Uutishuone
PhD Pathways: A researcher’s life in Finland
Fahad Sohrab, PhD and Research Manager at Haltian, appreciates Finland’s flexible work culture, as it aligns well with his lifestyle as a researcher. In this series, we chat with international PhDs who have studied in Finland and whose career paths have taken them from academia to the private sector.
Finland has been struggling with its country image, as surveys like International experts in Finland 2024 by the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland (TEK) and the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland suggest that immigrants are very worried over the current debate about Finland’s immigration policies. On the flip side, many factors are at play whether someone decides to stay in a country.
Fahad Sohrab, originally from Pakistan, has lived in several countries. He applied to Tampere University as a master’s student in 2013, but since another university provided him with funding, he decided against going to Finland.
After many twists and turns, Sohrab started to consider Finland again as a possible place to continue his career path. He then came across a research position at Tampere University which sealed the deal.
– I was hired as a researcher at Tampere University in 2017 to complete my PhD in AI and signal processing. The research topic interested me, and the research group had some great people there. It was my main reason for choosing Tampere University, Sohrab explains.
Sohrab goes on to say that he didn’t know much about Tampere beforehand. But he had friends living in the city who he consulted before making the decision. Everything sounded promising.Though after spending a few months in Finland Sohrab feared, he had made a mistake.
– The environment and university were nice, but nothing I had expected, especially Tampere since I’m used to big cities. But I say this to everyone: Finland is like a drug – the longer you stay here, the more you like it, he jokes.
A seamless ‘transition’ to business
The Finnish government has decided to foster economic growth with around 1 billion euro investments in R&D activities for higher education institutions, research organizations and companies. The investment is intended to improve conditions for ambitious research and to promote international R&D cooperation. For the funding to benefit researchers and companies, it’s crucial to create systems that truly foster collaboration.
Sohrab currently works as a Research Manager at Haltian, but also as a postdoctoral research fellow at Tampere University. To get things started, he got a grant through Post Docs in Companies, a matchmaking program which aims to do what the new public funding is aiming to accelerate: collaboration between the research community and business.
When the funding ended, Sohrab started working for Haltian full-time.
– I had established connections with the team at Haltian through various university projects we had worked on together. The Post Docs in Companies program made the transition from PhD research to the private sector seamless, especially since I was able to continue my university research while simultaneously working at Haltian, he explains.
Finland: flexibility to travel, work and live
Many pieces need to fall into place to feel at home in a new environment. One aspect is work, but other parts of life might as well tip the scale. Sohrab is a permanent resident of Finland, though he has not yet obtained citizenship. But he has decided that Finland will always be his second home.
Right now, that physical home is in Kangasala, a town close to Tampere.
– I like to travel and work in different countries here and there, but I will always come back to Finland. When I compare the work-life balance here to the rest of the world, I would say it’s still much better than most of the countries I’ve been to. But of course, there’s always room for improvement, he says.
The flexibility of remote work gives a lot of possibilities, and he feels happy with the arrangement that might not be possible in other countries.
– Research is a process for me and a lifestyle. Having the chance to work wherever and whenever suits me perfectly. The culture here fosters this while minimizing unnecessary pressures, Sohrab describes.
On the other hand, he admits that social life in Finland is very different to other parts of the world, but as he puts it, he has ‘gotten used to it by now’.
– I’ve built strong friendships, especially with my colleagues, as we share some common hobbies. In terms of free time, Finland has it all, from summer to winter activities. But of course, if you can’t handle winter, you shouldn’t come here!
It takes two to tango
It’s easy to understand that for some the process of adjusting to a new environment is easier than for others. But what could Finland do better to attract and retain international talent? Sohrab has a few ideas.
– All of us could do a better job in representing Finland and putting the word out. I’ve met many people who don’t even know Finland exists, he points out.
Building connections between people is a challenge even during our time of increased connectivity. But it’s precisely connections that we need to foster.
– We could have better orientation programs for people who are new to the country. And they shouldn’t only focus on the language, but rather present a holistic approach to what life is like in Finland. However, it takes two to tango — both immigrants and Finns must make an effort to coexist, he concludes.
Photo: IINE Studio
