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Aalto students embarked on the U!Train to explore green mobility

Published: 14.10.2024

Three Aalto University students participated in the U!Train Blended Intensive Programme, a sustainable mobility course organised by the Unite! university alliance.

Group of students with the Alps in the background. — The students did a day trip to the mountain pass Col du Lautaret in the Alps.

Aalto University is a member of Unite! together with eight other high-level European technical universities. Unite! aims to strengthen the mobility and internationalisation of students by offering international courses on technology and multi-disciplinary topics, languages, and culture. Unite! also provides funding for building extra-curricular activities with students from the other alliance universities.

Students from Aalto and KTH at the Stockholm train station. Lauri Toivonen (left), Katherine Quevedo, Oscar Harryson and Aapo Salonen. — Students from Aalto and KTH on their way to Barcelona. Lauri Toivonen (left), Katherine Quevedo, Oscar Harryson and Aapo Salonen.

Students travelled through Europe with Interrail passes

The U!Train programme, which began in Barcelona on 1 September 2024, brought together 30 students from Unite!’s nine partner universities to explore green mobility and intercultural skills.

The 3 ECTS course combined online learning, lectures, and practical activities. Before boarding the U!Train, Aalto students Hanna-Mari Mustaniemi, Aapo Salonen, and Lauri Toivonen took part in online courses on ecological travel and multiculturalism. These sessions helped students get to know each other already before the journey.

Each participant received an Interrail pass, provided by Unite!, allowing them to travel from their home university to Barcelona and back from Grenoble, making the entire journey low-emission.

“On the way there, Aapo and I travelled by ferry to Stockholm, where we were joined by two students from Kunglika Tekniska Högskolan. With them we travelled by night train to Germany, and further via Paris to Barcelona. The journey to Barcelona took four nights since we stayed in Paris for two nights. The way back to Finland took me two nights. I was surprised how fast you can travel from Finland to Barcelona by train. Traveling by train was neither easy nor cheap, but definitely fun and educational”, tells Lauri Toivonen, who is a sixth year Engineering Physics student.

During the trip, the students wrote down observations about challenges in the train network. The biggest problem they found was the lack of coordination between countries. For example, a customer service representative in Germany cannot see the reservation status of trains in France.

Students in wheel chairs in an urban environment. — Students tried out what it's like to move around with a wheelchair in an urban environment.

Workshops, hands-on experiences, and culture

In Barcelona, the group took part in various workshops, including a culinary ice-breaker and a tutorial on Mapathon—a citizen science tool by UPC that maps real-time accessibility challenges. One afternoon was spent trying out what it's like to move around with a wheelchair in an urban environment.

The train journey to Grenoble featured social activities and discussions, and once in Grenoble, the students attended a five-day programme with classes in the morning and cultural and social events in the afternoon.

The course helped me clarify my strengths and values, and it also increased my interest in working abroad.

Lauri Toivonen

Experiences from the program

"The best part of U!Train was learning about multiculturalism and sustainable mobility together with people from different universities who share an interest in these topics. The activities outside of the lessons were also enjoyable, and the setting was incredibly beautiful. I definitely recommend participating in the courses and BIP programs organized by Unite!, as they are a great way to add diversity and international experience to your degree. I especially enjoyed the day trip to the mountain pass (Col du Lautaret) in the Alps, where in addition to lectures, we got to visit an alpine botanical garden and enjoy local food," says Hanna-Mari, who is in her fifth year of studying Information and Service Management at the School of Business.

“The U!Train - program was a great opportunity for me, and I am very grateful for it. The program was well organized, and we felt ourselves welcome. From the beginning, there was a close and inspiring spirit among the course participants. The course helped me clarify my strengths and values, and it also increased my interest in working abroad”, explains Lauri.