One of the things I was most excited about in the FCP alumni program was a return to Rovaniemi and a reintroduction to the Arctic Circle. I have long been fascinated with Arctic issues. Since my last trip to Finland in 2013 the Arctic has resurfaced as a big topic in geopolitics – and, according to Timo Koivurova, Director of the University of Lapland’s Arctic Centre, not always with the nuance ...
Tag: economy
Getting acquainted with post-Nokia Finland
So what has changed within the last 12 years in Finland? This is a question I kept hearing from Finns during my FCP alumni week in Finland; the question I also occasionally asked myself while meeting various people and enjoying life in Helsinki or Rovaniemi.
Strangely enough, the last time I visited Finland was 12 years ago in 2004. (Perhaps, because of living close to Finland, a delusive feeling ...
Experiences of conducting interviews in Helsinki
What a day was yesterday! During the FCP every day something new and unexpected happens. The programme is so dense that it feels as if we arrived here many days ago already, but in fact Wednesday was only the third day of our stay here.
In addition to the common meetings, we also started to work on our individual assignments. I remember in 1998 one of the several striking moments was to interview ...
A brief resumé of Finland
For the newcomer to Finland, this day 1 of FCP 2016 could have been a perfect introduction to the art of Finnishness. For the 12 of us – some of us being here for the first time in 20, 18 or 7 years – we could finally catch up with the country and jump straight into it.
A short briefing with Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, updated us on current affairs with ...
Is Finland still the best place for innovation?
Before I came to Finland, what I knew was that the country has a strong capability of innovation. From Nokia to Angry Birds, Finland is best represented by ICT, the game industry, and arts and design.
But some people doubt this because as a result of the recent years of depression, the Russian crisis, and changes in its own economic structure, Finland’s economy has weakened. Now the question is ...
Finland’s economy faces a huge challenge
Of course Finland can’t keep up with the Silicon Valley but it has to make progress to stop the economy decreasing. Startups and changing production are thereby central.
On the first day of the programme, we heard that Finns are really good at underrating themselves and see better what has to be improved instead of being proud of their success. Well, that’s quite true: How often did I hear “We ...
Bring your questions – I’ll bring mine!
“What do you know about Finland?” a friend asked me recently. I had just told him I was lucky enough to go there for three weeks this summer.
“Quite a bit,” I replied confidently.
I listed the staggering statistics: world-leading in press freedom, gender equality and transparency. Not doing too badly in education either.
My friend seemed impressed.
“The landscape is jaw-dropping, the standard ...
Finland, the pioneer in gender equality
Gender equality is one of the issues that I focus the most on as a journalist. I think that gender equality is a human right and an important element in the society. It is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. I believe that empowered women could give a huge positive impact for a country.
Yet gender equality remains an unfulfilled promise in my country Indonesia. On ...
Success stories over a cup of coffee
Ethiopia and Finland definitely are worlds apart, except for one thing: coffee. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and Finland consumes a good amount of this delightful beverage.
My knowledge about Finland doesn’t go past several development indexes and annual reports in which the country seems to top almost all the time. Sectors such as education, health and freedom of press seem to be just ...
Finland and Russia: a history of trade should include 21st century innovation
Helsinki would never have a Louis Vuitton shop without so many tourists from Russia, one of the editors of the Talouselämä, the Finnish economic weekly, told me when I visited the newsroom.
It might be an exaggeration to say that the luxury bag retailer arrived in Finland’s capital just because of thousands of Russian tourists, but according to a 2011 report by the Association of Fashion ...