A trip to Finland has traditionally been part of the joint Aalto EMBA program run in collaboration with the South Korean aSSIST University. This year was no exception.
The collaboration dates back to 1995, when the Helsinki School of Economics, a predecessor of Aalto University, began close cooperation with aSSIST University (Seoul School of Integrated Sciences & Technologies). Since then, the joint EMBA program has brought hundreds of Korean executives to Finland on study trips.
This year, campus tours took place at Aalto University School of Business and Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on two consecutive days. The course also included a visit to ICEYE, a satellite company based in Otaniemi.
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| Hannu Seristö, Associate Vice President, Director, Advancement at Aalto University, charmed the participants with his greeting in Korean. |
“Through the Finnish teachers in our program, I’ve learned a lot about Finnish culture, and especially about Finnish work culture. This program has given me an exceptionally strong foundation for my own personal growth as a leader," said participant Heewon Moon.
Another participant, Daehwan Kim, highlighted the program’s approach to mixing up group work. In Korea, students are used to doing group work with the same, fixed group throughout their studies. In the Aalto EMBA in Seoul program, by contrast, the 140 participants are divided into new groups for each assignment, which felt somewhat awkward at first.
Kim also said he was surprised by how much writing by hand the course involves, which felt old-fashioned at first. However, the practice has proven to be useful.
"Writing by hand has actually sharpened my own thinking, rather than outsourcing that thinking to AI. And if I had to name the single best part of the program, it would be this trip to Finland. It has been a unique opportunity to spend time with my classmates."
"Writing by hand has actually sharpened my own thinking, rather than outsourcing that thinking to AI. And if I had to name the single best part of the program, it would be this trip to Finland. It has been a unique opportunity to spend time with my classmates," Kim said.
Many participants were also struck by Helsinki as a city: its greenery, low-density buildings, and clean air drew praise. During the campus tour at Aalto University, participants were especially drawn to the architecture, which differed markedly from what many were used to in Korea.
The two-week study module in Finland is just one part of a long-standing collaboration that has now lasted more than 30 years. Next up for the program's participants is a graduation celebration at the end of August.
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| The tour gave participants a close look at the architecture and art on display across the Aalto University campus. |
