International Business (BBA)

About International Business at Savonia University of Applied Sciences

What students think about Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Sudipta Chatterjee-Paukkonen



At Savonia, if you can dream it, you can do it.

Yes, I can say it confidently because Savonia did help me achieve my dreams. For any student, local or foreigner, getting a good job after graduating from college is the only dream, especially in the foreign land. At Savonia, I did not just receive great education but also excellent travel and work opportunities. In addition, I found such admirable teachers who were always supportive and helpful in every possible way. I am Sudipta Chatterjee from India and a 2013 Business graduate from Savonia UAS.

On my graduation, along with my Bachelor’s degree certificate I received an offer to work for Savonia as a project planner. During my work, I was able to utilize my knowledge of international business and communication skills that I gained during my studies at Savonia. The work helped me realize how well I was prepared by Savonia to face the outside world once I graduate. What could have been a better start of a career for a fresher like me?

Now when I look back, choosing to study at Savonia was the best decision ever. Currently, I work as a student advisor at Savonia and simultaneously pursue Master’s degree in International Business at the University of Eastern Finland, thanks to Savonia now I can handle more than one thing at a time :-)

Marina Kovalchuk



New thinking and unconventional approaches to work have always been my main inspirations in life. When I came from Russia to Kuopio to learn about international business, I had a vision of Savonia UAS as a place where students were taught to be innovative not only in technology but in marketing as well. And I was not mistaken. Studying business at Savonia together with people from different cultures and countries and under the guidance of passionate professionals - our teachers - made me acquainted with the various facets of trade I had never heard about before! We were brought up to be the qualified and open-minded people able to provide smart solutions to the global marketplace; able to facilitate this up-to-date global shift from the economy of extraction to the economy of creation.

My BBA obtained at Savonia in 2013 encouraged me to go further and develop my career in the challenging field of academic marketing research. Knowledge and skills are important, no doubt. But probably the most crucial lesson I have learnt at Savonia is that your reputation and image of a business person start already at school. Studying is just the imitation of working reality, but your groupmates are the future experts of various industries, and your professional network is actually rooted from these team-work assignments and tasks you accomplish during the studies. Today you are sitting together at the desk struggling with balance sheets, and tomorrow you are changing the world! Thus, I have learnt that being diligent and reliable, co-operative and committed to any work you put your signature under - these are, finally, the requisites of long-term and sustainable success. Since 2014, I am a Master's student at MDP in International Business and Sales Management at University of Eastern Finland.

Barbara Juhász-Kiss



When I visited Finland for the very first time, I was only 22. I had still ongoing university studies in Hungary, I came only for a personal reason and I had no intention to study or apply to the university. But life gave me the opportunity to come back and stay in Kuopio much longer than I supposed to in 2011. I couldn’t find any full time job in Kuopio in English; therefor applying to Savonia University of Applied Sciences seemed to be the best decision. Since I realized this was the best decision of my life.

I got so much during this 3 and a half year that I couldn’t wish for more: knowledge, friends, personal, professional and cultural opportunities. I got involved actively in Savonia’s student life as an international tutor, I got classmates and friends from all around the world by being student of International Business class. The flat hierarchy of Savonia UAS made the studies easy going and more fun. The expectations were reasonably high but clear and achievable. All Savonia staff was always for the students, always helpful and always flexible.

If I should highlight one, most memorable thing from Savonia, is our exchange trip opportunity to China. During that one month period I got lifelong friends, experiences and memories that helped to find my place and decide what I want from life.

Thanks to the study method in Savonia and the mandatory 5 months internship period, in 2013 I had to find a place which personally and professionally also suits my expectations. I got an offer from a Hungarian PR Agency, Open Communications Ltd. to work for them for 5 months as a paid PR trainee. I was actually happy to come home with all my international experience and see how much I can implement my knowledge to real life work here, in my home country. Seems Savonia taught me well as since June 2013 I am working for Open Communications; after the 5 months trainee period they’ve asked me to stay as a full time worker in PR Assistant position. After a year, in 2014, I’ve got promoted to Junior PR Consultant and just a couple of days ago, as another year passed by I’ve got promoted again, so now I am working as a PR Consultant. Most of my projects are related to P&G corporate and brand issues, new product launches, CSR projects, corporate collaborations etc.

To sum up the years I’ve spent in Savonia and the time since: Savonia is a place of opportunities you just have to find the right one for yourself and seize it.

Location of Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Savonia University of Applied Sciences main campus is shown on the map below: