Kickstart with a practical twist

Apurva Ganoo says VAMK taught him a great deal about teamwork and project management. Next goal is to pursue further academic research, ideally in Finland.

Kickstart with a practical twist

Apurva Ganoo is what you might call a global millennial. He was born in India, but had lived both in Finland and Malaysia before deciding to study at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences.

– My father got a transfer from his work in India at ABB, and our whole family moved to Vaasa in 2004. I was seven years old at the moment, so I went to elementary school in Finland.

So, Despite completing his primary education in Malaysia, he wanted to attend a Finnish university. He was interested in technology, and already knew Vaasa as a living environment.

– I had my doubts about the education, but luckily I had the chance to visit the Technobothnia lab before enrolment, Apurva says.

– I was so excited about the lab: the equipment, robots and all. It lifted my motivation.

During his studies, Apurva’s conception of VAMK changed thoroughly. He noticed for example that VAMK students and faculty have attended robotics competitions alongside some of the best universities in the world. And did well, as a matter of fact.

“It’s inspiring to see that even small universities can compete against Harvard and MIT, and one can work for big companies like Google after graduation.”

In this together

Apurva studied Information Technology in an English-speaking group.
He shortly realized that communication was one of his main assets. He often found himself as a group leader in many projects.

– I gained good experience in project management and communication, as well as teamwork. I do know how to code, but there were others that were better at coding. Good teamwork is finding people’s strengths and using them for the greater good.

After bachelor’s degree, Apurva wanted to learn more about product development. He started to study International Design Business Management at Aalto University. His plan is to proceed to PhD level, and currently he is also working as a teaching assistant and a community manager for the department.

– I’m into working with new ideas and exploring start up industry. I had good experience from project management solutions during my Vaasa years, and with one the teachers, Timo Kankaanpää helping us students, network with companies develop real-life projects and cases. At Aalto University I have been able to expand that network even further.

Ask the teacher

For the new or upcoming students, Apurva has one more thing to say about VAMK: appreciate your teachers.

– The teachers in Vaasa are approachable and happy to help if you have any questions about the studies. They usually allow you to combine different studies flexibly, which gives you valuable and very practical skills for the career. For example, substituting course work with real-life projects, or gaining additional credits for other relevant projects and activities.

Facts about Apurva Ganoo