What a conference. It was fun, interesting, international.. with lively discussions and cultural differences!
Many of the foreign guests were surprised and intrigued by our “zero level hierarchy”, meaning the way we Finns tend to be informal and use first names, even of our superiors. A student calling the rector by the first name is not a big deal for us, but did feel terribly impolite to some of the foreigners. Does this have to do with our attitude of cutting right to the point without small talk or paraphrases, and talking truthfully and meaningfully – only when we have something to say?
