On 13th of December, all HAMK students, teachers and citizens of Valkeakoski got a chance to meet and explore different cultures from all over the world at one place. First-year students of HAMK’s International Business organized an event, which brought together different nationalities and told everyone about their unique traditions. 
Students represented their own countries in national costumes and had stands where they were introducing their cultures. Representatives from Finland, Russia, Bulgaria, China, Vietnam, Kosovo, Korea, Czech Republic, Latvia, Nepal and Spain had great stories to tell about their lives.
We were fortunate enough to have an interview with the president of the event, Tapio Ikonen:
In my mind, International Day was a massive hit! Different groups (such as catering and logistics) did a great job and made the whole event possible. Communication between different nationalities was effortless.
“Most motivating part of the project was to see our whole class coming together to create something wonderful. Everyone was really devoted to making this day as great as we just possibly could. I can already see experiences gained from this project helping all of us in the upcoming school projects!”
Moreover, students organized international food tasting with dishes from their own cultures, entertainment activities such as singing, dancing performances, and games with unknown facts about our world.
During the International Day, another event was held in the same location. The Campus of Valkeakoski opened its doors for visitors to familiarize themselves with the premises and with the education given in the campus. The biggest attraction (besides the International day) for the visitors was the engineering lab. Moving robots and fascinating lecture about the practical side of studies was enough to convince even the most skeptical minded visitor. At the end of the tour, visitors were able to imagine themselves relaxing in the sauna room.
The general atmosphere of the campus was fulfilled with joy and excitement. We hope to see you at the upcoming events of HAMK!
Read more about HAMK’s International Business and apply to study! This blog is written by IB’s Marketing Ring students Ossian and Ekaterina.
