Getting to know the opposite side of the coin

Malika Taky has been studying in Finland since 2017. She transferred from Kuopio to Vaasa in order to learn IT and coding at VAMK.

Getting to know the opposite side of the coin

Are you familiar with the term ‘hackathon’? Hackathon is an event that brings computer programmers, software developers and other IT related experts and students together for a certain purpose. Often the attendees are given some kind of a challenge, and they have a limited time to finish their mission.

One of these events changed Malika Taky’s life.

– I participated in a hackathon in Copenhagen. There were all kinds of interesting stuff, like coding and app development. It made me want to learn more.

At that time Malika was studying mechanical engineering at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Kuopio. She found a degree programme suitable for her awakened interest at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences.

– In 2018 I started my Information Technology studies in Vaasa at an international degree programme. I got some credits transferred from Savonia which were accepted as a part of my degree at VAMK, and am expecting to graduate in spring of 2021.

Open and connected

Studying abroad has always been a dream for Malika Taky. She grew up in Bangladesh, where, according to her, are much less flexibility for students.

– There are many differences in the education systems of Finland and Bangladesh, one could even say they are like two opposite sides of the coin. Overall, students and universities are more open here.

Malika gives an example: She was astonished to notice that there isn’t any age limit for studies. Anybody od any age can go to university and study whatever pulls their interest.

– Malika says that she appreciates the universities of applied sciences. Their concept is practical, and thus they give you a comprehensive spread of skills needed for your career.

– The school’s vast connections with different companies give the students good advantages to build up both career and overall personality. For example, I have been living in Finland for three years now, and during that time I have gained almost three years of work experience.

Successful ideas

Currently Malika is working at Nokia as a part time thesis worker. Last summer she worked in Espoo at Nokia headquarters, but recently she has been working remotely from Vaasa.

– My work is mostly about creating an automated test environment. However, I’m also developing the user interface.

She finds Vaasa to be a small but lively city with lots of international students. The career sights are quite good in the area, and Malika is considering to stay in Finland after graduation.

In the meantime, Malika still has time to attend many hackathons, from which she has reaped more and more success over the years.

At Hack Cambridge, a broadly known and highly esteemed hackathon, Malika’s team won their category with a work introducing a Snapchat filter to remind the social media users of the climate change.

For a student, the events are a great way to network, too.

– You just go there, and there’s food, accommodation and everything planned out for you. Then you get to innovate and build something new for the future with likeminded people. It’s fun.