FIME’s fall 2026 EDUFI intern, Essi Kupiainen, has started her work in Riyadh in the beginning of September.
Essi is a master’s student in Global Development Studies at the University of Helsinki. Essi has also a minor in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences. In her studies, she is particularly interested in the themes of political geography, mundane infrastructures, violence and power. Essi’s goal during the internship is to collect material and to work on her master’s thesis. The internship in Riyadh offers a possibility to get a glimpse of the realities of doing research in the Middle East.
“It is a great honor to become a part of the FIME team and to be able to get a closer look at the institute’s work. I am particularly eager to get to organize the institute’s events and to learn about the societies and histories of the Middle East through them. I also want to use the opportunity of being here to pursue my studies in Arabic.”
During her first week in Riyadh Essi has only gotten a small glimpse of the huge city: “During my free time I want to get to know the different neighborhoods and their special features. I look forward to meeting new people and getting to know the local food and coffee culture. I also want to explore interesting destinations in other parts of Saudi-Arabia as well as possible.”