When we succeed even during holidays

Wow, I think we have succeeded!

I’m pretty inspired by a speech given by JP Pereira, one of my schoolmates from Brazil at the LUT summer school. He cited Ralph Waldo Emerson during our farewell dinner,

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

And then he said, “I think we have succeeded”. Wow, it’s true! We have passed through different difficult situations during the studies. I’m sure this experience has developed us from inside. I also think we have succeeded!

A concept of a summer school

A summer school in Finland is a place where you study intensively from 9 am to 4-5 pm every working day. In the evenings there are different entertainments as an official part of a summer program. As our professor from the department of innovation management, Andrzej Kraslawski, told, “Here is an international environment with a strong Finnish flavor,” and it’s true. Studying process is very intensive and tiring, so the best way to succeed is to get an active leisure with other students.

Studying process and courses

Courses are taught in the fields of business, technology and industrial engineering by incoming professors from other universities. Michel Brunkhuis from the Netherlands shares his experience,

During the summer school I’ve followed five different courses in four weeks time. A strong point for me was the fact that teachers came from different countries: England/Austria, France, Finland, Russia, the Netherlands etc. For two weeks I’ve followed courses related to the International Business. It was very interesting to listen to theories and experiences from these teachers. Basically the same was during the course of creative thinking, in which I’ve got to know a problem solving approach called TRIZ, developed by the Soviet inventor Genrich Altshuller. At my home university we mostly have teachers from the Netherlands, and these four weeks at LUT were international in three aspects: getting to know Finland, meeting a lot of students from all over the world, and following courses by teachers with an extensive international experience. An opportunity I would recommend to everyone!

This summer I’ve met people who are creative, positive and successful, with a lot of humor and I’m happy for that! I wish my life and my friend-list will be always full with such events and such people. =)