Fond memories shared at reunion for alumni who began their studies in 1965 or earlier
Among the participants were Elisabeth Rehn and Bengt Ohls, who graduated from Hanken in 1957 and 1964 respectively. Elisabeth Rehn, who holds the honorary title of Minister and is an Honorary Doctor of Hanken, explains that her major was economics – but that other subjects also captured her interest.
“In fact, political science was closest to my heart, thanks to the wonderful Professor Lolo Krusius-Ahrenberg, always in red high-heeled shoes. Economic geography, taught by the eminent Ilmari Hustich, and his book Världen av i dag (The World Today), opened my eyes to the fantastic world we live in.”
Her knowledge of political systems and different countries became a lifelong passion, shaping her career as an MP, Minister of Defence, and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and many other countries.
“Hanken offered an incredible opportunity to see the world when, in the summer of 1955, I worked as a "Ferialpraktikantin" at Creditanstalt-Bankverein in Vienna. I did not quite become a financial guru, but I learned German – Wienerisch – and experienced a Vienna that still hosted foreign troops after the post-war treaty. The city was still heavily damaged, giving me an early glimpse of what I would later encounter during my years in the war-torn Balkans.”
Drawn to professional life
Bengt Ohls majored in accounting and also studied general business economics.
“I was very fond of Professor Lasse Wahlbeck, and it was thanks to him that I got my first job, at Strömberg.”
His career took off, which meant his master’s thesis remained unfinished. Bengt Ohls later worked in a number of positions, including as CEO of Electrolux in Finland between 1985 - 2000.
He notes that the best thing about Hanken, aside from the professors, was the camaraderie.
“I learned, together with a few fellow students, how group work could help us pass exams with excellent grades, even while working at the same time. We divided the course books among us, each wrote a summary of our respective books, and then lectured on them for the others. It was highly effective!”
A strong connection to Hanken
Both Elisabeth Rehn and Bengt Ohls were delighted to gather at Hanken again.
“It’s very nice to meet fellow students, even though our numbers are thinning. We’ve had a few reunions before, but it has been several years since the last one,” says Bengt Ohls.
Elisabeth Rehn describes meeting several of the “ancient” Hanken alums as particularly exciting.
“I have had a wonderful relationship with Hanken over the years and have often returned as a speaker. At Hankendagen in 2009, I lectured together with Tomas Ries on war and peace. The message of our talks on armed conflicts around the world was that we must fight for peace. One would wish that today, seventeen years later, this would still be humanity’s goal.”
Text: Jessica Gustafsson
Photo: Gustaf Hafström
During the reunion, participants were given an overview of what is currently happening at Hanken, had the opportunity to share memories from their time as students, and take part in a short tour of the school’s facilities. Hanken will continue to organise similar gatherings for different year cohorts a few times a year.