Our alum Mohamad Alhilwani: A passion for mathematics led to a career combining engineering and teaching

Teacher by day, engineer by night

Mohamad Alhilwani holds a master's degree in civil engineering and works as a structural engineer at RA-Suunnittelu Oy. He started working for the Tampere-based company back in 2022, while still studying for his master's degree.

“My work contains varied tasks related to structural engineering. I analyse the load-bearing capacities of structures and produce reports for building control, for example. Also, there is a building site in Hanko for which I have designed all the balconies,” Mohamad says.

In addition to his day job, Mohamad is studying to become a teacher and he also taught mathematics at Ahvenisjärvi School in Tampere for two years, until late 2025. This combination has been possible thanks to flexible work arrangements: teaching and studies mostly take place during the daytime, while much of the structural design work can be done remotely through independent project work.

Mohamad became a teacher partly by chance and partly through positive experiences and encouragement. He took his first steps into teaching in 2023, when he took his brother's advice and applied to become a classroom assistant.

“In that role, I saw that mathematics was largely taught in a traditional way, using pen and paper. It occurred to me that I could bring something new to teaching. I use my own tablet and digital tools a lot in my teaching, which allows me to better visualise what I’m teaching. The students really liked this, and that's how the whole idea of teaching came about and my passion started to grow,” Mohamad says.

Mohamad also had positive teaching experiences from helping several of his friends apply to universities. They were all admitted.

Mohamad says that two people have been particularly important in his teaching career so far. Education Specialist Hanna Lehtelä at Tampere University helped Mohamad figure out and plan his path to teacher education after completing his master's degree in engineering. Mohamad is also grateful to Principal Marika Korpinurmi of the Ahvenisjärvi School for her trust and for offering him employment.

The best feedback is when a student says, 'I want you to be our teacher forever."

Mohamad Alhilwani

“The best moments in teaching are when a student realises something new. I really enjoy using certain teaching methods, but the students are always the stars of the classroom – they are my customers. The best feedback is when a student says, 'I want you to be our teacher forever.”

Persistence and a strong drive

Mathematics has been a common thread throughout Mohamad's studies and career in many ways. Originally from Syria, Mohamad says he already studied derivatives and integral calculus independently as a teenager in Lebanon, where his family fled to escape the war in 2013.

The family moved to Finland in 2015, by which time Mohamad had a career plan in place. He continued to work determinedly towards his goals, including learning Finnish on YouTube. In upper secondary school, mathematics was again a subject in which he excelled, alongside physics and English.

During Mohamad’s studies in upper secondary school, his family lived in Lahti. Mohamad completed his bachelor's degree in construction engineering in Oulu, and he moved to Tampere in 2022 to pursue his master's degree.

“I wanted to come to Tampere. I had visited a close friend here, and I thought the city looked big, lively and beautiful. The people were also nice and open,” he says.

A single lecture can change the course of your life

Mohamad says that his master's studies in construction engineering progressed largely through calculation. The main focus was on the three most important materials: concrete, steel and timber.
“The emphasis was very much on what needs to be considered in construction: how to work with materials and how to combine them. We also studied fire safety and fire protection design, durability calculation and cross-sections. The studies proceeded through calculation throughout,” Mohamad says.

Almost all courses included practical assignments, which also taught teamwork – a skill that has proven useful in working life.

“The practical assignments were full of information and were often done in groups; working in pairs would not have been enough for the scope of work involved. The professors were really nice and competent. They were also easy to approach and always offered help,” Mohamad praises.

The professors were really nice and competent. They were also easy to approach and always offered help."

Mohamad Alhilwani

Mohamad warmly encourages others interested in mathematics to apply for studies, even if they do not yet know what career they want to pursue. The world is open to mathematics enthusiasts.

“There are many career paths to choose from, and more options open during your studies. Lectures give you the opportunity to listen to experienced people, and many of the guest lectures, for example, were really interesting. Your plans can easily change during a single lecture,” Mohamad concludes.

Text: Tiina Leivo
 

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