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A Finnish foundation for elite athletes’ career advancement, Urheilijoiden Ammattienedistämissäätiö (URA), has awarded study scholarships to 209 athletes for the 2023–2024 academic year; of them, 19 either study or have studied at Aalto University. The scholarship recipients include world champions and Olympic athletes and other current and former elite athletes representing altogether 56 different sports and 18 sports academies. A record-breaking 719 athletes applied for the scholarship this year.

The foundation Urheilijoiden Ammattienedistämissäätiö was founded in 1972 by the President of Finland Urho Kekkonen. Its goal is to support athletes in pursuing dual careers and to further their education and career transition after sports.  

Iris Nihti is one of the Aalto recipients of the scholarship. Iris is a fifth-year student in the Energy Systems and Markets major at the School of Electrical Engineering. Her sport is mixed martial arts and she represents the sports club Espoon Kehähait.

‘The scholarship means a great deal to me because attending competitions is expensive. This year I took part in three competitions, two of which were held abroad. I have to pay all the costs for these trips myself. In other words, the scholarship will be spent partly on competition fees and partly on everyday life. So far, my biggest achievement in this sport is winning the amateur world championship last spring,’ says Iris.

Congratulations to Iris and all the other scholarship recipients! 

The award ceremony was held at the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences on 12 December 2023.