Ilkka Niemelä: Greetings from Aalto University

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Dear Finance alum,

At Aalto University we think a lot about our impact on Finland and the world. At more than 100,000-strong, our

alumni community is a major force for change; in fact, we consider the students we educate to be our largest

impact. As a graduate of one of the leading Finance departments in Europe, your mark can be seen in financial

markets and broader society. Of that you should be proud.

Finland’s long-term success relies on research and innovation – and integrating international talent. At Aalto

we want to ensure that every student builds connections with Finnish working life. But we can’t do it alone: we

need help from industry and other partners.

As our alum, you are uniquely placed to help. For example, by offering a challenge for students to solve as a

study project or joining the doctoral education pilot, you can ensure international students get the experience

they need to move their careers in Finland ahead. Please visit www.aalto.fi/talent to learn more about how we

can work together on this.

While we push key initiatives like international student employment forward, the work to widen our broader

impact continues. Finland needs more talent, more entrepreneurs and more innovations. Estimates indicate

that we should increase the number of students at Aalto even up to 40% by 2035. However, we want to build

the required research and education capacity gradually, without compromising quality. To help make this

happen, Aalto has kicked off a new fundraising campaign that highlights the change we can make together.

The goal of the campaign is to raise 30 million euros through the support of 1 500 donors. I hope you will join

us and spread the word – you can read more at www.aalto.fi/makewaves.

As always, I want to thank you for your continued support of Aalto. I look forward to seeing you at one of our

upcoming events like Aalto Alumni Weekend, our biggest alumni event, set for 25 October 2025.

Ilkka Niemelä

President, Aalto University