Päivää, salaam, konnichiwa – Timi Lehtola brings diverse languages to everyday encounters

What do you do for work? 

I work as a research technician at the Department of Information and Communication Technology, as well as an occupational safety representative for the School of Electrical Engineering. My work is diverse: I do everything from providing IT support to putting up workshops. What I like about my job is that each day consists of such varied tasks. My story at Aalto – or rather Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) – started already in 2002. 

What acts of inclusion do you do in your work? 

The most important thing for me is that every person is happy and feels like they safely belong in the community. Every person is equally important, regardless of their different backgrounds and cultures. 

I strive to bring a positive and joyful attitude to the community. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I started a habit in a chat with my close colleagues where every day I would bid them good morning in a different language – and they would try to guess which language it was. So far, we've covered 853 languages. 

When I meet a new international employee, for example when they come to pick up a work computer, I tend to greet them in their native language whenever possible. It often brings happy smiles to their faces, and the day feels instantly better. 

And a fun fact: I am a "barefoot" or "paljasjalkainen" Otaniemi resident, as in I was born here and haven't left since! :)