Hi! My name is Niina and I’m a new member of the Asia Exchange team. I started working here almost two months ago as an International Coordinator. I will be in charge of such tasks as marketing campaigns, internship programs management and scholarships. As university relationship management is one of my main responsibilities here, I will also be traveling around Europe (mainly Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, but possibly also other German speaking countries and France).
Niina, our new International Coordinator.
Before this position, I have worked as a freelance journalist and as a communication specialist in large organizations and companies, but now it felt like I needed to try something new for a change. And it has been totally worth it!
The team members in AE are simply great. Even though the employees are working hard and are sometimes very busy, the atmosphere in the working place is relaxed, inspiring and supportive. The exotic Asia is present at our office all the time and at least once a week we can meet our other work mates in Bali via Skype. Seeing those palm trees and tanned skins as well as hearing the warm sea breeze blowing has given me a terrible travel fever, which is the only downside of this work. Luckily summer is coming, so we may get a little sun and warmth here in the North too.
Niina’s travels have already taken her to amazing places… AngkorWat, Cambodia.
My first touch with Asia was in 2011 when I went backpacking to India with my then 50-year-old aunt. We spent a month there exploring the west coast of India carrying only light backpacks. Of course we also visited the River Ganga and the spectacular Taj Mahal. As a former hippie my aunt was the best traveling companion I could have ever imagined.
Mekong River, Laos
One year later I packed my bags again and took a flight to South East Asia with my boyfriend of that time. We visited Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, that gave us unforgettable memories. I must admit that besides the beautiful landscape and exotic culture I also enjoyed visiting all the creepy destinations where the Vietnam war and the Cambodian civil war took place. (I’m a little history freak.)
Since my trips to India and South East Asia I’ve been willing to explore the rest of Asia as well. This job gives me a chance to do it – from a distance, though.
I’m so happy that I made a decision to leave my old job and come to be part of the awesome team AE!
Once you fall in love with Asia, there’s no way out. We’ll see when Niina’s next Asia trip will happen… Niina took this photo at a local food market somewhere in Cambodia. Yum!!??
