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‘Many lecturers and professors at the School of Business stick in one’s mind for decades’

The class of 1954 of the School of Business convened at Aalto University Töölö.
Kauppiksen alumneja, vsk -54
Eila Laukkanen (on the left), Harry Blässar, Eeva Siukosaari and Lea-Mi Herlevi-Usva, and on the right: Ritva Lehtola, Airi Nurmimaa, Antti Einiö and Katri Mason.

The class, which began its studies at the School of Business in 1954, met for lunch on 20 May 2021 at the restaurant Töölö in the former main building of the School of Business. A total of 17 alumni who had been friends since their study days and who had begun their studies sixty-seven years ago arrived at the restaurant. The class of 1954 had last met in 2019 at Aalto University in Otaniemi, before which they had convened at five-year intervals.

Eeva Siukosaari ja Harry Blässar (Kauppis, vsk -54)
Eeva Siukosaari and Harry Blässar

‘Because we are getting fewer and fewer every year that passes by, we thought that we could meet for the next time in the autumn of this year.’ After all, we are already 85 to 87 years old,’ say Eeva Siukosaari and Harry Blässar. They had been the moving spirits behind the meetings, setting themselves the task of calling the old friends to meet up.

At the beginning of the lunch meeting, Helena Salminen from the School of Business Donor Relations briefly updated the alumni of the latest news of Aalto University and the School of Business. After the update on the School’s latest developments, those present had a quiet moment for those who had passed away.

‘We have taken this habit to honour those who have passed away since the previous meeting of the class,’ says Eeva.

At the meetings of our class, we live in the now, sharing mostly topical news.

‘In the past, we used to talk about our careers and what position each person held and what sector they worked in, but today that is history, just like working hours are now history. We share our memories of our study days at the School, if something pops up in someone’s mind,’ Eeva says.

Read more in Finnish and see a few more pictures

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