International students and companies participate in the first edition of the Thesis Fair
A lively information session kicked off the event, where Arttu Piri, from TEK, and Mika Parkkari, from Suomen Ekonomit ry, discussed how students could go from their master’s studies to expert careers in Finland. Developing a thesis in partnership with a company is a relevant step in that direction, being a gateway to Finnish working life. At a pre-fair event for interested companies, organisations were given more information on thesis cooperation practices, copyright and exploitation of results, and support services for employers in hiring international talent.
The main part of the event, the actual fair, happened right after the information session. Students were eager to know the representatives and had productive networking sessions with them. They had two hours to present their thesis topic ideas directly to those representatives and to discuss the needs of their target organisations. The Thesis Fair had professionals from Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy, Teknikum Group, Modirum Security, FHAIVE - Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches, and Aveksana, as well as International House Tampere and TEK. Getting to know more about the companies they were interested in, students could better understand their application processes and their work culture, making professional connections that will be useful in their professional careers.
Based on the feedback received, the Thesis Fair is a useful event for participants. Students are interested in such events and would welcome the presence of more companies in the fair. The feedback from the organisation side was also positive, as they were able to meet a good number of students that would be suitable for their open positions.
The Thesis Fair is part of the initiatives developed by Tampere University to support international students in their future careers, helping them to study, live and work in Finland. It is in the interest of both universities and companies that our international students utilise the education and research knowledge acquired during their studies for the benefit of Finnish working life.
The event was organised at Tampere University and at Aalto University. If you would like more information on the Thesis Fair, please contact urapalvelut.tau [at] tuni.fi (urapalvelut[dot]tau[at]tuni[dot]fi).
