Postal lifeline for remote Finnish isles

Life & society Society

We meet letter carrier Johan Simberg to find out how his daily deliveries represent a vital connection with the outside world for islanders in the Finnish archipelago.

On a hazy morning Simberg welcomes me onto a small motorboat by the harbourside at Korpoström Archipelago Centre, two hours southwest of Turku along an island-hopping route of roads, bridges and ferries. I’m joining him on his round, delivering letters, newspapers and bills to dozens of families living in this beautiful part of Finland’s labyrinthine southwestern archipelago.

Almost every home subscribes to a Swedish-language newspaper. Photo: Fran Weaver

“I deliver the post five times weekly all year round,” explains Simberg. “To make this possible in all conditions I need many different kinds of transportation, including a hydrocopter, a snowmobile, an all-terrain-vehicle, a kick-sledge, skis and ice-skates!”

Some islands are only inhabited during the summer, but even in winter the Finnish postal service pledges to provide daily deliveries wherever people live. Today, with the sun shining over the myriad green islands dotting the blue Baltic, Simberg’s round feels like a pleasure cruise. But when blizzards blow or temperatures plummet below minus 20 degrees Celsius (four below zero Fahrenheit), taking the post to the islands’ year-round inhabitants becomes a heroic one-man struggle against the elements.

Crucial connections

Small postboxes are conveniently nailed to the wooden jetties by every island home, but as we approach, the locals invariably stroll down to the shore to greet Simberg. “I might be the only person they see for weeks,” he says. “I often find myself providing social services as well as news and post.”

On remote islands the arrival of the post is a social event, and Simberg is often invited for coffee and a chat. Photo: Fran Weaver

Thanks to his reputation as a willing handyman, Simberg is often asked by islanders to help with repair work – or to deliver extra goods ranging from groceries to fridges or even hot tubs. The archipelago postman’s daily visits are particularly vital for the islands’ older residents. Once Simberg had to urgently ferry an ailing islander to the mainland and call an ambulance to meet her.

“I feel privileged to be part of the islanders’ lives and provide this connection to the outside world – though my round can take a long time in the summer when everyone wants to offer coffee and have a chat!” he says.

Resilient island communities

In an age when public services are increasingly privatised and expected to make profits, Simberg hopes the post will continue to reach isolated communities: “The islanders strongly defend their right to healthcare, schools and the post, and archipelago people are good fighters!”

Summer or winter, the Finnish postal service provides daily deliveries wherever people live. Photo: Fran Weaver

Almost every home receives the local Swedish-language newspaper. Though 90 percent of local residents are Swedish-speaking Finns, recently Finnish-speakers have increasingly been acquiring holiday homes in the islands. Some natives regret that this is changing local cultural life, but Simberg welcomes the newcomers: “Without the holiday-makers the islands could become depopulated as young locals move to the mainland to study and work.”

In his previous life on the mainland, Simberg, 61, was a well-known actor who appeared in many theatre, film and TV productions. Today he clearly enjoys the slower pace of life in this scenic archipelago, encountering wild geese, seals and eagles on his daily round: “In my job every day is different. I’m lucky that it fits in with my other main livelihood, building wooden boats.”

After seven years plying these waters 300 days a year, usually alone, Simberg credibly claims to know every single rock, but he remains safety-conscious even in fair weather: “I always wear my life-vest, and use a dead man’s grip that will stop the boat if I fall out. I’ve sometimes lost engines, oars, propellers, and rudders – but never the post!” he says, grinning.

By Fran Weaver, October 2011

Capital shopping with a social conscience

Life & society Travel

The heart of Helsinki boasts a high density of shops all within walking distance of one another. A broad range of Finnish and international eco-friendly brands is on offer, whether you’re in the market for design, clothing or giftware.

