Exchange studies promote international harmony

"Exchange studies are very important for university students, especially today. If everyone in the world could live in another country for a year, perhaps we could achieve world peace. That might sound like an idealistic dream, but if everyone could experience what it's like to be a foreigner in another country – and had the opportunity to see how other people live and think – we would have less conflict and fewer wars."

So says Daniel Haataja, assistant professor of Finnish at the University of Minnesota in fluent Icelandic. Daniel is an American with Finnish heritage, and on the topic of student exchange studies, he speaks from experience.

Daniel grew up in Minneapolis and was exposed from birth to the magic of languages. His grandparents always spoke Finnish to one another and Daniel learned as a child to recognise the distinctive features of the language, picking up several words and phrases. This exposure to Finnish and his heritage inspired him to go on exchange to Finland at the age of 16. He lived there for one year and managed to acquire a real grasp of the language of his ancestors. Later, Daniel went on exchange again, this time to Iceland. It was in the late 80s, when George Michael was at the height of his popularity and Icelandic men wore their hair long.

At a celebration of the 40-year partnership between the University of Iceland and the University of Minnesota this autumn, Daniel gave a speech that touched the hearts of every Icelander in the room. He spoke in fluent Icelandic as he recalled his time in Iceland as an exchange student. He lived in Gamli garður, the student residence, and worked for a while at Student Registration at the University of Iceland. He says that he enjoyed every second of his time in Iceland. 

"I was really lucky to live in Gamli garður. All the people living there got on really well, Icelanders and international students alike. Everyone was very friendly." 

Daniel says that his year in Iceland also boosted his self-confidence. "I discovered that I could move to a new country and thrive there. But perhaps the most memorable part was the Icelandic landscape – it is so magnificent, you feel so small in comparison."  

Great to learn Icelandic

Icelandic is a long way from being the first language most young Americans think of learning. However, Daniel says that it was great to learn Icelandic. He had taken a course in Old Icelandic at the University of Minnesota before moving to Iceland. This course laid the groundwork for his grammatical understanding of the modern language.  Thanks to his knowledge of Old Icelandic, Daniel started speaking Icelandic as soon as he landed.

"It was very difficult to start with," says Daniel with a smile, "but gradually, I learned more and I could talk to people. I think the best way is to speak the local language from day one. Otherwise it becomes very hard to switch languages with people that you have been speaking English with. Language is actually an important aspect of the relationships you have with other people. My friend Gunna also helped me a lot.  We used to sit in the kitchen in Gamli garður, chatting and drinking coffee for hours. And when I started working at Student Registration, I was able to take my Icelandic to the next level. By the end of the year, I could talk about almost anything in Icelandic," laughs Daniel. 

Important links between the University of Iceland and the university of Minnesota

Daniel now works as an assistant professor of Finnish at the University of Minnesota, a position he has held since 2002. He studied at the University of Minnesota himself, graduating with a BA in Finnish and Russian. Later he completed an MA from Indiana University and finally a PhD in linguistics, specialising in phonology, from the University of California, Santa Cruz.  

"The links between the University of Iceland and the University of Minnesota are very important," says Daniel. "The University of Minnesota was the University of Iceland's first international partner institution.  The partnership now has a long history and the strong ties between the two universities have led to extensive collaboration benefiting the lives of many people, including exchange students and staff at both universities."

The trees are taller

When Daniel lived in Iceland, his surname was Karvonen. A lot of people might remember him under that name. "Haataja was the original surname of my great-grandfather, who emigrated from Finland to the USA. I have always wanted to take his name," says Daniel. 

He has visited Iceland many times since his year as an exchange student. We asked him what were the main changes he has noticed. "The trees are taller!" he laughs. 

"And Reykjavík is also a lot bigger and there are a lot more foreigners in Iceland, compared to when I was living there, which was 1988 to 1989."  

Iceland is still a very special and unusual place, though, according to Daniel. That has not changed over the years. He says that unusual places have always captured his imagination, ever since he was a young boy. 

"I have also always been fascinated by islands. Iceland is completely different to Minnesota, where I grew up. The country has its own unique culture, literature, and language, not to mention the magnificent landscape. And because Iceland is small, and to a certain extent isolated or separate, you can try to learn almost everything about the country and actually get to know it very well."