From International Student to Active Creator: Vignesh Reddy Kandi’s Experience at HAMK
For Vignesh, HAMK became a place to study, explore new opportunities, build confidence, and create something of his own.
Vignesh came to Finland in 2019 and began his studies at HAMK in 2021 in the Computer Applications degree programme. Today, he is working on Finland Uncovered, a growing podcast, content platform, website, and community for people who want to understand Finland better.
Finland was already part of Vignesh’s life before his studies, as his father was working here. When choosing where to study, HAMK stood out because of its location and study environment. Hämeenlinna offered something different from Helsinki: a calmer place to focus, while still being well connected to both Helsinki and Tampere.
For Vignesh, Visamäki campus was not only a place for lectures. It was an environment where students could study, meet people, explore ideas, and find their own way.
A supportive student experience
Vignesh describes his time at HAMK as positive and supportive. He enjoyed his degree programme, made close friends, and found people who encouraged him along the way.
His classmates Wafa and Nazanin became important supporters during his studies. He also remembers teachers and staff members such as Deepak KC, Mirlinda, and Tapani Hankonen, Head of the Degree Programme, whose encouragement helped him as he started exploring new ideas and projects.
The campus itself also played a role in his experience. The library, study spaces, music room, Design Factory, gaming room, and podcast studio all gave students possibilities to try different things outside regular classroom learning.
For Vignesh, one important lesson was that opportunities are available, but students also need to take the initiative to look for them.
Discovering opportunities beyond the classroom
One of the most meaningful parts of Vignesh’s HAMK experience was RUN-EU, the Regional University Network. Through HAMK’s collaboration with RUN-EU, he took part in three Short Advanced Programmes in Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
These international experiences helped him build confidence, meet people from different backgrounds, and see learning from a wider perspective. He also went on exchange to Vienna, which made him appreciate Finland, studying in Finland, and HAMK even more.
Sometimes, experiencing another environment can help students see the value of their own study place more clearly.
From student life to creating his own platform
A major turning point for Vignesh was volunteering at Slush in 2021. The experience opened his eyes to networking, events, volunteering, and the startup ecosystem in Finland. It also led him to Junction, where he later worked as an Application Processing Team Lead and supported registrations and marketing.These experiences encouraged him to explore, experiment, and start building something of his own.
That idea eventually became Finland Uncovered. During his own journey, Vignesh noticed that Finland has many opportunities, but information can sometimes feel scattered or difficult to understand. He wanted to create a platform that makes Finland easier to understand through real people and real stories.
Through Finland Uncovered, he covers topics such as student life, opportunities, culture, founder stories, diplomacy, and international talent in Finland. The project is still growing, but the vision is clear: to build a platform and community around honest, useful stories about Finland.
Learning resilience in Finland
Vignesh’s journey has also included challenges. The Finnish winter came as a surprise, and learning consistency and resilience took time. But these experiences became part of his growth.
One of the biggest things he has learned in Finland is the freedom to fail. For him, failure does not have to mean the end of an idea or a journey. It can also be a chance to restart, learn, and continue with something new.
At HAMK, he is especially proud of his RUN-EU experiences and the freedom he had to work on different things alongside his studies. He also took part in student life in different ways, including running in HAMKO’s Council of Representatives elections and working as a tutor for the 2022 class.
HAMK also helped him get his first professional opportunity as a Project Manager, which became another important step in his journey.
Advice for new international students
Vignesh encourages new international students to explore beyond the classroom. For him, student life is not only about completing courses, but also about using the resources, networks, and opportunities available.
His advice is to ask for help, attend events, meet new people, and stay open to different experiences. At the same time, he recognises that not everyone enjoys socialising in the same way — and that is also okay. Students can still find their own way of making things work.
When asked how he would describe himself as a HAMK student, Vignesh chooses one word: striver.
And the message he hopes others take from his experience is simple: look for opportunities. If the kind of opportunity you want does not exist yet, use the freedom around you to create one yourself.
Check out other student stories!
