networks, and probably the clean water supply within the city are destroyed by the killer waves, even your home – your shelter is gone by the struck of this disaster. Then the questions here are: How are you going to sustain yourself without the supply of daily necessities? Where will you stay during this dark time when your home is not there anymore? How are you going to reach out to your relatives in neighboring areas when the communication network is down? Difficult to figure out on your own at this critical moment and time, isn’t it? Yet, this is exactly the case where humanitarian logistics comes to the rescue – when all regular supply chain networks and operations are paralyzed and grounded to halt. In technical terms, the processes of humanitarian logistics are fundamentally the planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods, material, information, and financial instruments (cash) from the point of origin to the point of consumption, or “in-and-out the affected area”, with the aim of relieving the suffering of affected people.
You see, it’s not at all perplexing, yet incredibly interesting, right?

During my first course of Supply Chain Management at bachelor study, the moment I realized that I am going down this career path was when those questions revolving around the movement of goods and information among multiple actors within the supply chain and the science behind this operation just kept lingering in my curious mind. On top of that, I have always been eager to contribute to a greater cause than myself. Therefore, the study of HUMLOG, which specializes more in the field of disaster relief rather than commercial purposes, has aroused my strong interests. Honestly speaking, HUMLOG grows on me tremendously and my interest increases substantially once I was exposed to the subject. If I did not choose to pursue this major, I would never know how difficult and challenging it actually is to rescue and alleviate an area under disastrous impacts. Furthermore, through the view lens of HUMLOG, I am profoundly grateful and appreciated of how privileged I am to live in such a peaceful and affluent society, where I have access to everything that I need while there are so many others around the globe are still suffering from the inaccessibility of basic demands such as food, clean water, clothes and shelter due to the severe consequences of different disasters and conflicts.

The one last point I would like to make is my overall experience at HUMLOG track over the past three months. Three adjectives that can describe most of my experience here are “passionate”, “insightful”, and “exciting”. Essentially, every course that I have attended so far, is very well-structured and establishes extremely solid theoretical foundations, yet, practical implications to real-world scenarios so that we – the students can have a better grasp of how to effectively apply theories into practices. Besides, huge contributors to my amazing studying experience are undoubtedly my professors at HUMLOG track. They are all at the forefront of their research field and passionate about what they are doing. More importantly, they can always make the lectures become more vivid and exciting by giving in so many thought-provoking examples and exclusive industry knowledge.

Attached below are the real footages of me and my life here at Hanken, let’s grab a look 🙂

A super fun and bonding group work session at Hanken’s Forest
A hangout night with classmates

You can always feel the intimate atmosphere around Hanken once you are here, because we are a small community filled with joy and enthusiasm

An insightful lecture with professor Anna Aminoff and Otto Sormunen from VR group about Supply Chain strategy for sustainability

That’s it for today, guys! I hope that your view about HUMLOG has somewhat changed and your interest for HUMLOG has been captured after reading this post. If so, why don’t you join me on this meaningful journey of helping others and making the world a better place for everyone?

Hahn Pham

My personal experience at Hanken

I am writing this blog post as I am taking a break from writing my thesis. As I am currently in the second year of my studies I have notably less courses to follow, also due to some extra credits I took in the first year. Being at the final stages of my master’s study at Hanken gives me some perspective on how I have experienced the past one and a half year.

The start of the studies was quite different from what I have experienced back in the Netherlands for my bachelor’s degree. I was already familiar with living in Finland which prepared me to some extent of what student life could look like. And I also attended a Sitz (a typical dinner party here in Finland) before starting my studies at Hanken to get familiar with some of the student activities. With that in mind I was quite curious to start studying. The introductory days were a very great opportunity to get to know all the different new master’s students from different backgrounds. We did a pub crawl in Kallio and several ice-breaker gatherings to mingle. I think from that point, I already established a group of friends whom I still meet regularly. The nice thing about the introductory days was that you’re mixed with all the specialisations, so you get to know people from different tracks and not just the marketing track that I followed. This intimate setting was very different from back in the Netherlands.

Later on, when the courses started, you got to know your track-specific fellow students much better of course. Yet, simultaneously, some courses were for different tracks combined, so I had a few courses that included students from humanitarian logistics and strategy and sustainability as well. Coming from applied sciences I found the courses to be quite academical, which I was expecting, but I was happy to find out that several courses had guest lectures from the corporate sector. We also did a few project courses in collaboration with big Finnish companies that made it possible to apply the theoretical knowledge. The level of the courses is definitely doable, and I have passed all courses with high grades. The workload, especially in the beginning, was quite high but still doable.

