7 stories about where inspiration can lead you in higher education

We all know it: The feeling of flow, unshakable concentration, the state of simultaneous ease and readiness. The fire that lights up your mind. Inspiration is a force that can change the course of our lives. Fueled by right people and completed with hard work, it can lead to great achievements. Keep reading to learn inspirational stories of seven University of Turku students.

Seven international students of the University of Turku share their sources of inspiration and their stories in higher education. What inspired them to apply to their study programme? How do they keep motivated during their studies? What has been the greatest learning outcome for them so far?

Multidisciplinary teamwork creates inspirational atmospheres

Zejia Song, MDP in Drug Discovery and Development

“I get inspired by learning with friends from various backgrounds. In my programme, I always have teammates from e.g. genetics, venom, quality assurance, clinical, and herbal medicine. The inspiring studying atmosphere is created by teamwork in which we get diverse opinions on our working topic. Everyone is reliable in tasks related to their background. The support among classmates is important to me. Fortunately, we have still managed to have lab practice and discussion in small groups even during this time of the pandemic.

I expect my Master’s thesis to be my greatest learning outcome in this degree. For now, as I’m still in the first year of the Master’s programme, the most important result for me has been becoming well prepared for either going further to doctoral studies or joining company work. All the courses I have taken are practical and useful for developing professional knowledge and skills. I am more confident in working independently on thesis than I was last year.”

Searching for new discoveries makes me feel alive

Armin Nabizadeh, doctoral candidate in High Energy Astrophysics

“As a child, I was always curious about the world around me. More than anything else, the night sky with its bright celestial objects has fascinated me since then. This curiosity led me to read not only about science but also about the greatest scientists in history. Actually, their passion and enthusiasm for discovering the world was my first and main source of inspiration. 

However, the story is different today. Now, I myself am searching for new discoveries in my field as an expert, and whenever I come up with something new, I feel alive. Such a feeling cannot be described by words. That’s why I always strive to learn new things.

From the professional point of view, the greatest thing post-graduate studies have taught me is how to see the world scientifically. This is very important that we learn how to put an idea in the right way and develop it. Studying as a doctoral candidate at the University of Turku gave me the chance to do research along with the most known scientist in my field.

This great experience, and also astronomy itself, have a lot of valuable life lessons for me to build my character. The famous astronomer Carl Sagan once said, “Astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience.” Through astronomy, one gains an appreciation for the beauty and grace of the universe and everything in it.”

Motivated by inspirational spaces and seeing science in practice

Irene Pampallis, MDP in Education and Learning

“Physical environment has a big impact on how much I feel like learning. If I’m in a bright, airy space with lots of natural light and a pop of colour, I instantly feel more awake and more focused. Luckily the Educarium and Calonia libraries – not to mention the main branch of the Turku City Library – all fit that description.

I also get inspired by science and theories that are put into practice in an engaging and human form. I often find I’m inspired by something I read on a blog or hear on a podcast. Those get me thinking about the real-world impacts of academic theories. The same goes for working together with professionals in my field: it is motivating to see people putting into practice the things I learn about in my studies. It gives me a new belief in their value and applicability in the real world.

During my studies at UTU, the biggest discovery has been how many things I thought were “normal” are in fact culturally bound. There are many things I used to take for granted that I now realise are completely up for debate, after meeting people from different countries who have different opinions, habits, and national practices. I have become more patient, considerate, and aware when it comes to myself and the world around me: from the definitions of ‘good weather’ and ‘fair higher education admissions systems’ to discovering new perspectives on my position as a native-level English speaker.

Another big thing I have learned was in a specific course: Multicultural Education, taught by Kalypso Filippou. As a teacher, I always thought that to develop true intercultural awareness and personal understanding among students, you had to invest hours in it every week and completely redesign the curriculum. Through that course, I learned that there are dozens of tiny activities, just a few minutes long, that can be woven into classes several times a week to build a genuine sense of community.

We practiced these exercises in every class we had, and the result was that at the end of a semester course in which I had met barely any of my classmates in person (thanks, corona) I still felt like I knew every member of that class. It was a powerful example of how simple, small actions can have major impacts. I’m sure it will impact my teaching for the better once I am back in the classroom.”

An inspirational speech sparked my motivation to study

Alexander Spicer, MDP in Drug Discovery and Development

“When coursework becomes too much and it feels like it is time to throw in the towel, I like to sit down in a sauna with a beer. I return to the original reason I wanted to study drug development: the inspirational TED talk “How Nature and a 9-year-old are revolutionising cancer treatment” presented by Dr. Jim Olson. He takes you through the process of his life as a pediatric oncologist and later to set up a drug discovery team inspired by nature. Olson’s research resolves around, in my opinion, one major point: Nature has the answer to everything if you are willing to look and work hard enough to find it.

My biggest learning experience so far has been my personal growth: First, you are thrown into this odd culture that is as far away from British as possible, and then put with a group of people you would never have met otherwise. But out of it, you become a stronger more versatile person. I have some incredible friends that I would never have spoken to. I have learned about people, customs and cultures outside of Finnish.“

Challenges inspire to learn and grow

Rasha ElMansuri, MDP in Biomedical Imaging

“I have always been a person with a great eagerness to learn and grow through challenges. This is what inspired me to start my Master’s in Biomedical Imaging at the University of Turku, where it is all about learning through experiences and different kinds of challenges. I am a strong believer in the power of learning. New information is always exciting, no matter how big or small, and that is what inspires me.

The greatest learning outcome for me at UTU so far has been improving my independent working skills which I believe to be an important skill to learn in order to progress both academically and professionally.”

Childhood full of books led to studies in the dream field

Maria Kubincova, MDP in East Asian Studies

“I think I can “blame” my inspiration to learn on my parents. Being born to a teacher and an amateur astronomer, I have always been surrounded by books of all kinds. Growing up I loved reading books about nature, space, world atlases, and even dictionaries. Later, I developed a strong affinity for East Asia, which gradually grew more towards Japan. This prompted me to pick up Japanese studies. However, when I learned that the University of Turku offers a Master’s degree programme in social sciences focusing on the whole region of East Asia, applying was a no-brainer.

The greatest outcome of studying at UTU has been all the amazing and inspirational people I have met. Meeting people from different countries with varying backgrounds really pushed me to open my mind more each time. In fact, the process of experiencing my mind opening up to new things might be a close second. I am happy to report that my hunger for knowledge has only been fuelled more!”

Alumni stories motivate me to gain new experiences

Anna Ryzhova, MDP in Futures Studies

“Different exciting stories of our university’s alumni motivate me to learn. When I got accepted to the University of Turku I was inspired by the fact that the current President of Finland Sauli Niinistö graduated from our university.

The knowledge and skills gained during my studies at UTU allow me to form the foundation for building a professional career. I am inspired by all the amazing opportunities I have now during my studies and will have even more of them in the future.

My greatest learning outcome is the courage to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. It was hard at the beginning but the results are mostly positively surprising. I learned to adapt better to new environments and be more flexible. My communication skills have improved. I have learned how to interact and collaborate with different people taking into account cultural differences and personal qualities in multicultural teams.”

20,000 students, 20,000 reasons to study. We are all wired differently, but inspiration is something that connects us all. University of Turku wants to inspire unique learning experiences and outstanding learning outcomes. Its goal is to have the best learning experience in Finland and be the pioneer in lifelong learning. Read more about the new strategy and see more stories on social media: #getinspiredbylearning #uniturku2030

The interviewees are international student ambassadors of UTU. Follow their lives on Instagram #utuambassadors and on Instagram Stories @uniturku every Monday!

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