Our alum José Raúl Berlanga Zárate: My mission is to coach, step back and let students shine
Fortunate coincidences
When José Raúl Berlanga Zárate – Raúl for short – is asked to describe the best parts and the biggest challenges of his job, he says that they both have to do with the same thing. The HUBS community aims to tailor its services for its customers, university students, as flexibly as possible to suit everyone’s personal needs.
“Or actually, that is not a challenge. It is at the very core of our work. All the studies we provide are freely available to anyone, so we serve a large community. Perhaps our biggest challenge is that our team is so small, currently only eight people, compared to the number of customers. It is therefore important to always keep our main mission in mind and focus on that,” Raúl says.
On a personal level, Raúl feels especially inspired and motivated by the coaching side of his work, meaning his practical interactions with students. He is in charge of a business incubator study module, which can be attended either as a team or solo. The module covers specific themes that have been planned ahead, but they are always implemented flexibly to meet attendees’ needs.
“Much of our work has to do with listening, but it also requires a lot of planning and finding the right kind of guest speakers. Ultimately, our mission is to step back and allow our students to shine. We aim to provide them with tools and support, challenge them and steer them in the right direction,” Raúl describes.
Raúl own career path has taken a few twists and turns. For example, he has previously worked for New Factory, a non-profit committed to promoting innovation, and as a customer service coordinator at a start-up operating in the paper industry. He has also worked as a co-creation project facilitator with several companies, such as Nokian Tyres, Kone Cranes, OpusCapita and Tampereen Tenniskeskus.
Many things along the way have happened by chance, but I am happy to have ended up in my current role. I like my working environment, colleagues as well as the actual work activities.
José Raúl Berlanga Zárate, Entrepreneurship and team learning expert, Tampere University
“Many things along the way have happened by chance, but I am happy to have ended up in my current role. I like my working environment, colleagues as well as the actual work activities.”
Industrial engineering, student culture and love in Tampere
Raúl hails from León, a city located in the heart of Mexico with a population of 1.7 million. While completing a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in his home country, Raúl spent a student exchange period in Hamburg and met his now-wife, who is from Finland. The couple lived in Mexico for a few years before moving to Finland.
“Yes, I am one of the many people who have immigrated to Finland due to their spouse,” Raúl says laughing.
“When we first moved to Finland, we both agreed it would be a suitable time for me to continue my studies. Tampere felt really interesting to me. I applied for admission to the then Tampere University of Technology and its Business & Technology programme that was taught in English.”
With hindsight, Raúl feels it was a stroke of luck that a technical detail prevented him from being admitted on the first round and that he only got in on the second. Between the two application rounds, he was able to study Finnish full-time and now speaks the language fluently.
Raúl enrolled in the Business & Technology programme in 2012. The master’s programme was a continuation of the bachelor’s degree he completed in industrial engineering back in Mexico but had a stronger focus on B2B sales and the customer interface. Raúl describes his time at university as a wonderful experience.
“Cultural differences became very obvious during my studies. For example, people are trusted a whole lot more in Finland. This was somewhat of a shock really, as in Mexico students are reminded of their tasks and important dates more often and overall kept a closer eye on. One of the professors who particularly impressed me was Jouni Lyly-Yrjänäinen. He taught us many courses and also took it upon himself to explain Finnish work culture to us,” Raúl commends.
For example, people are trusted a whole lot more in Finland. This was somewhat of a shock really, as in Mexico students are reminded of their tasks and important dates more often and overall kept a closer eye on.
José Raúl Berlanga Zárate, Entrepreneurship and team learning expert, Tampere University
What came as a positive surprise to Raúl was the strong and unique tech student culture in Finland and the wide variety of extracurricular activities.
“There were many happenings taking place and a lot to do. It was nice to be able to take it easy and hang out with my fellow students. It was also a lesson on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Overall, it means a great deal to me that I have received free top-quality education in Finland.”
Over the years, Tampere as a city has also become important for Raúl.
“Tampere has the vibe of a big city but also the tranquillity of a small one. I can proudly say that I am not planning to move anywhere from here,” Raúl says.”
INFO BOX
Who: José Raúl Berlanga Zárate
Degree: Master of Science in Technology (Business & Technology), TUT, 2012–2016
Work: Entrepreneurship and team learning expert in the HUBS community, operating under Tampere University
Quote: “I was admitted to a three-month internship at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture in 2015. In hindsight, it was my biggest professional failure. Many factors contributed to the matter, such as the fact that it was my first fully Finnish-speaking work environment and that I commuted from Hervanta to Helsinki daily. Three months is a short time to learn how a ministry works, so I don’t think I was able to accomplish much. Still, I learned a lot from the experience. In my current role, I encourage students to overcome their fear of failure. We should all be able to face our failures and learn from them.”