Besides the ‘normal’ student life of studying there were many events organised by Hanken’s student associations. You’re automatically part of these associations when you enrol to Hanken, and I found it a great way to get to know so many people. The events range from Sitzes to games nights and other meet-ups. It is a great way to blow of some steam from studying and to build real friendships.

Besides the amazing student community at Hanken there is another great aspect worth mentioning about Hanken. Both the network you build with other students and the status Hanken students have in companies, provided me with many interesting opportunities. There are countless of events and workshops where you have the chance to network with the biggest firms in Finland and in the world. And by being a student at Hanken these companies are genuinely interested in hiring you. Of course, it all depends on how active you want to be in this scene, but I have met many interesting company representatives. I am currently also working for 180 Degrees Consulting as the president of the Helsinki Branch which would have been hard to achieve without being a student at one of the renowned universities of Finland. All in all, I feel like have been able to really develop myself at Hanken by being an active member of the student community. Now, I have to get back to writing my thesis!

Stijn Boon, Marketing

MY EXPERIENCE AT RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZING CONFERENCE #3 – LET’S TRANSFORM SOCIETY!

Responsible Organizing Conference is an exceptionally interesting and informative event regarding sustainability and sustainable development. The conference is organized on this Tuesday, 19^th November 2019 with over 200 participants and 30 speakers coming from different industries and backgrounds. Undoubtedly, I was extremely proud and excited to get involved in the event as a Hanken student and I truly think that it was a wise decision to attend the event.

To begin with, the opening of the event was the Plenary Session of “Innovation and Inclusion” which includes insightful presentations from three keynote speakers, which are Karin Berglund – a professor of Business from Stockholm Business School, Katja Toropainen – Founder of Inklusiiv, and Antti Nousjoki – an architect and a partner at ALA, followed by an active panel discussion with professor Jeff Hearn as a moderator. The session, in general, was fruitful and filled with excitement.

After the Plenary Session, we enjoyed an intimate lunch altogether and it was an ideal time to network, get in touch with new contacts, and initiate different discussion revolving around sustainability and its issues.

Unfortunately, everyone cannot participate in all the workshops organized in the afternoon but can only choose two out of six. Hence, I set sight on two particular workshops, which are “How to transition to a Sustainable Food System in Finland?” and “Get on-board to your next Humanitarian Rescue mission!”. Honestly speaking, I was deeply immersed in both sessions.

The former session, to me, was highly intriguing and dense of knowledge related to the food industry and its entire ecosystem. It is thought-provoking to know that the food system accounts for approximately 20% to 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the majority of emissions comes from the production process. On top of that, about one-third or more than 30% of the total food produced globally is lost or wasted and this, in fact, exert detrimental impact on both environmental and social dimension. Nevertheless, it is also fascinating to see that changing the eating habit and diet by consuming more local products, increasing seasonality in our consumption choice, and reducing the amount of ruminant meat consumption can significantly decrease the GHG emissions, and lessen harmful consequences on the environment.

Moving on, due to the fact that I am a student of HUMLOG track, and I have a huge interest in field of Humanitarian Aid and Logistics, therefore, the latter session – Humanitarian Rescue Mission was the highlight of today’s conference for me. This workshop was practical, interactive, and incredibly interesting. During the workshop, every participant was assigned to a team of 4 to 5 people and there were 4 teams in total, which are team Yellow, Blue, Green, and Red. We were set in a mission to provide enough supplies including food, medicine, and shelter to affected people in 4 conflicted zones, with only limited resources of truck, money, and inventory. On top of that, the real-life challenges of postponement and delays caused by traffic congestion, and market unavailability are also included to increase the difficulty and encourage us all to think profoundly, yet swiftly when making decision. Since the need in each area is highly demanding and comes in large quantity, every team must coordinate with each other to supply sufficiently the necessities to the people and accomplish the mission. The game, in fact, illustrates vividly and realistically what does the humanitarian rescue look like in real world and teaches us all about the importance of coordination, sharing goals and mission to achieve something on a greater scale. A big thank to everyone at HUMLOG Institute for organizing this amazing workshop.

All in all, I would highly recommend the Responsible Organizing Conference to everyone of all ages and backgrounds for next year. Can’t wait to be a part of the event one more time!

