Event programme
Learn from the experts and international alumni!
With five higher education institutes and over 40,000 students, Turku is the city of students. But what does the Southwest Finland region has to offer for international talents after their studies? Study and Stay in Turku is a career show where Turku alumni and recruitment experts share their stories and tips to help international talents find their way to build a meaningful life in Turku, Finland.
7 November | Study in Turku Webinar (online)
Time: 14:00–15:30 Finnish time
Place: Online for everyone interested in studying in Turku
Dive deeper into higher education opportunities in Turku and explore pathways to a successful career in Finland. Learn about available bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes and why and how to apply in January 2025 to start your studies in Turku! There will be time reserved for audience questions.
This is a unique chance to meet all the higher education institutions of Turku that offer programmes in English:
- University of Turku
- Åbo Akademi University
- Turku University of Applied Sciences
- Novia University of Applied Sciences
PAST: 6 November | Study and Stay in Turku Career Show (hybrid)
– Unexpected Career Paths
Time: 16:30 Finnish time
Place: On-site in Turku, Finland, for current international students (on-site places are full)
Online for everyone interested in studying and staying in Turku
Gain valuable insights into working in Finland, hear success stories from international graduates, and get practical tips from experts for navigating your future studies and career!
16:30–18:00 | Live Show, streamed from EduCity, Turku, Finland
- Welcome to the show!
Meet our hosts Fateme and Leonard. - Get inspired by the Keynote speech
Career development insights from Sevcan Hakyemez-Paul, followed by audience questions. - Learn from the Career Experts
Meet our career experts and hear their top tip for international students in Finland. - Meet our Turku Alumni
Alumni share their elevator pitches of their career journeys and job-hunting experiences in Finland. - “Career Quest Turku” Gameshow
An interactive, “Family Feud”-style game where experts and alumni compete, answering career-related poll questions – that the event participants have answered! - Wrap-up & Takeaways
Final words, key insights, and tips for next steps.
18:00–19:00 | Networking Hour (for on-site audience: current students in Turku)
Relax with cocktail bites, mingle, and make new connections!
On stage:
Keynote Speaker: Sevcan Hakyemez-Paul
“Navigating in the Finnish Job Market – Lessons from my winding journey”
Sevcan Hakyemez-Paul is an early childhood education expert with a PhD and master’s degree in Education from University of Turku – now working as a Scrum Master at Wärtsilä, in Turku.
After years in academia and completing her PhD in 2019, Sevcan made the brave decision to pivot from education to the world of agile project management and became a certified Scrum Master. Introduced to the agile and Scrum framework through her husband, Sevcan saw potential in this approach, even though it was vastly different from the structured, academic environments she was used to. Since then, she has successfully combined her deep expertise in pedagogy and psychology with agile practices, working as a full-time Scrum Master at Wärtsilä.
For students considering staying in Turku after graduation, Sevcan will offer valuable insights into how to leverage your education and pursue exciting opportunities in diverse fields.
Event Hosts
Fateme Ghorbanpour moved to Turku in August 2023 with her family to pursue her passion for education. Now in her second year as a master’s student at the University of Turku, she is currently working on her master’s thesis and hopes to continue her academic journey by pursuing a doctoral degree in education. She finds inspiration in the relaxed and flexible academic environment in Turku, where supportive professors and the opportunity to develop new ideas have made her studies rewarding.
Outside of academia, Fateme enjoys the peaceful atmosphere and amazing nature of Turku, alongside the warmth of its people. She spends her free time with her daughter, reading, writing, listening to music, and watching movies. With a growing interest in the Finnish language, Fateme is excited to continue building her life in Turku and looks forward to what the future holds.
Leonard Klar, originally from Germany, arrived in Turku after completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology, not knowing what to expect from Finland. Now, as a master’s student in Human Neuroscience at the University of Turku, he is in the process of writing his thesis and planning a future in academia, with aspirations of becoming a university professor and researcher. His love for science is matched by his enjoyment of the vibrant social life at university, where he served as a student tutor, eager to share his enthusiasm for Finland and Turku with new students.
In just one year, Finland has truly won Leonard’s heart, from its sauna traditions to the beauty of both its dark winters and summer life at the mökki (summer cottage). Outside his academic and professional goals, he finds balance in his life through hiking, gym sessions, and singing in the university choir.
Career Experts
Matias Erlund
Matias works as a Career Counselor at the Åbo Akademi University with interest in providing university students with tools to improve placement on labour market. During the past years, he has focused on graduate surveys and different ways of reporting and sharing useful results to target groups. He wants to developCareer Counselling and cooperation between university and employers. Matias finds the impact of internships especially important for students, and wants to privide internship opportunities more effectively.
Sahar Arya-Lehtinen
Sahar is a Leading Expert in the Turku Employment Services’ integration team. Since 2014, she has worked in integration services, serving international job seekers who have recently arrived in Finland. Sahar’s main responsibilities involve guiding her clients to services that promote their integration and employment in Finland. In her role, she advises job seekers on finding suitable training opportunities and assists with job searches. She collaborates with schools, associations, employers, and Kela. In addition, as a leading expert in the team, she assists her team members in their work and daily operations. Sahar has lived in Finland for 24 years and uses multiple languages in her work to communicate with clients.
Turku Alumni
- Geoffrey Pororo: MBA in Service Design at Novia University of Applied Sciences. Currently self employed as Design Leadership Advisor at the PurpleRoom.
- Leonor Carvalho: Master’s in Bioinformatics at University of Turku, PhD in Biochemistry at Åbo Akademi University. Currently an entrepreneur at Leonor Coaching