Reading his reflections, I realized that before he ever set foot in Viet Nam, he had already encountered another Viet Nam - one revealed through his own students.

Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Dr. Keijo Varis recalled:

I have spent more than 11 years teaching on the MBA program at Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Over those years, I have met many students from different countries, but my Vietnamese students have always made a special impression on me.

I remember that they were often rather shy and quiet when they first entered the classroom. Yet behind that reserve lay sincerity, diligence, and an eagerness to learn. Through them, I gradually learned more about Viet Nam - not through grand narratives, but through everyday stories about work, family, and home.

Dr. Keijo Varis (left) and his student Phuc Pham. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

One of the students I remain in touch with today is Phuc Pham.

I met Phuc on the first day of the program, alongside around 30 other students. He was polite and a little shy, and told me that he had been born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City.

Later, through his assignments, I learned that Phuc had worked for several years in quality control at Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki. Initially, Phuc wanted to write his master’s thesis on change management. I persuaded him to study differences in leadership culture and work values between Finland and Viet Nam instead, because he had experienced those differences firsthand. I thought the topic could be useful to managers in both countries.

While working on his thesis, Phuc became worried because he did not know where to find survey respondents. I told him not to worry; I would help. I contacted people I knew in the Finland-Viet Nam Friendship Association and found participants for him.

After graduating, Phuc sent me a letter saying that I was like a father to him.

I am 65, while Phuc is around 30, but that age difference has never made it difficult for us to connect. I have always encouraged Phuc to speak openly with me. He does not need to pretend to know more than he actually does. He can talk about his worries and the things he does not know. To me, that trust is a gift.

In August 2026, I invited Phuc to join a meeting at the Vietnamese Embassy in Helsinki with the Finland-Viet Nam Friendship Association and the newly appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland. I had Phuc’s thesis bound in red - a color associated with Viet Nam’s national flag. We then presented the thesis to the Ambassador together.

I remember how happy Phuc was. So was I.

Dr. Keijo Varis (left) and his student Phuc Pham at a meeting with the Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland in August 2026. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

When I think of the students who helped me understand more about Viet Nam, I also remember Lien Phan and the photographs she sent from home.

I met Lien many years ago, also in a master’s class. She was rather shy and reserved, and we did not actually talk much while she was still in Finland. Only after Lien returned to Viet Nam and I supervised her thesis remotely over Zoom did we truly become close.

After she graduated, we stayed in touch through WhatsApp. We exchanged photographs of Finland and Viet Nam, our travels, and everyday life. Lien sent me pictures of her parents, her younger sister, and her family’s home in the countryside. I was particularly struck by the rice fields and natural scenery in those photographs.

Through Lien, Viet Nam gradually became a country with familiar faces and individual stories. I began taking an interest in Viet Nam before I ever set foot there.

Then, in September 2025, I met Lien again in Hanoi.

Dr. Keijo Varis reunited with his student Lien Phan in September 2025. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

It was a truly special feeling - meeting a former student thousands of kilometers from Turku. Lien accompanied me and served as my interpreter during my days in Hanoi. The schedule was very full, but we still had time to sit down together in the evenings. It felt like stepping into a new world. I saw a youthful, open, and vibrant Hanoi.

When I returned to Finland and reflected on the trip, I realized that what had left the deepest impression on me was not the official meetings, but the young Vietnamese people.

I want to say that all the young Vietnamese people I have met have been wonderful. To me, being able to call them my friends is a great honor. They are Viet Nam’s finest “ambassadors.”

Perhaps I had come to Viet Nam long before I actually set foot in Hanoi. I came to Viet Nam through my students.

Through their shyness on their first day in class. Through their stories about work, family, and home. Through the letter Phuc sent me and the photographs Lien shared from Viet Nam.

Then one day, the people who had once sat in my classroom in Turku were standing beside me in the heart of Hanoi.

At that moment, Viet Nam was no longer a distant country.

Viet Nam became the faces I knew, the friends I cherished, and the memories I carried home to Finland.

People-to-people Exchanges - Solid Foundation for Advancing Vietnam-Finland Ties General Secretary To Lam and Finnish friends agreed to strengthen coordination and be more creative in people-to-people exchange activities with richer content, attracting the wide participation of all walks of life, scientists, experts, businessmen and especially the young generation of the two countries.

Renewing Viet Nam-Finland Friendship through Youth and Creativity In an interview with reporters from VietnamTimes Magazine, Dr. Keijo Varis, a member of the Board of the Finland-Viet Nam Friendship Association, discussed his inspiring experiences in Viet Nam and offered insights into strengthening Viet Nam-Europe friendship through youth and innovation.