Asia Exchange Company Values

CARING

Caring is written in our DNA. We care about our students, colleagues, partners, and the environment. We care about enabling life-changing experiences for everyone.

We believe an experience abroad helps bring people together, instead of causing divides. These experiences will ultimately broaden the worldview of people and societies, and thus build a better tomorrow with less conflicts.

CURIOSITY

Our foundations were driven by curiosity, ambition and motivation. With these characteristics, anyone can learn and master anything as well as make ground-breaking innovations.

The same characteristics are shown by our students when going abroad and our team in our daily actions. Curiosity helps us experience and understand our world.

We learn by doing and are not afraid to fail. We dare to dream and act as intrapreneurs to be pioneers in the student mobility field.

SUSTAIN ABILITY

We exist to provide study abroad opportunities as affordably and as easily as possible, for as many as possible. We strive to maintain a sustainable business, sustain the well-being of our team, and look for ways to contribute to global environmental issues.

It is our social responsibility to remove barriers and enable our students to give back during their time abroad. To maintain our profitability, we find ways to maintain our competitive advantage by keeping tuition fees as low as possible.

 

SISU

Sisu is a Finnish word for which it is hard to find a direct translation in English. Finland is the “home of sisu,” where we are often tested by the  arctic/polar weather. We show the strength of determination, and perseverance, and act rationally in the face of adversity. We not only show courage, but the ability to sustain that courage. This is a mindset we look to transfer to students when they take the first steps into their adventure abroad to expand their comfort zone.

 

MEANINGFULNESS

The 8-8-8 rule of work, leisure, and sleep… Not for us! We believe in living life to the fullest 24/7. It’s easier to get things done and spread the good around you when you love what you do and do what you love. We are happy when we do good and feel meaningful. We want our team, students, and partners to feel good, and find life meaningful every day. After all, success is a by-product of well-being.

 


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OUR STORY

Asia Exchange was established in 2007 in Finland by two former exchange students, Harri Suominen and Tuomas Kauppinen. They both had studied abroad in Asia in the mid-2000s, and the experience left a deep impression on both of them – so deep that they wanted to help others do the same.

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