AI tools and networking boost young newcomers in Finland and Estonia
In April, the UPBEAT project launched the Start Smart course for young newcomers in Finland and Estonia to support their business ideas and entrepreneurship skills using practical AI tools. The course was co-created by a multinational team, including Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (lead partner for curriculum and AI development), together with StartUp Refugees and the Estonian Refugee Council, who brought deep knowledge of the target group and were responsible for implementing the courses. Two parallel courses were held weekly in Helsinki and Tallinn over one month, both receiving enthusiastic participation and highly positive feedback.
After the course, Project manager Nora Lappalainen from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences interviewed two course participants, Ahmed Tolbh from Egypt and Duc Le from Vietnam for their experiences. The happy coinsidence was that they met already in project’s user-testing session for AI tools at Haaga-Helia in March, before the course began. Sharing a passion for AI, they began talking and co-developing a business idea, merging their previous concepts. Their still ongoing collaboration highlights the course’s role in fostering innovation and meaningful connections.
Ahmed and Duc shared valuable insights with the project manager, highlighting what they found most useful and appreciated in the Start Smart course. Their feedback revealed two key benefits they gained:
- A set of valuable AI tools and skills for business planning
The course provided participants with access to a wide range of AI tools, some of them were created and tailored by technical experts of the project team, some were open-access tools. Overall, the course successfully combined practical AI applications with tailored support for diverse user needs.
A key highlight for Ahmed was the prompt library, which helped him improve his ability to craft effective prompts and to learn how to customize ChatGPT making it more useful in professional settings. “I’ve used AI for a long time, but prompts were always a challenge, so the prompt library was a great help. The most valuable part for me was learning how to customize ChatGPT for my specific needs” he told.
Among the favorite tools Duc mentioned ChatGPT and Gemini, valued for their automation features and integration with platforms like Google Calendar and email. ”I liked ChatGPT of course and Gemini, because they have huge ecosystem, which is very handy. If I do a prompt, for example to make an event, it makes an event and put it on the Google Calendar. And of course, the ChatGPT is the market leader for now, we can customize GPTs – it is very cool” he explained.
Both agreed on the usefulness of Smart Guide (AI tool created by the project team). It stood out for its specificity and accessibility. It uses reliable sources and gives the same answer to everybody. “Newcomers to Finland often struggle with legal documents because they are not fluent in Finnish. Smart Guide is especially helpful—it provides clear instructions based on prompts and includes direct links to trusted sources in English making it much easier to do business”, he mentioned.
The Learning Assistant (other AI tool created by the project team) was mentioned also to be very useful tool too, especially for those newcomers who are just starting their journey towards entrepreneurship. The purpose of this tool is to provide tailored upskilling recommendations for each participant at different stages of the course, based on the information they have provided.
2. The power of networking among the group
Ahmed and Duc expressed strong satisfaction with the course and praised the passion of everyone involved. The course had also impact on personal and professional development. Duc highlighted how it enabled meaningful connections and idea-sharing: ”I have to thank this programme. It made us know each other. It is good opportunity for people to meet each other, share their ideas and create new ideas.” They attended both online and face-to-face sessions, but strongly preferred onsite classes for their interactive and focused nature. Online environments were described as more distracting, while in-person meetings fostered better engagement and networking. The relaxed and collaborative atmosphere, along with practical exercises, contributed positively to the learning experience.
Final reflection
When asking about some tips for the project team for the future, they emphasized the need for a centralized and accessible system to browse and search for AI tools and prompts relevant to different phases of business development. Currently, they find it difficult to locate the right tools, which affects usability. They suggested a platform-based approach, starting with tools like Smart Guide and Business Assistant, organized in a more intuitive layout.
To improve accessibility, they proposed creating a cloud-based solution that gathers all tools in one place. Such a system would make it easier to navigate and apply the tools effectively. They indicated they would actively use this kind of platform. Overall, their feedback highlights the importance of usability and structure in supporting entrepreneurial learning through AI.
In the end of the discussion Ahmed emphasized the importance of AI, comparing its current relevance to the rise of computers in the 1980s. He believes that AI will become indispensable for everyone. ”AI is like water nowdays, really important. Time will force everyone to use AI. And it is change for anyone, who want something from future to invest in AI – because it is the future.”
Got interested?
Next round of Start Smart courses will begin soon, in the end of September 2025. If you are young newcomer (15-29 years of age), living in Finland or Estonia, find out more information and register:
UPBEAT – Registeration – Startup Refugees
Start Smart – Be the Next Gen | ERC Entrepreneurship Programme
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Ahmed Tolbh and Duc Le are both young newcomers living in Finland and creating new business idea together related AI in Leadership. They both participated in the Start Smart course, co-created by the UPBEAT project partners, implemented by the StartUp Refugees and co-funded by the European Union, Central Baltic Programme. They recently participated also in AaltoAI Hackathon – a 48-hour AI Innovation Hack, together with three other experts.
Ahmed Tolbh moved in Finland in January for family reasons. He worked before in technical support and in a Start-up company in Egypt and was also team leader in Erasmus+ project in Romania. In the future, he might also consider applying studying in a master’s program at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.
Duc Le has previously worked in the technical industry. He moved to Finland as he wanted to have technical degree. He is currently studying Business Information Technology in a bachelor’s program at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. He enjoys studying in Finland because the practical education system encourages learners to think independently and solve real-world problems.
