Alumni of the Year Vesa Linja-aho: “The world is short of hard-working and persistent people”

HAMK Alumni of the Year Vesa Linja-aho has a comforting message for students. AI won’t take your job if you learn the basics properly and go a little beyond the basics on a certain subject. That’s how almost anyone can become an expert who the media calls – just like they call Vesa when they want to do a story on electric cars.

“This feels terribly bad to say,” says Vesa Linja-aho, who was chosen as the Alumnus of the Year. The question has been how to become the expert that journalists call.

“It would be nice if it happened in a year. But it takes several years to learn the basics properly, such as reading every possible book on the subject at some level. Besides, in Finland it’s a bit like if you’ve written a book on a subject, then you’re an expert on the subject,” Linja-aho laughs.

In the case of Linja-Aho, his expertise is well covered, as his own knowledge has enabled him to influence national decision-making on e-mobility in many different working groups. He also managed to find a sufficiently narrow sector and enough early stage to avoid too much competition. And to write those couple of books.

“Journalists are also a bit lazy in coming up with interviewees. I’ve deliberately declined interviews more than once and recommended another expert. If the answer about battery life in an electric car always comes from my mouth, you might get the impression that it’s my opinion, not the scientific consensus.”

A speciality found in the traineeship

Linja-aho’s expertise in electric cars is actually the result of a coincidence that led to her pedagogical studies at the HAMK Vocational Teacher Training College.

“I ended up at HAMK because the curriculum here made the most sense. In addition, the online studies were well implemented, even though the technical equipment at the time was a bit shoddy,” recalls Linja-aho.

The internship was organised at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences as an assistant to a lecturer in automotive electronics who was very busy with his work. Linja-aho ended up having a lot of teaching responsibilities. He soon found that he liked the subject and received good feedback from the students.

I ended up at HAMK because the curriculum made the most sense.

However, he had been interested in electrical engineering in general from an early age, as his favourite hobby was stripping down an appliance or a toy. The most interesting section of the Keksijän käsikirja (Inventor’s Handbook) he received for Christmas, was on the operation of electronic circuits, and by the time he was in secondary school he had already moved on to English-language literature on the subject.

“My favourite was The Art of Electronics, which got you a long way with even basic plus, minus, multiplication and division calculations.”

As both a former teacher and a recent alumnus, Vesa has a piece of advice for students: if you don’t think you’re terribly smart, you can compensate by taking the time to master a particular subject.

“There is enough money in the world, it’s the hard-working and persistent people that are in short supply.”

Having practised for years, Vesa is now working on a PhD on the safety of electric cars. He easily finds himself the Bettermaker, as we say in HAMK.

“For example, I help charging device manufacturers to design safer products. On the other hand, I try to reinforce people’s correct understanding of the risks involved in charging electrical equipment. Battery fires are difficult to put out, but they happen very rarely,” he reassures.

I could go back to teaching because of the impact of the work.

Although the world of electric safety and electric cars has now taken over him, Linja-aho does not rule out the possibility of being a full-time teacher again one day.

“I could go back to teaching because of the impact of the work. You can pass on your know-how to 30 or 300 people at a time. I also hate the fact that traditional teaching methods are criticised. Listening and taking notes is effective, and the written text is the best way to transmit information to the brain, according to research. Not necessarily watching a video.”

Qualified can always assert oneself

Linja-aho has recently made a sort of return to HAMK, as he was – surprise surprise – recommended as an expert for a HAMK project to create e-mobility curricula for different school levels and teachers in Uruguay. As a former teacher, he has insight into online delivery of curricula, but primarily he consults on curricular content as an expert in e-transport.

”We’ve been on site twice now, and it’s been an interesting project. Uruguay is lagging behind Finland, for example, in the electrification of transport, but the attitude is positive, unlike in the oil-exporting countries.”

HAMK staff involved in the project say that student feedback on the programme has been “excellent”, and the mention of Linja-Aho’s name has opened doors in companies.

In fact, there was no end of praise when we asked our staff for nominations for Alumnus of the Year, with reasons. Finland’s leading expert in the field. Also known internationally in industry forums. Has done a lot of curriculum work on electric vehicles, drafting legislation, international standards on electric safety, consultancy for listed companies. Ideas for online course solutions were really good and clear. An impressive personality. A very active communicator, and not hesitant to voice his opinions.

And indeed, Linja-aho is a remarkably diligent writer for the opinion section of newspapers, with topics ranging from too noisy train carriages to the use of mobile phones in lessons.

“Sometimes I get the feeling that, wait a minute, this point hasn’t been made in public yet, even though I think it’s right, or at least justified.”

There’s a little smarty pants in every teacher? Linja-aho is immediately excited.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s a good point! If I think I know the right answer, I want to tell it. And if you really know, it’s not only your right, but your duty to tell.”