Cheers and thank you for reading 🙂

Hanh Pham

Life at Hanken – An Experience beyond expectations

Hi! My name is Zara and I come from Pakistan. When I applied to Hanken for the MSc. Program in Business and Management, my main motivator was the excellent reputation of the Nordic education system, but little did I know that I was about to experience not just impeccable classroom learning, but also an extra-ordinary peer-to-peer network. Working in groups with people who teach you something new every time is an experience I am truly grateful to Hanken for. One of my classmates taught me some techniques to more effectively interact with people. Yet another classmate taught me a great work-management method. The MSc. candidates at Hanken are individuals who have worked at top companies and already accomplished a lot in their professional and personal lives. They inspire you to be a better version of yourself during each and every interaction with them!

Apart from the excellent education and networking, the practical learning experience that Hanken provides is something really unique and valuable, especially for an international student like me. Knowing that I am not familiar with the Finnish language and the professional etiquette of the Finnish society, I was really scared about integrating into the working culture here, but thankfully the innumerable company projects, case studies, and seminars enlighten us with exactly what is expected of us and in which dimensions we must extend our efforts in order to succeed. Currently I am working on a case project with Hanken and SSE related to Marketing and not only is it helping me to gain more insights into the real-world application of marketing concepts but also helping me to stay connected with the managerial dimension of the work as I prepare to present my findings in a final review to the management later this month.

From enabling us to do our best work by providing us with all the needed resources to making sure that we are continuously aware and inspired by all the latest developments in business around the globe, Hanken really takes care of all the professional and personal needs of its students. It has only been less than three months since I arrived in Helsinki but I have already made some meaningful connections, worked on some rewarding projects and learned more than I ever had in such a short duration. I have even signed up for volunteering in the world’s leading startup event ‘Slush’ which happens in Helsinki every year.

There are also many international opportunities provided by Hanken such as exchange programs and internships which the students can participate in. All in all, life at Hanken has been truly rewarding up till now and I cannot wait to make the best out of all the wonderful experiences and opportunities this place has to offer!

Zara Usmani, Master’s student, Marketing

Hanken is a world of its own – My time here at Hanken is probably the best time of my life.

A young man who had spent a good part of his formative educational years dissatisfied with the education system in his country soon found his niche in the world of Finance. Now, studying at the Hanken School of Economics, that very young man sees hope that with his experience he will be able to bring about the change his country so desperately needs.

Growing up in a country like Pakistan has never been easy if you do not come from a background of privilege. For the struggling middle class even basic rights such as quality education become a matter of allotment at birth: if you are born into privilege, you will get the best education and if not, you are on your own. Seeing this disparity, I began to lose my motivation to study. I was by no means lazy, nor was I someone who refused to do well just because it was not handed to me. But because the universe works in its own mysterious ways, I somehow found it in me to strive to do well in life and ended up getting admitted to one of the top-tier universities in Pakistan. During my time in the Accounting and Finance Program at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, I met Dr. Hilal, who introduced me to Hanken, having completed his PhD from there.

The more I heard about his experiences, the more I began to live vicariously through him. All the reasons for my lack of motivation began to seem more like a bad dream, the more I envisioned myself studying here. And it wasn’t just the quality of education that had me sold on Finland. Here I was seeing myself spend time in one of the safest and happiest countries in the world. I knew no matter how much I imagined what the Northern Lights would look like, my imagination would never do justice to the real thing. I dreamt of trekking in the forests in the summers and going skiing in the winters. I even began looking forward to all-nighters if I could drink famous Finnish coffee.

But I knew the odds were never stacked in my favor. As much as my parents supported my dream to study at Hanken, they didn’t have the financial means to help fund my master’s education. As I was assessing my options, I came across the GSBN Scholarship Program. It was as though the program had been hand-crafted especially for me. I ticked all the boxes: I came from a developing country on their list, I had maintained a strong 3.5 GPA in my bachelors, I had work experience at one of the most sought out MNCs in Pakistan. Yet part of me feared rejection. After envisioning my life in Finland and Hanken, the fear of rejection was almost crippling. I cannot possibly put into words the happiness, relief and excitement I felt when I got accepted into Hanken School of Economics. There are way too many words and yet they still are not enough to encapsulate the feeling. It was almost empowering because I saw a future not just for me but for my country and my countrymen. I knew from the minute I got my acceptance that I would use all that I would learn in the upcoming two years to play a part on bringing about economic change in “Naya Pakistan” (New Pakistan), as it is being called in recent times.

