Everyone who has a higher education degree from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (or the previous institutions Evtek and Stadia) is a Metropolia alum and a part of the over 75 000 alumni of our university community. They form a broad group of experts from different fields. As a representatives of the working life they are important stakeholders.
Who will be Metropolia’s Alum of the Year 2026?
Metropolia’s Alum of the Year 2026 will be announced on 12 November at the Metropolia Alumni Gala on the Myllypuro campus. Due to high demand, the event is already fully booked.
The Alum of the Year is an active ambassador for Metropolia who graduated from Metropolia or one of its predecessor institutions, Stadia or EVTEK. The recipient boldly develops their field, promotes future skills and helps build a sustainable future. They share their expertise, experience and networks to support Metropolia and its student community, while promoting equality, diversity and sustainable development.
The finalists for Alum of the Year 2026 are:
Held every three years, the Metropolia Alumni Gala brings alumni together to network and celebrate their achievements in working life, entrepreneurship and society.
This year’s programme includes music, greetings from Metropolia and a panel discussion titled How to Stay Relevant Throughout a Long Career? Alumni will share their experiences of changes in working life, continuous learning and professional renewal at different stages of their careers. The evening’s headline performer is Nelli Matula.
Previous Alumni of the Year
The National Career Monitoring Survey will take place from 7 October to 9 November 2026. All alumni who completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a Finnish university of applied sciences in 2021 are invited to participate. The survey collects information about graduates’ employment, career paths and the relevance of their degree to working life five years after graduation.
The Career Monitoring Survey gives Metropolia alumni an opportunity to share how the knowledge and skills gained during their studies have met the needs of working life and how their careers have developed since graduation.
The responses will be used to develop education at Metropolia. The results also provide valuable information for current students and future applicants, for example, about the types of positions graduates from different degree programmes move into and how well the knowledge and skills gained through their studies are utilised in working life.
The survey is conducted by Finnish universities of applied sciences in cooperation with CSC – IT Center for Science. The survey invitation will be sent by email and text message.
Thank you in advance to everyone who takes part in the survey!
Read more about the Career Monitoring Survey in Metropolia’s news article
Read more about the results of the previous Career Monitoring Survey in Metropolia’s news article
Metropolia’s alumni activities support your career development and offer opportunities to update your skills, network, and collaborate with Metropolia even after graduation. As an alum, you can strengthen your expertise, expand your networks, and contribute to the development of future education and research.
Join the Metropolia alumni community — let’s build the future of the workplace together!
Stay in touch with Metropolia alumni on LinkedIn. Find people you know, share your career stories, and discover new sources of inspiration! Job postings are also shared in the group.
Join the LinkedIn community
Stay up to date and make sure you receive information about Metropolia’s events and news by updating your information in the alumni registry.
Update your information on alumni registry
Metropolia Alumni Connect – Collaboration Network offers Metropolia alumni an easy way to stay connected with the university of applied sciences community. As a member of the network, you can collaborate with Metropolia, build new professional connections, and showcase your expertise or organisation.
Metropolia Alumni Connect brings alumni, students and staff together, making it easier to find meaningful opportunities for collaboration. At the same time, you can help shape the next generation of professionals, expand your professional network, and gain fresh perspectives for your own work.
When you register, you can tell us what kinds of collaboration interest you. After you have registered, Metropolia staff may contact you about opportunities related to teaching, events or other forms of collaboration. The details of each collaboration opportunity are always agreed separately.
Examples of collaboration include:
Whether you are interested in giving a guest lecture, acting as a mentor, or participating in events, Alumni Connect helps you find collaboration opportunities that suit you best.
👉 Read the privacy notice for the Alumni Connect collaboration network.
The future of working is lifelong learning. Metropolia offers many different continuing studies to support your career development. You can apply for a Master’s degree and take part in the continuing studies.
Metropolia alumni can study free of charge at the Open UAS for four semesters, starting fromsemester following their graduation. Alumni eligibility for free-of-charge studies is verified automatically at registration. If the benefit applies, the invoice will be cancelled by the Open UAS customer service, and no separate notification is required. Register in the Open UAS online store, select “invoice” as your payment method.
Metropolia offers 38 programs leading to a Master’s degree in applied sciences. This is the widest range of programs in Finland. As a Metropolia Master’s student, you will develop yourself and help transform the workplace. A practice-oriented degree will give you a competitive edge. The Master's degree corresponds to level 7 on the EQF (European Qualifications Framework).
Metropolia can provide tailor-made training and consulting services for private and public organizations within the fields represented by Metropolia. Programmes are developed in close consultation with our clients. Training can take place in our premises at Metropolia or else where depending on the client's wish. Trainers and experts are teachers of our own college and also external experts if needed.
