Written by Milla Juusela, Student at the University of Vaasa, Finland, who visited the PUCP, Peru, autumn 2024 for a short study abroad trip funded by the TFK2023
In October, we had a trip of a lifetime in Peru with a group of students and a professor from the University of Vaasa. It was my first time visiting Latin America, and it’s safe to say I will be going back! My favorites from Peru were the amazing landscape with the breathtaking mountains, and the warmth of Peruvians. I also loved the thought-provoking discussions we had throughout the trip!
The theme of the trip was sustainable international business, and we spent 5 days in Cusco and 5 in Lima. They say about Lima that the traffic showcases the chaos of the city, but in the short time we spent there, I embraced the chaos and felt at peace in the big city running around me. During our trip, we learned a lot about the history of Peru, the culture, business culture, sustainability, etc. I found especially interesting learning about the Incas and their lifestyle, beliefs and incredible systems, and also the impact that the Spanish had on shaping today’s Peruvian culture when they came. We had lectures at Universidad Andiana del Cusco and PUCP and many other interesting meetings on sustainability, tourism, the textile industry, sociology, etc. Thank you to the universities for having us, and I can recommend both if anyone wants to do an exchange in Peru!
We also saw how Sanima makes a real difference in people’s life quality. 8 million people in Peru don’t have safe sanitation. The people in the Pamplona Alta area in Lima have been waiting for water and sewage systems from the government for the past 20 years. A social enterprise called Sanima offers safe, private, and dignified solutions to the problem. It’s also safer for women when they don’t have to go outside in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. It was inspiring to see actions that directly benefitted the local communities.
We also visited Business Finland in Peru, and it was nice to see my former colleague Nicholás Vassallo and hear more about the business landscape. He shared that they have zero tolerance for corruption and that mining is an important sector in Peru. Finnish companies like, for example, Nokia and Metso are doing well in Peru. It’s a huge benefit for Finnish companies to use their and Finland’s trustworthiness as one key competitiveness to differentiate from other competing companies. And it’s not a lie, Finnish companies deliver what they say they will! Often in international business getting the first deals for Finnish companies is hard but once they get the chance to show their trustworthiness, the satisfied customers often come back for more or recommend them to others!
We were in Peru right before the US elections and from talking with locals we learned that the US economy has a huge impact on Peru’s economy and that’s why the elections were particularly important for the people in Peru. US elections have an impact on the whole world, but my conclusion is that it affects more Peruvians’ daily lives than Finnish people.
We also discussed the unstable political situation of Peru with changing governments and Presidents. The most recent Presidents of Peru have criminal charges pressed against them, and some have been sentenced, which is very different compared to Finland. But I understand when people say that they’re proud that, at least in their country, the people in power are prosecuted because, in some countries, you can get away with enough money and influence. Of course, there is corruption in Finland, too, but still, Finland is ranked 2nd out of 180 countries. https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/finland
We experienced and learned so much in a short time and the people in Peru were so nice, warm, and welcoming. Thank you to everyone who was part of this trip or helped in any way! Thank you to the University of Vaasa for organizing an amazing trip in Peru and to the Finnish National Agency for Education for funding it! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. This was something I will carry with me forever❤️
Acknowledgement
This visit was part of a collaborative project “Education for sustainable internationalisation of a firm (ESGinMNC)” uniting the PUCP and the University of Vaasa. The project was funded by by the Finnish National Agency of Education, TFK 2023. This project has been coordinated by Aušrinė Šilenskytė, Program manager and researcher at the University of Vaasa, Finland.
