Jari Liesoja, who has worked in national and international companies for decades, maintained his skills through various short courses until he got bored and decided to apply for education that would develop his skills more comprehensively. He chose to apply to Jamk's English-language Master's Degree Programme in Cyber Security, and he was successfully admitted to the program.
Jari says that he was convinced of his school at the application stage, especially because of the location and the contents of the studies. After graduating in September 2023, Jari will also be able to name a coherent study plan as a special strength of studies. Jari, who speaks Finnish as his native language, says that he hardly even noticed the English-language nature of his studies. Jari hopes that the English-language nature of the studies will not have too much influence on the choices made by other applicants. During his long career, Jari says that he has worked in several companies in the field where the working language has been English. He believes that language skills can be developed boldly by speaking – even if it is exciting at first.
"There's no shortcut to happiness with speaking English, you just have to start speaking it. Language level of Finns is praised in any case. I would argue that everyone in Finland understands English very well, and people tend to improve their verbal skills in a short time," Jari says.
More than just Cyber
Jari completed his studies as part-time studies, while also working as an information security officer. One of Jari's tasks is to follow current phenomena, news and possible changes in the field both domestically and internationally. "Not everything is just cyber, which is why you also have to look at the big picture. Then you build your own situational awareness and see where you should be heading in cyber as well." According to Jari, new technologies and artificial intelligence, for example, are raising their heads right now, but so far there are not that many cyber experts who excel in the field of artificial intelligence.
"In hindsight, now if I could decide, I would take courses on artificial intelligence as elective studies," Jari ponders the choices he made during his studies.
Jari may still study artificial intelligence in the future, because according to his own words, it is unlikely that the completed degree will be the last. According to him, "Working with cyber security is a path of continuous learning. No matter of the amount of experience and education, continuous learning must be maintained in one way or another.”
Crafting a Meaningful Thesis Topic for Your Research
Jari says that his research perspective has grown during his studies. He was also able to apply his research skills when writing his own thesis. Now that he has finished his thesis, he has tips for those who are just starting their thesis-related work.
"Try to find a topic that is as interesting as possible for you. If you are in working life and can find a very interesting topic in the operations of your work unit, choose it," Jari hints. "The nice thing about it is that it lives on. A thesis doesn't have to be just a one-time written paper."
The topic of Jari's thesis was shaped as his studies progressed and when discussing with others. Jari mentions the new perspectives that studying has brought with it as a positive side of his studies. He especially thanks his fellow students for the new perspectives he has gained. “The power of teamwork is incredible, it's truly one of the best aspects of studies,” Jari says.
