The Business of Connection: Weaving a Tapestry at Savonia

Hi,

My name is Marjana, and I am an architect of future connections in the International Business programme. I began crafting my journey in the autumn of 2025, and it has been a canvas of continuous learning and growth.

I have always seen business as the art of creating value where none existed before. The legendary management thinker Peter Drucker once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” This is the spirit that called me to International Business. I didn’t want to just observe the global economy; I wanted to participate in its creation. Savonia, with its hands-on ethos, presented itself not as a traditional lecture hall but as a dynamic workshop for future creators. It was the perfect atelier to learn this art.

Studying here is an immersion in the poetry of practical wisdom. Our curriculum is a vibrant palette—from the psychological brushstrokes of marketing to the structural lines of global economics. We live the words of Steve Jobs: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” In our projects, we are not memorizers; we are innovators. We are expected to be alchemists—transforming theoretical knowledge into golden solutions for real business problems. The expectation is to bring not just your mind, but your vision, learning that “price is what you pay; value is what you get,” as the sage investor Warren Buffett taught us.

Adapting to Finland was like learning a new, beautiful rhythm in a minor key. The initial silence of the culture and the deep winter were my greatest teachers in resilience. I found solace in the words of the economist John Maynard Keynes: “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.” I escaped my old ideas of constant noise and busyness. I learned the Finnish art of sisu—perseverance—and found profound warmth in the simplicity of a shared coffee (kahvi) with friends from every corner of the globe, building a microcosm of the international market right here in Kuopio.

Upon graduation, I plan to step into the world as a global storyteller for brands. I envision a role where I can help companies narrate their value across cultures, perhaps in international brand management. I am guided by Seth Godin’s insight: “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” I want to tell stories that build bridges.

My tips for future students:

• For Applying: Let your application tell a story. Show them the dreamer and the doer within you.
• For Studying: Embrace the projects. They are your first ventures. Remember Henry Ford’s wisdom: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.”
• For Living: Invest in your well-being as wisely as an investor chooses a stock. The return on a healthy mind and a strong community is immeasurable.

— Marjana

I have always seen business as the art of creating value where none existed before.