Saana Laaksonen is a Master’s student in the Social Ethics programme at the Faculty of Theology. Her many interests span from learning more about the university and study context to ideologies, psychology and many forms of human interaction.
She joined the Una Europa Local Taskforce with the intention of narrowing her interests and finding out what really intrigues her. Since then, she has taken part in international events such as the Una Europa General Student Congress in Berlin and helped organize the International Engagement Fair at the University of Helsinki.
What specifically interested you and drew your attention towards the Una Europa alliance?
Two main things drew my attention towards Una Europa: its international aspect and its interdisciplinary dimension. I was curious about meeting internationally oriented and interesting people at the university, as I felt like I hadn’t had the chance before. Since then, I have formed a clearer idea of what Una Europa means and how the Local Task Force tries to embed its spirit within the student’s community.
Most importantly, Una Europa felt like my place to be, something which hadn’t happened before during my university studies. I am very thankful for having found a community where I belong.
What kind of opportunities has Una Europa given you? How has it helped you grow personally and professionally?
It has significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth in many different ways. Personally, I am now much more comfortable around social settings and I’m able to interact with new people in a way I couldn’t before.
Professionally, I have developed my communications, content creation and event organization skills. I know what is required and what kind of events translate Una Europa the best for the students. As for example we organised the International Engagement Fair in November, which brought people together and showcased the many different internationalization opportunities in Helsinki in an unconventional but attractive way.
In September, I also took part in the Una Europa Student Congress in Berlin, in which different institutions showed their work. Participating in such an event allowed me to meet many different people and learn about the importance of coming together, having discussions from different points of view and finding joint solutions.
What kind of impact do you think the Local Task Force has had so far at the University? What challenges have you faced?
From my own perspective, as a Finn who hasn’t had opportunities to go abroad, everything Una Europa does has to do with creating opportunities for internationalization at home. These can vary from, for example, by interacting with international students in the Local Task Force, or through means and support for students to create events that foster internationality.
Our biggest challenge is probably trying to convey how young and abstract Una Europa is. We always debate about how to make events attractive so that people want to come and learn about what Una Europa is about. Usually people don’t know Una Europa that well, but it has had a significant impact in welcoming people who have shown interest in taking part. Maybe the key to success in the activities of the Local Task Force lies in its lower threshold international opportunities, which allow students to get involved at their own pace.
This article was written by Paula Modrego Castaño