Consumers today are increasingly environmentally aware; they want to ensure that their prospective purchases have been ethically and ecologically made. Buying local, a movement that started with food, has spread to other industries, as has the idea of investing in quality rather than disposable mass-manufactured goods. The latter is a concept that took root in Finland more than half a century ago.

The Finnish capital (population half a million, 1.3 million in the greater Helsinki area) offers a great selection of boutiques and shops with a decidedly green approach. As many are concentrated in clusters in the downtown core, you can easily make a walking tour.

End-of-season sales take place in the January–February and July–August periods, after two of the most important holidays on the Finnish calendar: Christmas and Midsummer.

From Finland with style

Made in Finland: IvanaHelsinki was the first-ever Finnish name in the prestigious Paris Fashion Week.Photo: Tuomas Peltomaa

In the past decade, Helsinki has landed on the global shopping map for style-conscious and sustainability-conscious travellers. Many home-grown talents have made their mark internationally.

Paris-based designer Anna Ruohonen received an ecological award from the Finnish edition of Elle magazine for her custom-order clothing for men and women, and Paola Suhonen’s IvanaHelsinki, an ethically made-in-Finland label, was the first-ever Finnish name to be invited to the prestigious Paris Fashion Week.

Globe Hope, now with two stores in Helsinki (Mannerheimintie 22–24 and Aleksanterinkatu 28) is one of the city’s best examples of consumer sustainability. Everything in the shop has been made from material headed for the garbage dump: Computer keyboards are retuned as key chains, old zippers as attractive brooches and vinyl records as fruit bowls.

Globe Hope is one of Finland’s premier eco brands, which reworks old hospital textiles, uniforms and vintage materials into clothing, bags, shoes and accessories.

Just off of Fredrikinkatu, OVVN (Iso Roobertinkatu 17–19) showcases clothing and accessories by hip young Finnish designers including Miia Halmesmaa and Hankala. Many of the items are made from recycled fabrics and are handmade, one-off pieces.

On nearby Uudenmaankatu you’ll find IvanaHelsinki (Uudenmaankatu 15) the clothing and accessories label started by one of Finland’s best-known designers, Paola Suhonen, and her sister Pirjo long before sustainability became a buzzword. Their philosophy is based on operating ethically and causing the least possible harm to the environment.

Green luxury

There’s an argument to be made for investing in high-quality goods, items that are considered to be luxurious because of their cost and craftsmanship. Well-made items last longer; in the long run they can be less expensive. For example, one pair of well-fitting quality shoes that last can be less expensive than several pairs of cheap, ill-fitting shoes.

The youthful shops that line Erottajankatu include My o My (Erottajankatu 9 courtyard), which has a clever interior design and carries clothing by Alexander McQueen, Tsumori Chisato, Vanessa Bruno and Pedro Garcia, as well as giftware and accessories.

Beam (Erottajankatu 15–17) stocks APC, Acne, Helmut Lang and Marc by Marc Jacobs, while Urban a* (Erottajankatu 1–3) carries many quality Scandinavian brands, such as Malene Birger, Bruuns Bazaar and Stylesnob, and their own line of handmade jewellery at reasonable prices.

In addition to a shop, Design Forum Finland is also home to a gallery featuring items such as Kirsti Taiviola’s Aarre table lamp.Photo: Liisa Valonen/Design Forum Finland

Also on Erottajakatu, which is part of the city’s official Design District, you’ll find Design Forum Finland (Erottajankatu 7). DFF carries a wide range of the newest in design, from giftware to items such as notebooks, lamps and jewellery.

Down the street and around the corner, there’s a concentration of shops that reflect Finland’s strong design heritage along the Esplanade, Helsinki’s most picturesque and touristy boulevard.

Well before environmentalism became an international trend, architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) – Finland’s Frank Lloyd Wright – and his wife Aino were among the cofounders of Artek (Eteläesplanadi 18) in 1935. They designed furniture and houseware based on the idea of functionality and timeless aesthetics. Many of the couple’s designs are still in production today.

