Niina Häkkinen

I grew up in Northern Finland, near the Swedish border. I was educated in Sweden, in a bilingual comprehensive school, which not only taught me the language of the neighbouring country, but also provided a deeper understanding of the importance of transboundary cooperation and the European Union. I also remember myself wondering why Finnish criminals escaped the police across the border, and more recently, why I witnessed a massive group of asylum seekers on the same border in the autumn of 2015? Growing up in this multicultural environment, initially awakened my interest in different cultures, internationality, and researching the legal framework that surrounds us. Hence, in spring 2019, I decided to apply to TalTech to study international and European law.

Besides studies, I have been actively involved in student life. In my freshmen year, I was elected as the Director of Foreign Affairs for the Student Association of TalTech Law School, MTÜ Õigus Juuratudengid. After a successful and educating year, I was elected as a Vice-Chairperson for the current year. Being a Board member has given me the opportunity to learn and develop several skills such as leadership and teamwork, and to expand my network. In my free time, I enjoy working out, cooking, and going to museums. I am a fanatic cleaner, interested in graphic design and photography, and I love hiking in summer and snowboarding in winter.

After completing my bachelor’s studies, I intend to pursue a master’s degree in law, either in the Netherlands or in Sweden. The fields in which I would like to deepen my knowledge are intellectual property law and mergers and acquisitions.

The scholarship provides me with an opportunity, for example, to cover the costs of the language tests required for joining certain master’s programmes abroad. Moreover, I will be saving and investing parts of the scholarship. It is remarkable that our university is supporting young students – future professionals.

Rasmus Kalep

I am currently studying business and have chosen entrepreneurship and management as my major. I decided in favour of this field because I have always been interested in business and it is a broad-based study programme that will hopefully help me make the right decisions in the future.

Music is my main interest. I enjoy singing, song writing, and playing in a band. I wouldn't imagine my life without music. In addition, sailing is my great passion, and in summer I work as a sailing coach. I really like cooking, and this winter I have discovered badminton for myself.

I am the human resource manager in the Student Council of the School of Business and Governance. My responsibilities include our internal events, managing the existing members, and welcoming new ones. In the spring of 2021, I was the main organizer of TalTech Investment Day. Nearly 900 students attended the event, and it reached more than 100,000 people on Facebook. In addition, I help other students as a student counsellor and belong to the Education Quality Group of the School of Business and Governance.

After earning my bachelor's degree, one of my options is to go to the United States for a year as part of a BAFF internship programme. The second option is to stay in Estonia, find an internship place here during my third academic year, and start building my career here. I haven't made any big plans yet.

The scholarship was a big surprise because I was at a training meeting of the Estonian Defence Forces at that time. I think that I will invest the money to let it grow in a nice way.

Vladislav Fjodorov

I am pursuing a master's degree in economic analysis. I chose this field because I had studied applied economics at the bachelor's level and wanted to deepen my knowledge at the master's level. In addition, in the labour market, there is a high demand for specialists who hold a master's degree in economic analysis.

I have been practicing taekwondo for more than 14 years. Currently, I participate in competitions in the role of a judge, but in the past, I competed at the international level - I participated in the World Cup twice, I am a multiple times champion of the Baltic States and Estonia. Before entering university, I also worked as a taekwondo coach for a few years.

At university, I joined TalTech Russian Debate Club. I have been a member of the club for 4 years, and competed in several tournaments, and tested myself as a judge. I ride a road bike on beautiful spring and summer days.

After completing my master's studies, I can take two possible paths: either to continue my studies at the doctoral level or to enter the labour market and postpone my doctoral studies to a somewhat later time. Currently, I cannot say which path I will take. This will probably be revealed in the spring.

The scholarship will support my graduation, helping me to focus on writing my thesis in the spring. In addition, it will serve as a potential start-up capital if I decide to continue my doctoral studies next autumn.