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Many Finnish companies are struggling with a labor shortage. Businesses could benefit from more active and diverse collaboration with universities, as they serve as excellent recruitment channels for students and recent graduates. International students are a particularly interesting target group for companies, as they bring much-needed diversity to the organisations. 

The Thesis Fair events, now organized for the first time, provide companies with a cost-free and low-barrier opportunity to meet potential, international thesis workers. A master's thesis can serve as a means to engage students with a company and potentially secure them as long-term employees upon graduation. Events where thesis workers and companies meet are one concrete way for universities to support the integration of international students into Finnish society. Diversity is a huge opportunity and resource for the society, and lays the foundation for innovations and sustainable growth, as President of Aalto University Ilkka Niemelä pointed out in his statement at the opening speech of the academic year. 

Enhancing organizational diversity and competitive advantage with international students

While Finnish students often find employment already during their bachelor’s studies, international students are actively seeking job opportunities during their master's studies. If they don’t find a suitable position from the Finnish job market, they have no problem securing a job matching their skillset outside of Finland after graduation. This is a loss for Finnish economy and Finnish companies. 

Given the limited opportunities for international students in the Finnish job market, Finnish companies can distinguish themselves by offering thesis opportunities in English. This can be a competitive edge, strengthening the company’s ability to recruit highly educated talents also in the future. International students are an especially appealing target group for companies, as they bring much-needed diversity to the organization without the cost of recruiting specialists from abroad.

Thesis work opens the door to the industry

A convenient way to evaluate the competencies and suitability of a student is to offer them a thesis position, where the student tackles a specific business challenge or participates in a research project. A master's thesis conducted in collaboration with a company serves as a gateway for international students into the Finnish job market. For instance, an international student in the field of technology who completes a thesis within a company is up to four times more likely to find employment in Finland than a student who conducts the thesis purely as an academic research (source: Graduate Survey by the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK).

The easiest way for companies to find thesis workers is through university recruitment events. Aalto University and Tampere University are organizing free Thesis Fair events, where companies can meet international master's students from various fields and identify potential thesis workers for the year 2024.

Aalto University's Thesis Fair will be held on October 31, 2023, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Register your company and secure your spot by October 20, 2023, at: /en/events/thesis-fair-2023

Tampere University's Thesis Fair will take place on November 30, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Register your company: