Owing to work demands, Taru Salminen hasn’t been to the University of Helsinki for some time now, but she has a number of fond memories from her study days.

“To a young student the university world seemed big and anonymous, and the subject staff seemed rather forbidding. The amanuensis at the Department of Asian and African languages and Cultures (nowadays the Department of World Cultures), Harry Halén was a great help. When a student came to get study credits registered, he would tell about his research and past.”

Getting started on studies at the University was a moment of liberation for Salminen:

“When I opened the study guide, I realised that here was the opportunity to sign up for just about anything: language courses, literature, art history and so on. In a way, it felt like the world was at my feet.”

Quite apart from the studies, Salminen remembers the University for the decent provision of physical recreation, something she has been missing more recently. She made good use of the available services, practising sports such as the International Taekwon-Do Federation’s (ITF) 태권도, or Taekwondo, as well as salsa. And she’s been able to carry on with both hobbies in Korea.