These days everything that Artek undertakes has a strong green approach. British design whiz Tom Dixon, Artek’s creative director, has been involved in numerous projects including a sustainable line of bamboo furniture (called Bambu) and 2nd Cycle, whereby Artek re-collected and reissued old Artek pieces. Celebrated Finnish industrial designer Harri Koskinen recently created a series of durable water-resistant bags out of old sails for the SavetheC organisation to encourage boaters to recycle.

Throw away – no way

Across the street at another Finnish design classic, glass and cookware manufacturer Iittala (Pohjoisesplanadi 25) supports a veritably green idea with their “Against throwawayism” slogan. Invest in a well-made design classic such as a set of drinking glasses that will bring you daily enjoyment, last almost forever, and retain its value rather than buying cheap, poor quality drinking glasses that need to be replaced every year or two.

On the same side of the Esplanade is Marimekko (Pohjoisesplanadi 33). Marimekko, founded in 1951 and one of Finland’s biggest international design hits, has long held the philosophy that high quality, longevity and a strong design ideology are integral to its home textiles, clothing and accessories.

And finally, for shoppers who want a one-stop solution, Stockmann (Aleksanterinkatu 52), known affectionately as the Harrods of Helsinki, features eight floors of department store shopping under one roof, including many of the brands mentioned above, such as Tiia Vanhatapio, Iittala and Marimekko.

Sensible custom-ers

Left Foot Company (Eteläesplanadi 8) custom-makes men’s footwear based on a foot scan. The style, materials and colour of the shoe are chosen by the customer and the information is sent to the factory. The process eliminates unnecessary mass production. The same idea is key to the elegant clothing created by designer Anna Ruohonen (Punavuorenkatu 1) for men and women. From a selection of styles, customers can choose clothing that is then custom-made for them within about three weeks.

Addresses:

Anna Ruohonen concept store, Punavuorenkatu 1
Artek, Eteläesplanadi 18
Beam , Erottajankatu 15–17
Design Forum Finland, Erottajankat 7
Edel City, Fredrinkinkatu 33
Globe Hope Mannerheimintie 22–24, Aleksanterinkatu 28
Iittala, Pohjoisesplanadi 25 and other locations
IvanaHelsinki, Uudenmaankatu 15
Left Shoe Company, Kluuvikatu 1
Marimekko, Pohjoisesplanadi 33, Urho Kekkosen katu 1 and other locations
My o My, Erottajankatu 9 courtyard, Aleksanterinkatu 36
OVVN, Iso Roobertinkatu 17–19
Stockmann (link in Finnish), Aleksanterinkatu 52
Urban a*, Erottajankatu 1–3

By Katja Pantzar, updated November 2013

French Connection, Finnish style

Arts & culture Music

This band exudes beauty, glamour and that touch of confidence found in people who are doing something they really like. They are The Dø, and they’re sweeping Europe with their captivating indie pop.

Dan Levy and Olivia Bouyssou Merilahti form an attractive couple on and off stage. They look as if they have walked out of a script for a romantic comedy set in the streets of Paris. They radiate beauty, glamour and confidence, not to mention success. In their case, music is their passion – they are the duo called The Dø, whose first album A Mouthful (2008) reached the top of the sales charts in France, an unusual achievement considering that they sing almost exclusively in English.

“We devote most of our time to music!” says Merilahti, when she is asked about other interests. “It’s our life,” adds Levy. “On holiday we’re always composing or listening to music, or reading books.”

With captivating indie pop that is also winning them a mass following in Finland (Merilahti’s mother is Finnish and her father French), the band is facing the challenge of keeping up their standards on their second album, Both Ways Open Jaws, out this year.

“The pressure comes more from the record companies, which are usually afraid of not selling so many after the success of the first album,” says Levy. “For us it’s not so difficult. You’ve already got the experience from the first album. We wanted to be completely free while working on the second one and we’ve managed it. We’re very pleased with the result.”