Specialization studies are suitable for working professionals who have already earned a bachelor’s degree from a University of Applied Sciences or have otherwise acquired equivalent expertise. The goal of the program is to deepen specialized expertise and prepare students to take on even the most demanding expert roles.
Are you looking for career planning support or considering further studies? As a Metropolia alumnus, you can book a free 30-minute online meeting with a career coach. It’s easy to fit the conversation into your schedule—perhaps during your lunch break—and this brief moment could make a big difference in your next career move.
Are you interested in a new field, or do you need some reassurance about your choice of program? Our free introductory courses offer an accessible way to explore different fields of study and degree programs. The courses are flexible and range from 1 to 5 credits—this introduction could be the start of a new career.
We offer expert services, rental spaces, and performers for events. We tackle development challenges in collaboration with our clients — using a multidisciplinary team when necessary. Metropolia’s experts combine expertise from various fields. Together, we find solutions, whether it’s training, a service, or a new type of product.
Metropolia’s Minno® innovation projects seek practical solutions for the needs of organizations. Student teams, guided by experienced professionals, tackle challenges presented by companies and organizations and seek new perspectives to address them. If you have an idea that you need help bringing to life, get in touch.
Are you interested in entrepreneurship, or are you already an entrepreneur? Do you need help developing your business?
Turbiini is Metropolia’s business incubator program. Turbiini offers Metropolia alumni events, workspaces, and free business incubator programs where you can refine your business idea and develop your product or service.
JobTeaser is Europe’s most widely used recruitment platform for higher education institutions. On JobTeaser, companies are specifically looking to recruit talented graduates from Metropolia. On JobTeaser, you’ll find part-time, full-time, and temporary jobs, and there are plenty of opportunities available for recent graduates as well! Request access via email, and we’ll send you a login link.
jobteaser [at] metropolia.fi (Request access to JobTeaser)
Find a skilled and motivated student for an internship, employment or to conduct a thesis. You can offer a student a subject for their thesis or utilize their know-how to improve your business with a cooperation project. JobTeaser Portal can be used in job searching, career planning and student recruitment.
The aim of the cooperation agreement is to deepen and diversify the cooperation between a company and Metropolia and to make the operations goal-oriented, easy and systematic. Collaborate with students, in RDI activities and offer lifelong learning solutions for the company personnel.
Explore the cooperation agreements
To develop the education and research, the alumni bring their experience from the working life. The alumni can act as a guest speakers and mentors to share their knowledge and contacts for the students of the field
As an alum you can lead peer groups and organize alumni events. Through advisory boards and alumni groups, you can take part in the development of education. You can also donate funds for an alumni scholarship for a gifted student or other functions.
If you live and work abroad, you can share your experiences and be a local contact person for the other alumni and students. You can also host events and lead your own group. You can recruit international professionals abroad too.
alumni [at] metropolia.fi (Contact us)
We organize several events each year: concerts, seminars, and webinars, as well as various wellness-focused events. We hope to see you there!
In the news section, you can read about the achievements of our students and staff, our new partnerships, and the bold initiatives we’re undertaking to promote learning and foster innovation.
Teemu Tiainen, Bachelor of Engineering (AMK) 2011 & Master of Engineering (YAMK) 2021, has been selected as Metropolia’s Alum of the Year 2025 from a pool of distinguished candidates. Teemu has made a significant contribution to the development of education and the security of digital services. Other finalists for alum of the year were Timo Koiso-Kanttila, Bachelor of Business Administration; Gitta Perez, cultural producer; and Samu Vatanen, gerontologist.
Jesse Ukkonen was named Metropolia University of Applied Sciences’ Alum of the Year 2024 at the MetGO event held on the Myyrmäki campus. Jesse graduated in 2017 from Metropolia’s Digital Design degree program. The other finalists for Metropolia’s alum of the year are Amin Hassan (BBA), Heidi Lihr (MBA), and Meri Pekkanen (B.S. in Occupational Therapy).
This year, for the first time, Metropolia selected its Alum of the Year from among four top nominees. The finalists were Kimmo Kalaja, Local Division Manager at ABB Oy; Rosa Kettumäki, a reporter, host, and media expert at Yleisradio Oy; and Joni Tammisalo, a founding member and board chair of Mummodisko ry.
Get to know our alumni's stories. Would you like to tell us your own story? Please contact us at alumni [at] metropolia.fi (alumni[at]metropolia[dot]fi).
Nella.Hiltunen [at] metropolia.fi (Nella[dot]Hiltunen[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
Alumni [at] metropolia.fi (Alumni[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
