Hanken students strengthen communication skills through volunteering

Kaisa Rantonen and Maisy O’Neill are two of the course participants, and both describe the experience as very interesting. They found it rewarding to do something other than reading and working on group assignments.

Rantonen, who studies management and organisation at Hanken, chose to volunteer at a hospital in Helsinki. The place was already familiar to her, as she had worked there as a secretary alongside her studies.

“I helped out in the acute geriatric ward, where all the patients are over 65. I’ve noticed that many patients get quite bored, and they’re not very techsavvy or interested in scrolling on their phones. I played music for them and brought printed pictures they could colour in. The music was probably what they enjoyed the most, and their favourite piece was “Finlandia” – almost everyone wanted to hear it,” Rantonen says.

Volunteering is nothing new for Rantonen; she has previously fostered dogs in her home before they found permanent placements.

As part of the course, she visited the hospital about ten times, and says that the most meaningful aspect was the contact with the people she met.

“It can feel a bit intimidating to go and talk to elderly people you don’t know. This experience has made me feel more comfortable doing that. It felt good to do something that made a difference to them.”

Giving back to Finland

Maisy O’Neill from Buckinghamshire in the UK is an exchange student at Hanken, and she chose to volunteer in two different places.

First, she took part in Helsinki City’s “Café Tänään tavataan”, an activity designed to bring together families from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

“We met in a playground where families were offered free snacks and drinks. We sang songs and played games, and once we got a visit from an organisation that helps low-income families go on holiday.”

O’Neill helped with setting up the activities and playing with the children.

“I’m impressed by how little language you actually need to communicate. Some of the children spoke neither English nor Finnish, yet we were still able to play together.”

O’Neill also volunteered at Slush and at Hanken’s Slush related event Unicorn Night. At Slush she helped pack up computers and badges, and was on standby to assist with various tasks, such as going to the airport if needed.

“It was interesting to learn more about the startup world. Slush has around 1,700 volunteers, and many work for months. I was impressed by how motivated everyone was.”

She has volunteered before and hopes to continue in the future. Back home in the UK, she has, for example, played games with residents in a care home and walked dogs.

“I really enjoy volunteering, and I particularly liked giving something back to Finland, since I’ve come here to live for a while.”

Authentic relationships and community

The course is worth two credits and runs over two study periods. Participants can choose how they want to contribute, based on their own abilities and interests. Partner organisations have included the Red Cross, Folkhälsan, Caritas Finland and International Youth Cooperation Suomi.

“The course complements academic studies. It fosters social skills that all companies are looking for today”, says Hanken lecturer Maria Gajitos.

She points out that universities should be places where students learn to help others and contribute to society.

“Business schools educate the business leaders of the future, but they must realise: what is the purpose of companies, if not to improve society? In fact, many top universities and companies today actively encourage volunteering.”

Gajitos emphasises that in an age shaped by technology and AI, we need authentic relationships and a sense of community more than ever.

“We don’t want to get stuck in a purely technological or virtual world. What is human is best preserved through personal contact.”

Text: Jessica Gustafsson 
Photos: Matilda Saarinen and Jessica Gustafsson

The Centre for Languages and Business Communication at Hanken is known for its high-quality and diverse language education, with an emphasis on intercultural business communication. The Centre offers education in six languages: English, Finnish, French, German, Spanish and Swedish.