Constantly reinventing

Passionate about music: Merilahti and Levy grab their listeners.Photo: Gregg Brehin

The couple decided to form a band after working together on the soundtrack of the film Empire of the Wolves. It was musical love at first sight. “I think we learn a lot from each other,” says Merilahti. “We complement one another very well. For example, Dan didn’t know much about pop or soul music and I’ve learned things about other styles, like jazz.”

The two are not afraid of experimenting and rediscovering themselves. A good example of this is the re-release of their second album in October 2011, with six new added tracks recorded during the summer accompanied by other musicians after they learned from their live experiences.

As Merilahti puts it, “The two of us are used to working alone on our music. We form a good team and we like those dynamics but, as an exception, it has been a fantastic experience working with other musicians.”

Finland, perfect silence

Although The Dø has ties to Finland and France, Merilahti and Levy sing most of their songs in English. Photo: Gregg Brehin

Inevitably, Finland and its culture and nature also affect the duo’s work. For Merilahti particularly, with the band based in France for most of the year, visits to Finland are particularly emotional: “Let’s say that on one hand I don’t feel completely at home, but on the other hand, I am at home. It’s an important part of my identity. My mother was always very careful to see that I knew Finland and spoke the language, and I am close to my family.”

Levy praises Finland’s peaceful virtues: “In one way or another, while composing or while playing at concerts and festivals, we’re always surrounded by noise. Sometimes we need silence and we’ve found perfect silence here, in Finland. We come often – the countryside is fantastic. We love spending time at the country house Olivia’s family has near Uusikaupunki. We’ve seriously thought that it might be an ideal environment for recording our next album.”

And, between relaxed sauna sessions and swimming in the lakes in the Finnish forests, the band keeps going. A forthcoming tour will take them to Europe, America and Australia over the next year. Bon voyage!

By Antonio Díaz, October 2011

US wise guy makes fun of life in Finland

Arts & culture Literature

Judging by his new book, How to Marry a Finnish Girl, American Phil Schwarzmann clearly feels he has paid his dues and has permission to tease the Finns after almost a decade in their country.

Subtitled Everything you want to know about Finland that the Finns won’t tell you, Schwarzmann’s tongue-in-cheek list of jibes, dubious advice, grievances and cultural interpretations begins with a warning in the about-the-author blurb: “Don’t take anything he says or writes too seriously.” He has spent his time in Finland working for “a large Finnish mobile phone manufacturer” – and doing stand-up comedy.

And How to Marry a Finnish Girl is entertaining and astute – although also exaggerated and offensive at times, depending on your point of view. The chapters cover getting married (“How to marry a Finnish girl in 10 easy steps”), but also all sorts of other potentially puzzling aspects of Finnish culture, including “Welcome to heaven on earth,” “Why do people get trapped in Finland forever,” “How to build your own house like a real Finnish man,” “Toddlers speak Finnish, why can’t you,” “The coffee and cake trap” and “How to avoid your family’s summer cabin.”

Purely for love

Schwarzmann’s book mentions that Finland is heaven on earth during the summer, but we think winter can be a lot of fun as well. Photo: Niklas Sjöblom/taivasalla.net

“I came to Finland purely for love,” Schwarzmann said at a recent event to promote the new book, so you’d guess he possesses some wisdom about marrying a Finn. But he has never been married – although he and his girlfriend are still together, if you’re wondering.

“Finns can make fun of themselves,” he noted. “Not every country can do that.” This book is his opportunity to make fun of the Finns just before he skips out, leaving Finland bound for Silicon Valley, California. “If you’ve lived somewhere long enough to write a book about it, it’s probably too long,” he admitted.

How to Marry a Finnish Girl catalogues various aspects of life in Finland: How about a test to determine whether you should live in Espoo (Finland’s second-largest city, “more of a sprawling suburb” outside Helsinki)? Or a month-by-month guide to surviving the seasons? The top ten reasons why you should move to Finland (and the top ten reasons why you shouldn’t)? A drinking guide to Finnish national holidays? The do’s and don’ts of dating in Finland?

As amusing as the book is to those who already live in Finland or were born there, it does not represent a guidebook for first-time visitors. The humour can only sink in after you’ve been in Finland a while. And chances are that even if you leave, you’ll find yourself there again someday.

“I’m scared of going to the US,” Schwarzmann said to the audience, this time apparently more serious than joking. “I know I’ll be back in Finland soon and I’m already looking forward to coming back.”

By Peter Marten, October 2011

Finland leads the world in prosperity

Life & society Society

It isn’t quite the same adrenaline rush as when Finnish “monster metal” band Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest by a landslide way back in ’06. But still, there’s a reason to rock ‘n’ roll: Finland has been declared the world’s most prosperous nation.

The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI), published by London-based thinktank Legatum, puts Finland in first place overall; the previous year it came in third. [Editor’s update: In addition, the Economist magazine’s Economist Intelligence Unit places Helsinki at number six on its 2010 Liveability Index of the world’s most liveable cities. It’s one of only two European cities in the top ten, which is dominated by Canada (Vancouver took the gold) and Australia.]

The LPI ranks countries in nine different subindexes: economic fundamentals; entrepreneurship and innovation; democratic institutions; education; health; safety and security; governance; personal freedom; and social capital.

Out of 104 countries, 90 percent of the global population, Finland was the only one to make the top ten in every category. It placed second in governance and in safety and security, and came third in education. Switzerland was second in the overall rankings, followed by Finland’s Nordic neighbours – Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Also in the top ten were Australia and New Zealand, Canada and the US, and the Netherlands.

The LPI’s creators explain that they utilise ”a holistic definition of prosperity” that includes both ”material wealth” and ”measures of happiness and quality of life”. They note that ”the most prosperous nations in the world are not necessarily those that have only a high GDP, but are those that also have happy, healthy, and free citizens”.

Keys to happiness

In other words, ”happiness is opportunity, good health, relationships and the freedom to choose who you want to be”, they say. For everyone out there who has been wondering how to achieve happiness, the equation is that simple.

Legatum points out that while many of the highly ranked nations have long histories of prosperity, ”several others that not long ago were afflicted with poverty, oppression, and unhappiness” are relatively high on the list. ”History is not destiny,” as the report puts it.

It’s an honour to achieve first place in the LPI and an affirmation that Finland is doing something – many things – right. ”Prosperous countries are strong across the board,” says the report, meaning that all the subindexes are interlinked. In order to build and maintain prosperity and reach the top, countries cannot ignore any of these ”foundations of prosperity”.

Cancer treatment in Finland getting personal

Business & innovation Innovation

Finnish doctors are taking creative, patient-oriented approaches to defeating a growing public health problem.

“I sometimes say that I’m the most indebted doctor in Finland,” says Timo Joensuu, sitting in the conference room of the two-year-old Docrates cancer hospital in Helsinki. Built on a seaside property with help from corporate investors, contributions from friends and loans taken out by Joensuu himself, the hospital has established itself as a model for patient-oriented cancer treatment.

The concept for Docrates, whose name is a hybrid of the words “doctor” and “Socrates,” arose from Joensuu’s frustration with a patient care model in which doctors stay at an authoritative distance and patients often have to wait for weeks or months before beginning treatment. In diseases such as pancreatic cancer a two-month delay can be critical, and with slower-moving cancers waiting for weeks can result in added distress.

At Docrates, treatments often begin within 24 hours from diagnosis and doctors and nurses answer calls from patients around the clock. A built-in health centre offers services including exercise and nutrition programs, makeup coaching, massages and acupuncture. Hospital rooms look out over the ocean, and Docrates’s sunny lobby, void of the smell of disinfectants, is decorated with colourful designer chairs.

