Give back as alumni

Alumni are a significant resource for the University. Together we can boost the impact of our University, provide even better teaching and produce research in increasingly diverse fields.

Whether it's volunteering your time through mentoring, collaborating to hire a graduating student or donating to support our research, there are many ways for you to give back and help.
Volunteer your time and inspire others

Do you want to help current students or recent alumni, as they try to find their way in the world or take the first steps in their career? As a member of the Helsinki Alumni community, one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time.

Whether it’s mentoring a current student, coaching new alumni or sharing your story with us, we have a variety of ways for you to help current students and fellow alumni to succeed.

"Believe in yourself - an alumn inspires confidence in students as a mentor"

Tiina Äijänaho works as a career coach and volunteers as a mentor to help and support students with the transition to professional life. In addition to sharing experiences and tops, Äijänaho also wishes to highlight the joy of work and self-kindness.

Collaborate with students

Do you want to provide opportunities to help our current students to excel, while also benefiting from their expertise and new ideas? As a university, we believe in the power of collaboration. By working together, we can create amazing mutually-beneficial opportunities that help unlock our students' and researchers' full potential and allow you to benefit from the brightest international minds in Finland.

Whether it’s recruiting a student trainee, commissioning a master’s thesis or supporting one of our campaigns, there are many ways for you or the organisation you work for to get involved and benefit.

Alumni stay connected with the University through mentoring

Juha Jokela, University of Helsinki alumnus, is a Programme Director of the European Union Research Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). In 2021, Juha Jokela, together with FIIA, took part in the HITP programme for the second time.

"I truly enjoyed the discussions and the openness of the group of students. We could discuss matters related to their studies, career aspirations, but also topics on a more personal note such as how it is being a master student at the Helsinki University and a person coming to Finland from abroad."

With your support, we can find solutions to challenges that affect us all. By donating to the university, you can help us to build a more sustainable future and support our students, education and research in an area of your choice.

The University of Helsinki has a long history of being supported by donations. Our first dedicated fund was established in 1745 with the legacy of Lieutenant Erik Ekestubbe and currently the work of over 100 of our professors rely on donationed funds.

Donation can further research

“Most people probably haven’t even heard the word ‘sarcoma’ before being diagnosed with it. My husband’s rare cancer encouraged us to support related research”

Alumna Annika Laakso and her husband Ville organised a #cycle4sarcoma campaign in 2018 following Ville’s diagnosis. The proceeds from the campaign were donated to the University of Helsinki’s Fund for Medicine to support sarcoma research.