Watch This | Fireside chat on Finnish happiness with Consul General of Finland in HKMU LiPACE

As part of the Finnish Week activities, a fireside chat on Finnish happiness with Mr. Timo Kantola, Consul General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao was held by Hong Kong Metropolitan University Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKMU LiPACE) today (Sept. 24), with the aim of exposing the students to diverse cultural perspectives and improving their cultural awareness.

The event began with an opening talk by Prof. Reggie Kwan, Provost of the HKMU. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Consul General for attending the event and sharing his insights into happiness in the following session.

He also highlighted the significance of the event to improve students' intercultural awareness and inclusiveness, which is crucial for them to thrive in the interconnected world in the future.

The fireside chat was hosted by Mr. Timo Kantola and Dr. Benjamin Chan, Dean of LiPACE, HKMU.

Dr. Chan introduced the topic by raising the question of what are the factors that contribute to Finnish happiness since Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for 7 years in a row by the UN World Happiness Report.

According to Mr. Timo Kantola, Finnish people have a strong connection to nature. They are willing to spend time in communion with nature, during which they are so enjoyable that they are not distracted by other things.

They are always expecting new seasons to come since each season presents them with different landscapes, which can also brings them happiness.

He added that the governance and security are good in Finland. Corruption is not that much.

Dr. Chan also mentioned the concept of "sisu" (pronounced as "see-su"), a Finnish word that is hard to translate.

Mr. Timo Kantola said that this word refers to the characteristics of Finnish people, which combine grit, resilience, and determination that enable individuals to thrive and succeed when they face difficulties.

He further explained that there is no "sisu" lesson in Finnish education. Instead, this concept is deep in Finnish people's minds, which is reflected in action on a daily basis.

By the end of the fireside chat, Mr. Timo Kantola suggested setting the bar of happiness on our own, instead of following certain standards set by others.

After the event, we also conducted interviews with Mr. Timo Kantola and Dr. Benjamin Chan.

Mr. Timo Kantola offered some suggestions for young people in Hong Kong to pursue happiness.

Dr. Benjamin Chan talked about the objectives of organizing Finnish Week activities and what the school normally does to help students relax. He also shared some advice for university students in pursuit of happiness.

(Journalist: Anson Lin, Cameraman: Jack Wang)

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