It is fair to say that my time here has lived up to all the expectations I had. Hanken is a world of its own. With so much diversity, it is as though all the world network is connected at a single platform. These international networks that we are forming during our time here will prove to be so much more important when we all go out in our respective fields and find that we are all still connected and available to help each other whenever the need may arise. The learning environment at Hanken is a safe space. Competition is healthy and we have student unions in place to make sure whatever needs and concerns we have, are given a proper voice. We have both mental and physical health services available to make sure that our time here is well utilized and that the pressure that comes with any university experience does not get too much to bear.

Hanken is also invested in our future. It has provided career counseling services so that students do not get overwhelmed when the time to step out in the real world arises. They also serve as a link between students and future potential employers to ensure that we make the best use of our education. Similarly, there are various opportunities to get help on assignments and thesis work without any registration required. Hanken also encourages us to grow into multi-dimensional individuals and allows us to study non-degree modules. So not only can we dip into other interests but can do it in universities other than Hanken to have a diverse experience. To put it in a nutshell, everything about Hanken is essentially wholesome.

It also goes without saying that the faculty at Hanken is unparalleled. With highly esteemed scholars, doctors and well experienced professors, there is nothing more a student could want. My time here at Hanken is probably the best time of my life. It has steered me in the direction I want to go. I have already made plans for my doctorate and it doesn’t end there. I have decided that I want return to Pakistan and not just teach, but actively partake in the new technocratic government as the country make its Hail Mary attempt to undo decades of malfeasance. I also want to be a success story, if not for anyone, at least for my family that privilege is not the key to success.

Sohaib Ahmed, Master’s student in Finance

Things I appreciate about studying in Finland.

Hello, Maggie here again! today I have summed up things I appreciate when being a student in Finland:

Cheap Lunches

My vegetarian lunch at Hanken costs 1.58 euros every day. Sure, cafeteria food will always get old, but in a city as expensive as Helsinki I really appreciate the ease and affordability of getting lunch on days when I am busy studying.

Textbook Costs

I have bought exactly one book through my whole master’s program. That was my Swedish book, and it lasted me a whole year of Swedish classes. The books which I need for other classes are always available at the library. It is not always the most convenient, but it sure beats what I was paying for textbooks back at home (often hundreds a semester).

Student Union

Students here complain about this fee sometimes, but it is only 125 and I think there are a lot of student benefits which arise out of these fees in terms of available activities and lobbying for student rights. I definitely get my money’s worth out of student discounts in a year. I may be biased due to my involvement in Masters’ Committee, since our funding comes in part from these fees, but I still think it is reasonable.

Exam Retakes

This one is a double edged sword. I really appreciate being able to retake an exam because it takes some of the pressure off of the first time and allows you to do better if you studied incorrectly. I think being able to show your best work and be graded based on that is a really good philosophy. However, then there is a pressure to retake if you do not get the best grade, rather than accepting your fate. I have retaken exactly two exams, and if you are willing to study it is worth it, but sometimes it is just easier to accept how you did.

Student Housing

For both years I have lived in HOAS housing in Rastila and it has been a great option for me. It is a bit of a commute from campus, but with student prices for the HSL card (worthy of being its own point on this list) it is worth it. I live with two roommates. During my bachelor’s I shared the same size bedroom (now on my own) with another person, and had to share the bathrooms and kitchens with everyone in the building. Besides, this apartment is much more affordable than any dorm room I ever lived in.

Balance work, study and personal life

Some of you may want to know if it’s manageable to work and study at the same time. There is no unified answer. All I can say is it’s up to you. Hanken officially recommends students study full-time. But many of the master students I encounter at Hanken are either working part-time or even full-time while also having a family with small children. To keep both going, you sure need to exert more effort.

Just a few tips from my personal experience:

Be prepared to progress slower than your peers who are studying full time. You may feel stressed seeing other students started the same year graduate earlier. But since you have less time to study, you must progress on your own pace.
Plan accordingly. Sometimes you may get ambitious and take courses more than you can handle. It’s also a personal choice whether you want to get higher grades or just complete as many credits as soon as possible. The workload varies a lot from course to course, even among courses bearing the same amount of credits.
Read course description carefully on Oodi. Course descriptions list prerequisites and contents to help you evaluate the workload. Some courses are intellectually challenging. Some courses are more time consuming. Many courses arrange group projects.
Prioritize things you want to do. With limited time at hand, you really need to prioritize the things of your choice. So instead of asking if you can manage, try ask if it’s your priority. If it is, get determined and start working on it.

Are you still hesitant? Well, that’s a good start! It means you are actively looking for a solution.