The event was hosted by Ambassador Jukka Siukosaari and gathered around 130 alumni and other invited guests to celebrate the importance of Finnish education, network and be inspired by an evening together.
The alumni event was a resounding success: the atmosphere was warm and the chatter lively as experts from Aalto, Haaga-Helia, Hanken, the Universities of Helsinki, Tampere and Vaasa, and LUT (Lappeenranta University of Technology) met.
The evening started with Jukka Siukosaari welcoming the guests and continued with an inspiring speech by Aalto University alumnus, banker Casper von Koskull. It took the audience through recent history – mirroring major economical crises – to the present day.
Von Koskull reminded us that there have always been crises – but what matters is how we react to them: the keys to survival are resilience and agility. We need to learn to embrace change. And always remember to lead with values and integrity – and above all to remain courageous. He summed up in the English saying: "Plan for the worst, hope for the best!"
The event also featured a topical presentation by Hanken alumna Anna Cox, who works on risk management and regulation in the financial sector. Also present was Arttu Rajantie, Professor at Imperial College London and Chairperson of the Finnish Science Society in the UK network. The network acts as a link in London's science community for Finnish academics and is an excellent contact point for Finnish experts in the UK.
– The evening has been a great opportunity to meet new people and bump into people you rarely meet. As an expatriate Finn, events like this are extremely valuable – they create a sense of belonging and provide an opportunity to share experiences of living and working in the UK, said Mimosa Rajala, a Haaga-Helia alumna who works as a Senior Strategy Manager at Plusgrade.
Haaga-Helia was represented at the event by Elina El Amrani, an Alumni Relations Specialist, who welcomed the importance of collaboration.
– A unique opportunity! It was the first time that a higher education institution organised such an event. In addition to getting to know our alumni in London, we also strengthened our cooperation with other Finnish universities and the Embassy.
During the evening, many new contacts were made, interesting discussions took place and seeds for future cooperation were planted. Special thanks for the alumni reception go to Birgitta Vuorinen, Counsellor for Higher Education and Science, Salli Sarvela, Trainee, Annika Leinonen, Assistant, and of course to Ambassador Jukka Siukosaari.
