FIME’s spring 2025 intern, Henrik Seppänen, has started his work in Beirut.
Henrik is a master’s student in the Social and Cultural Anthropology program at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies and has focused on topics related to international protection and migration in his studies. During the internship he also intends to collect material for his master’s thesis.
Henrik has previously worked as a advisor in social services for asylum seekers. He has participated in student exchange programs at the American University in Cairo and the Lebanese American University. The spring at FIME marks his first university internship.
– Despite the tense situation in the region things in Beirut are calm, and the time for an internship is immensely interesting. At FIME, I get to develop my skills in communications and deepen my knowledge of the topics I have studied. Besides work, I plan to loiter in cafés, speak as much Arabic as possible, and explore Lebanon’s diverse art scene.