Make waves

Aaltonians are inherently active thinkers, doers and makers. We don’t just go about our lives passively with the flow. Instead, we dare to question, step outside our comfort zones, stop and pivot if needed. We make waves with our actions.

Not all waves are massive and disruptive changing the landscape: some are barely visible ripples, yet important in the big picture. The world needs both innovations and incremental progress. 

You might not have thought of it before, but since you found yourself here, there is a high likelihood you too are a wavemaker. You belong to the Aalto community, regardless where you've studied.

Some of us can contribute by a way of world-class academic research, some by enabling and administrating that work; some of us can afford to donate a little, some a lot. We all have a role in taking care of our shared future. 

Make a difference

At Aalto, the magic happens when our students and researchers look for the right questions before jumping into, inevitably insufficient, answers. Meaningful difference is made where two, or more, seemingly separate worlds or academic fields come together. That is what Aalto is in its heart: enabling the multidisciplinary way of working and thinking, fostering creative outcomes in science, art and business. 

The university enables the makers and doers to prosper, to experiment and play, to collaborate and create. It is all about identifying, initiating, and celebrating these cruxes. It is in this environment where impact is being made; where contributed euros are best spent.

We all can make a difference in our everyday lives. Pay forward a compliment, a smile, a favor. Give your time, volunteer, mentor, donate.

Invest in a future to be proud of

While making a donation is always a form of charity, why not think of your donation as an investment? Many invest in shares and funds, but have you ever thought that you could invest in the future: in education, research and the promotion of science and art?  What if you were to invest in future experts, in those who make the hard decisions in 10, 50, 100 years from now, and in innovations that enable things we cannot even imagine yet?

When you donate to the university, the profitability of your investment will not be measured in monetary terms. Instead, your investment to higher education and research will yield results on the long term and come to fruition, for instance, as Finland’s competitiveness, technological development, solutions to skills shortage, optimally running society, and enhanced well-being of the youth.

We all have roles in the progress, on our way to the future we can be proud of.