Vasilii’s Journey to Oulu: A Story of Academic Pursuit and Cultural Integration
Vasilii Balanov visited Oulu for the first time in November 2019, when he was about to commence his internship at the University of Oulu. In St. Petersburg he studied a master’s programme in microelectronics, which required an internship abroad. After a careful evaluation, he decided to apply to Finland, since it was close to his hometown. Soon he was offered a position in Oulu.
Without ever having heard about the city before, Vasilii Balanov decided to seize an opportunity and travelled to Finland, determined to start an adventure in a new country.
– My first impression of Oulu was very positive. It was November, so it was already snowing and quite cold. Everybody was preparing for Christmas, so the city was covered in Christmas lights. Already during the first few days I really liked the architecture and general atmosphere, and people were super kind.
Oulu impressed him, and in 2021 Vasilii moved to Oulu permanently after receiving a job and starting his PhD-programme at the same place where he accomplished both internships.
Why Oulu?
– Ending up in Oulu was kind of a coincidence, but I like Oulu a lot. One of the best things about here is that you can cycle everywhere. Bicycle routes are very well developed, and the distances are not too long in general. The other thing I’ve enjoyed is that there isn’t as much stuff to do as in bigger cities. For me it means learning to appreciate what I have and developing adaptation skills. It also pushes me to discover what I can do with what I have.
“Ending up in Oulu was kind of a coincidence, but I like Oulu a lot. One of the best things about here is that you can cycle everywhere.“
Vasilii has discovered a lot to do in Oulu and the nearby regions. He loves cycling, both alone and with a group of people, and photography. Both hobbies give him the opportunity to explore Oulu more. During his time in Oulu he has also discovered entirely new hobbies, such as bouldering and fencing. He also enjoys hiking in nature.
– Nature is awesome here, and I really love Oulu because it’s close to it. There’s fresh air and lots of hiking routes and forests nearby. Also hiking is a great hobby to do with friends. I’ve visited for example Lemmenpolku, Pilpasuo, Rokua and Karhunkierros in Kuusamo. My favourite place in Oulu is Koitelinkoski.
Integration and Hobbies
Vasilii has now spent 2,5 years in his new hometown. He has gotten to know different communities and met lots of new people.
– My first contact here was my Finnish kummi student. He helped me with all the things related to my arrival and basic things in everyday life, like going to a grocery store. He also took me to a climbing center where I tried bouldering for the first time. It’s quite amazing that during my time in Finland I created even more connections than I did before.
Recently he pursued his passion for cycling by joining the official cycling club of Oulu. It organizes training and competitions, which he gladly participates in. He also received a position as leader of the University Cycling Club, which gets funding from the university. In the group people gather together and explore Oulu by bike.
– The best part about the Cycling Club is that everyone can join. There are different groups for beginners and more advanced people. It has the potential to become a big community that unites cycling enthusiasts. As the leader of the club, I want to show what cycling at its best can be.
Professional pursuits
Currently Vasilii works and researches microelectronic materials and is a doctoral researcher.
– Basically, this means working in the lab and doing my own research at the same time, he explains.
– My main duties and tasks are using different chemical synthesis to create the actual materials. I characterize different measurements to different properties. The purpose of my work is to reduce wasted energy. Most of it is actually wasted, since almost everything could be utilized as an energy source. For example, the vibrations that people produce when talking are energy. We are creating devices to collect this energy and trying to recycle it and use it again.
In general, for Vasilii working in Finland has been a positive experience.
– I really like the working culture in Finland. It’s different, but quite relaxed and flexible. My work is very independent, and I appreciate that no one is monitoring what I do all the time. When I come up with questions, I just reach out and ask. There’s also a good balance between work and free time.
Learning the Language
One of the things Vasilii started doing right after moving to Oulu was learning Finnish. In his opinion, Finnish is very different from other languages he knows, but at the same time he thinks it’s quite a logical one.
– I recommend everybody study Finnish. As a scientist who mostly works in a laboratory, I haven’t needed it that much at work. However, it has been very helpful for networking. I use it a lot in daily life, for example when talking to my colleagues.
He recalls a funny incident from years back when he had just moved to Oulu.
– I had just started learning Finnish. One day I was walking towards a recycling center, when an older man stopped me and asked me in Finnish if I needed any furniture. Thanks to my studies, I understood what he said and ended up having the furniture I needed for free. If I hadn’t understood it, I would have missed this opportunity. It’s good to have some basic knowledge of the language. It makes integrating and daily life easier because you can understand them, and they understand you better. I think it’s very easy to participate in Finnish courses for example at the university.
– Another important thing I discovered when moving here was that life abroad isn’t always positive. Every country has its own disadvantages, but you can also make a difference with your attitude. The thing I really like about Oulu is that it’s calm and safe. In my hometown it wasn’t always so obvious.
