Pirkko-Liisa Louhenjoki studied at Yale in 1979 with a Thanks To Scandinavia scholarship and then started a company of her own, ByDesign, arranging architectural and cultural tours to Finland.

January 29, 2001

I studied at Yale in 1979-81 (MED '81, Master of Environmental Design from the School of Architecture)  with ASLA Fulbright grant and also received a Thanks to Scandinavia scholarship.  When I went to Yale in August 79,  I was a "regular" Finn, even though I had spent some time in England, Africa, Denmark and US.  I met my future husband -- Alan Schulman -- a couple weeks after the school started.  About the same time I was stopped in the street by a Lubawitzer Mitzvamobile and asked if I light Shabbat candles.  I could not understand why me.  Well, in 1982 I converted to Judaism and we were married in Millburn, NJ by a Conservative rabbi from Alan's parents congregation.

Moving back to one's own country and seeing it from a point of a small minority has been an experience which has taught a lot.  It was helped by experiences in multiethnic environment at Yale and US generally.  I have also learned more about the religious aspects of Judaism here, because the only connection to Judaism here is through the congregation, either one is religious or not.  Who could have thought that one day I would be a member of Chevra Kadisha!

My American husband Alan Schulman received his Ph.D. in cell biology in 1986. Right after that we moved to Finland, and my husband sometimes says "Thanks to Scandinavia, I ended up here!"

I taught in my old architecture school, Helsinki University of Technology, and since then my husband has been a researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology where he is leading a group of twelve people.  Since the beginning of the year he has also held a position as a professor of plant production in the Agricultural Research Centre of Finland.

For a few years I have had a company of my own, ByDesign (www.kolumbus.fi/bydesign), arranging architectural and cultural tours to Finland and am currently writing a book, "Finland - A Cultural Guide."

We both are active in the Jewish community; my husband served 6 years in the board until he became too busy. I am a board member at WIZO. Our 10-year old son attends the Jewish school.