Kristiina Vasilopoulos

I was born in Finland but grew up in Greece. When I studied mining and metallurgical engineering in Athens, I really liked the geoengineering courses we had. Aalto University’s Master’s Programme in Geoengineering felt like a natural choice for me: it combined the field I wanted to study with my second home country.

The studies in the programme have given me a broad view of the field. The courses provide both a theoretical basis and hands-on exercises. On one course, for example, we were tasked with designing a road with real parameters, and we got to see the road that was actually built and compare it with our designs. Another great thing is that I have learned to use the softwares commonly used by the professionals.

The best thing about this programme is that it’s well connected to the industry. We have had guest lecturers from different companies and many courses include exercises that tackle real-life challenges from the industry. What better way is there to learn something than to have an actual person who works on the same kinds of problems every day giving you advice and comments on your work?

After the first year of studies, I was quite lucky to find a summer job at infrastructure and construction service company Destia, working on exactly the topic that interested me. I’m still at the same company, working as a rock engineer–geotechnical designer, combining knowledge from my previous studies and my studies in Aalto University.

I feel that the Aalto community is very welcoming to new and international students. People here love their place of study and they want to make you love it too! Otaniemi is a very student-oriented place, meaning that students’ well-being is its first priority. It’s full of life and activities that suit any taste.