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The 100th anniversary of the Business and Economics Alumni Association (Kauppatieteiden Kandidaattiyhdistys ry) was celebrated on Saturday 8 February 2025, when invited guests, honorary members of the association and alumni and their companions gathered for a finer than usual annual celebration at the Stock Exchange House in Helsinki. 

‘One hundred years of shared experiences, friendship and activities for the benefit of business education. Fun and creative thinking.’ With these words, Pentti Ahnger, Chair of the association, opened the celebrations. ‘The keynote speech was given by Timo Korkeamäki, Dean of the School of Business. During the dinner we also enjoyed the heartfelt greetings of the honorary members and a musical performance. Dancing was a tradition in previous decades when the members of the association were more agile on their feet,’ says Pentti. 

Pentti Ahnger and Vuokko Skyttä, the previous Chair of the association, were invited to the School of Business on 25 February to talk about the association and why it wants to support the international student exchange program of the School of Business with a donation.

Higher business administration and economics education since 1920

The School of Business started a higher university degree in business administration and economics in 1920. The Business and Economics Alumni Association was established in 1925 with the aim of promoting scientific development and monitoring common interests. In addition, fun and social activities have always been a part of the association's culture.

‘During the 10th anniversary celebrations, the first sixteen alumni were given tin cups with their names on them, and that's when the famous "nuijabooli" drink may have originated. The association was predominantly male-dominated for a long time, with the first female chairman, Ritva Sallmén, serving in the 1992-1993 term. In recent years, the distribution of positions in the association's board has been fairly balanced between men and women,’ said Pentti in his speech at the 100th anniversary celebration.

Internationalism in the 60s and 70s

Pentti Ahnger started his studies in 1968 and graduated in 1975. ‘During my studies, I also lived for a while in Seiska dormitory, where all of us student boys moved from all over Finland from outside Helsinki. Of the thirty or so brothers in Seiska, we still get together nearly 20 of them. Seiska left us "Brothers" with a strong network, and one of us is still keen to organise lunches together.’ (Read more in Finnish: /fi/uutiset/tiivis-seiskan-siskot-ja-veljet-ryhma-syntyi-kyn-asuntolassa-vietettyjen-vuosien-aikana)

Pentti worked in a hardware store in Hammerfest, Norway, during his summer break. ‘I didn't know Norwegian, but day by day I learned new words. I even got good feedback as I was learning the hardware store vocabulary all the time, although sometimes I used words I didn't really understand.’

Vuokko Skyttä started her studies in 1971 and lived in Satakuntatalo, where she had a free place provided by her hometown of Keikyä. In 1972, with the support of an organization related to the employment office, she went on a work exchange to the United States to work as a hotel cleaner. ‘I remember how, after finishing work, we traveled around the country by Greyhound bus from east to west through the north and from west to east through the south. Three weeks of pure adventure. Through AIESEC, I also spent one summer in Vienna doing an internship at a bank.’

How is the 100-year-old Business and Economics Alumni Association doing?

Today, the Business and Economics Alumni Association has nearly 300 members. The number of members is hardly growing anymore because the association decided to accept as members only those who had completed the higher university degree program before the degree reform. In other words, the association has always been for alumni who have completed a higher-level business degree, as before 1980, the higher-level business degree was called the Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics.

Kristiina Linnoinen served as an excellent secretary for the association for 25 years and has now become a regular member, with a new secretary taking over the position. The average age of the members is about 77 years. The association has three honorary members: Onerva Vartiainen, Matti Lehti, and Aatto Prihti. They have all made significant contributions to the business community and have been strong supporters of the association's cause.

The association used to organize company excursions actively, but those are now becoming less frequent. ‘Of course, we still educate ourselves and attend cultural events, because there must be something to do and a chance to learn something new after working life. For example, we have just visited the waste incineration plant in Vantaa, where district heating and electricity are produced from the mixed waste of 1.5 million residents in the Uusimaa region. We also recently visited the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) to hear what Yle is doing with taxpayers' money. We also heard about their crisis communication processes,’ says Vuokko Skyttä.

In the spring, the association usually makes a one-day domestic trip and in the autumn a trip abroad, this year to Normandy. 

‘Before the 100th anniversary, there was a discussion about potentially ending the association. However, as the majority of the members did not want to stop the activities, it was decided to continue. Strong friendships sustain this association, and of course a few active members, especially our six-member board,’ Pentti and Vuokko say.

‘For today's business students, we hope for a curious attitude to life, not too narrowly focused. Well-being is important, so it's good to take care of it, and student life with all its fun should not be missed. And then there's internationalization, which also gave us a lot. With our donation, we encourage students to go on an exchange to broaden their horizons. Studying abroad develops social courage, the courage to ask questions, and the ability to learn from the answers. We are delighted to be able to contribute to making this possible.’

Interview by Jonna Söderholm, Terhi Ollikainen and Fiona Jokivuolle
Text by Terhi Ollikainen and Fiona Jokivuolle

For more information about the association, you can visit the Business and Economics Alumni Association's website (in Finnish):