Studying business and technology at the northernmost tech hub
My choice - University of Oulu
Tam Truong completed his first bachelor's degree in Accounting and Auditing from the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City. However, he wanted to change his career to Hospitality Management. Thus, Tam came to southern Finland to study for another bachelor's degree and worked alongside.
"During that period, I had a break from Finland to do exchange studies in Santiago, Chile. Little did I know that Finland got my heart. And when the University of Oulu introduced the new master's programme in Business Analytics, I told myself, 'Time to have another academic journey, further up in the north," Tam comments.
"The unique programmes and the AACSB accreditation of Oulu Business School were the two main factors that affected my choice."
A combination of Business and Technology
"Business Analytics is a new programme, not only in Finland but worldwide," Tam comments. When searching for suitable options, Tam found that the University of Oulu offered this programme for the first time. "Studying business and technology at the northernmost tech hub, what could be better than that," Tam comments.
Business Analytics is a joint programme between the Oulu Business School and the Information Technology and Electrical Engineering faculties. Hence, Tam appreciates the collaboration between business and information technologies students.
"Coming from a business background, I have learned a handful of technical knowledge from my teammates throughout various projects."
Tam has been enjoying his life more than ever. The studies equip Tam with essential knowledge and practical skills for his career. After the first academic year, Tam found a summer traineeship to kick-start his career in business analytics. "I also like the flexibility the Finnish education system offers; students can adjust their study progress as much as they want," Tam adds.
"For me, studying at the University of Oulu is a life-changing milestone."
Opportunity to live in a high-tech country
Tam was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, which has nearly ten million inhabitants, and he has never imagined settling in a city like Oulu. He mentions that everything is different, from year-round sunny weather to long winters and from being surrounded by million people to just a couple hundred thousand. "The winter is just a tad bit long, but you will fall in love with all four seasons here," Tam adds.
Before coming to Oulu, Tam spent his entire time in Helsinki, hearing that Oulu is a tech centre in the north.
"Finland is a high-tech country, and the technologies change rapidly."
"After five years living here, I noticed that public services improved rapidly, regarding accessibility and usability, especially from a foreigner's point of view. All the services are just one click away," Tam comments.
As summer is coming, Tam intends to take one online course to push his study progress alongside his summer traineeship. On the other hand, Tam has also planned weekends at some summer cottages.
