Ilkka Herlin worked the whole time he was studying, and it was partly for this reason that it took him ten years to graduate with a master’s degree. He completed his doctoral dissertation in three years.

– Working with racehorses at the family estate, and particularly working at our investment company from the late 1980s onwards, gave me the necessary pluck to take my studies over the finishing line.

After completing his dissertation, Herlin continued working on research projects and got the chance to teach PhD students of history at the University of Helsinki.

– My feeling that students are in need of personal guidance was further strengthened during that period. Through good guidance the time it takes to complete a master’s thesis or a doctoral dissertation could be shortened. No one benefits when studying or writing a dissertation becomes one’s life’s work. I hope that more is invested in guidance today.

Herlin nevertheless still thinks that part of studying the humanities is finding your own thing. He believes that everyone should act according to their situation in life.

– Of course it would be better if students completed their master’s degrees quickly and then found work within their fields. If a career in research is what you want, then your dissertation should be finished reasonably fast. On the other hand, there is no harm in occasionally stopping and taking some time to look at the world from new angles. A broad education and identifying the connections between things are part of the humanities. That is something that might not necessarily be learned by rushing through courses just to get a degree.

Herlin also wants to encourage the students of today to explore the possibilities of international cooperation. He himself missed the chance of being an exchange student and living abroad during his time at the University.

– It is great to see how well-organised student exchange programmes are today, with opportunities even to study on the other side of the globe.