Docrates’s sunny lobby, void of the smell of disinfectants, is decorated with colourful designer chairs. Photo: Docrates

“Socrates believed that people could grasp the truth by thinking for themselves, and we practice the same way of thinking with our patients,” says Joensuu. “We offer personal support and make sure that they are informed. We can never fully predict which treatment is best for each patient, and a doctor-patient relationship is crucial in finding that out.”

About 24,000 people in Finland are diagnosed annually with cancer. As its prevalence continues to grow, its individualistic nature becomes all the more obvious; cancer appears in countless types and subcategories, each of which responds to a different cocktail of treatments and medications. Due to its inherent mysteries, cancer also leaves behind a trail of uncertainty in communities of patients and survivors. In recent years, forward-thinking Finnish institutions such as Docrates have begun to employ a personalised approach to both patient care and the development of new treatments. The emerging trend of personalised medicine can further brighten Finland’s position on the global scientific map.

A rich resource

One of Joensuu’s motivations for building a new hospital was his realisation that the public sector did not yet have enough resources to optimise cancer treatment for each individual patient. He collected his first million euros from independent investors, colleagues and friends, and the hospital’s construction was paid for by the life insurance division of Nordea Bank. Docrates is still entirely in Finnish ownership; its largest owner is Lääkärikeskus, a large chain of private medical centres in Finland.

“In building Docrates we’ve already proven that we can attract tens of millions of euros into cancer research and treatment. In short, we can provide a giant additional resource for this particular field of medicine,” Joensuu says. “Everyone is worried about where the resources for cancer treatment will come from, and a private hospital like this one is a huge opportunity.”

At Docrates in Helsinki, treatment is more personalised and patient-oriented than at many other cancer hospitals. Photo: Docrates

Joensuu currently works from about six in the morning to eight in the evening, and continues to answer patient calls around the clock. Six full-time doctors currently work at Docrates, which has so far treated patients from about 25 countries. The clinic has become known internationally by offering the latest treatment options and equipment in one facility. It has, for example, a cyclotron particle accelerator, a GMP laboratory for handling radioactive substances and state-of the art radiation and imaging equipment.

“We’re not missing anything, so we can optimise treatment in a way that takes into account all different scenarios on the patient’s part,” Joensuu says.

“Our doctors seem to come back from each conference with three or four new treatments,” says Docrates nurse Jenni Keinänen. “Although I can’t say that one should never give up hope, there is quite a bit of it; even if we aren’t able to cure the cancer, we can increase our patients’ quality of life.”

Decoding treatments

Beyond patient care, a different kind of effort to personalise the treatment of cancers is underway at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), run by the University of Helsinki. The institute has begun to make use of Finland’s strong track record in biobanking and genetics to develop ways to determine the best treatments for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other illnesses.

Most recently, professor Olli Kallioniemi’s research group has begun to apply molecular-level information to the treatment of leukemia. These personalised treatment methods have already been employed in a handful of patients, and clinical trials on individualised leukemia care are expected to begin in 2012 in collaboration with hematologists at the Helsinki University Hospital.

Nurses help prepare a patient for a form of radiation treatment. Photo: Docrates

“In the future, public health will make even greater use of genetics – if you have, say, a cardiovascular disease, your doctor would look at your genetic profile in addition to traditional risk factors. Cancer, though, is a completely different ballgame,” says Kallioniemi. “Cancers are very individual to begin with; they are entities with their own molecular profiles that mutate and evolve. However, we can look at genetic profiles to see how a patient will respond to a particular cancer treatment.”

One of the largest challenges in taking cancer treatments in a new direction is convincing decision-makers to veer from long-standing treatment regimens.

“Instituting a new treatment method requires a lot of work because existing strategies have such a long-standing foundation,” says Kallioniemi. His group began doing work with advanced leukemia patients because the field has already been employing immunology and genetic testing in diagnostics and treatment selection for years. The clinical trial will be conducted in patients with advanced, treatment-refractory cancers, as introducing alternative treatments as the first line of therapy can be risky. After personalised medicine has been shown to be effective, it can be introduced to patients suffering from less advanced cancers.

“Of course we have to move gradually, and as we gather more information on a molecular level, we learn to interpret it better and use it to select the best treatments for each individual patient,” Kallioniemi adds. “We don’t yet have a simple answer to how we can employ our approach to the population at large because our health care system it’s not yet ready for individualised medicine. But this is the direction in which cancer treatment is headed.”

By Laura Palotie, October 2011

Choosing your future

Life & society Education

So you’re interested in studying in Finland? Good choice! Foreign students at Finnish universities highly recommend the experience.

Deciding your field of study can be daunting. The stakes are even higher if you decide to obtain your degree abroad. The risks can seem big, but the adventure and the rewards can be great as well. Studying is highly valued in Finland, and that’s a perfect starting point.

Safe and laidback

Finland forms an attractive place to study for many reasons. Students value the high quality of life, the stable yet dynamic economy, the good living accommodations and the safe, laidback atmosphere. And let’s not forget the strong connection to nature that Finns treasure.

Francisco Socal from Porto Alegre, Brazil, who interned as a computer engineer in Oulu, northern Finland, praises the ease and safety of getting around, and the bicycle-friendliness of the cities. Luis Alfredo Chavez Cabrera from Mexico had narrowed down his options to Argentina, Chile and Finland, and ended up in the North after reading an article that rated Finland as an excellent European growth economy.

Flexibility, independence and responsibility

Studying should be about acquiring skills for life and a solid building block for a future career. What do foreign students think of the quality of their studies in Finland?

Fatih Tokan from Turkey knew little of Finnish culture or people when he arrived as an exchange student, but fell in love with the range of choice at his uni. “It is easy and really student-oriented – you can choose from tons of different faculties and take courses from other universities, which is really great,” he says. No surprise, then, that he carried on to complete his degree in Helsinki after his exchange.

One important thing to keep in mind when comparing different options is the difference between the “regular” universities, business schools and the universities of applied science. Rabindra Nepal, from Nepal, who studied at the Arcada University of Applied Sciences, recounts that courses there are “very work-life–oriented.”

Not that studies at the University of Helsinki, Finland’s largest uni, aren’t job-oriented, but the focus is more theoretical and the schedules even more flexible. Danish political science student Sören Berg Rasmussen points out, “I think it’s important for people thinking about coming to study here that it will require a lot of independence”.

Affordable education

When they hear the word “university”, many Finns think of the University of Helsinki’s main building, designed by Carl Ludwig Engel and completed in 1832.Photo: Ida Pimenoff/Helsinki University

One of the best things about education in Finland is that it is cheap. Students enrolled in a full-time degree programme pay no tuition fees. The average cost of living in Finland is high, though comparable to the rest of Europe.

Minimum living expenses for a single student range from 600 to 800 euros a month depending on cost of accommodation, healthcare and other expenses. A foreign student who has lived in Finland for at least two years for some other purpose than studying and has permanent resident status may apply for student financial aid.

The essence of the culture

Adapting to new surroundings and a different culture is surely the biggest challenge to enjoying life in a new environment. Anil Palikhe from Kathmandu, Nepal knows that all Finns are not as shy as the stereotypes would lead you to believe. Nevertheless his initial reaction was that Finns seem to “hide like turtles”. Andrew Nestingen from the United States doesn’t see much difference in behaviour and maintains that people are exactly as quiet on a bus in Seattle as they are in Helsinki.

Everyone agrees that you can get by perfectly well in Finland speaking English. However, if you really want soak up the essence of Finnish culture, learning some of the local lingo is recommended. Then at least you’ll be able to evaluate whether Frédéric from France, who volunteered at an afternoon club for children in Turku, is right when summing up Finnish people as the hobbits from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings. You know, those carefree inhabitants of Middle Earth who live peaceful, stress-free lives in cosy houses.

All-round experience

This is just a first glance of the possibilities. Compare your options carefully and read up on them thoroughly. To make sure Finland stays on your map, see the list of key links below for more detailed information.

thisisFINLAND’s own Study page

By Jens Alderin, July 2009

Hanging out at the new harbour

Business & innovation Economy

At Helsinki’s state-of-the-art Vuosaari Harbour, opened in November 2008, a rep from one of the main operators takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour. Watch out for 12-metre spiders.

Our guided tour of the new Vuosaari Harbour outside of Helsinki is led by project manager Paavo Mäntylä from Finnsteve, the largest stevedoring (loading and unloading) company in the harbour. He has seen many harbours in the course of his career, having worked on ships and quays ever since he was still at school. The inauguration of a brand-new harbour in November 2008 was a milestone for him.

“The first day of the new harbour was a memorable one,” says Mäntylä. “We were thrown in at the deep end, since the previous day Helsinki had received its worst snowstorm in 40 years. We had to clear 70 hectares of 50-centimetre-deep snow. It was a huge effort, but we did it.”

Spiders with wheels

We drive off towards the Finnsteve loading and storage area – for safety reasons we’re not allowed to proceed on foot. As soon as we pass through the electronic access control gates we can see why. A pedestrian would be minuscule compared to the 12-metre gantry cranes, nicknamed “spiders”, and could easily be overlooked and crushed by their gigantic wheels.

The stringent safety regulations are also in place because the supervision and security systems of the new harbour are compliant with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) and the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism Cost/Benefit Survey (C-TPAT), which regulate how access to and movement within the security area must be monitored. All vehicles entering the area are recorded and their access permits verified.

“The harbour fulfils the requirements placed on security arrangements at the port of origin for shipments to the USA,” explains Mäntylä.

Fifteen-minute turnaround

We face a field full of stacked containers and lines of waiting lorries. Soon a crane resembling a stick insect approaches a lorry, picks up the container it is hauling and deposits it at a predetermined location. The entire logistics process is guided over wireless networks. Assuming that the documentation is in order, a lorry driver can make a 15-minute turnaround at the harbour.

“The harbour works so well because the processes are so well planned and goods and vehicles move smoothly,” says Mäntylä. “Although the area is large, its storage capacity is nevertheless limited compared with the volume of goods that can be handled.”

State-of-the-art lifting

The quayside is shaped in the form of two large artificial headlands framing a harbour basin. The larger of these is held entirely by Finnsteve. The company’s quays can accommodate four container ships and ten ro-ro ships at a time. For every container ship berth there is a state-of-the-art container crane that can lift two containers at once, allowing the processing of 25 to 35 containers per hour. That crane, 68 metres tall at its full height, places its burden on the ground where it is picked up by a gantry crane and taken to await further transport and processing. Unloading and loading a large container ship or ro-ro ship takes from 12 to 16 hours. The harbour can process ships around the clock if necessary.

The pride of the ro-ro berths are the two twin-level ramps that allow large vessels to be loaded and unloaded on two decks at once.

Heavy work in good conditions

Goods are packed swiftly at a terminal where containers are placed on the outside with their open ends pointing in. A rail line extends to the inside of the terminal hall so that trains can bring their goods – forestry products, for example – directly to the terminal to be loaded into containers and shipped away. The premises are spacious and practical.

“The facilities here are worlds away from what we had in Länsisatama and Sompasaari [former harbours closer to downtown Helsinki],” says Mäntylä. “We have excellent staff facilities and services, including a canteen, a gym and health care. And, of course, there are four saunas where you can wash up after your working day.”

By Salla Korpela, September 2009

Tag: English