On 6-7 June 2025, the final of the international Project Management Championship (PMC) was held in Warsaw, Poland. The event brought together the best project management student teams from 11 countries to compete against each other. Finland was represented by the best team from the national final, from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.
Text by Jonna Vuorenpää
From left to right Henri Toivomäki, Siiri Karjalainen and Jenny Nyman went to represent Finland. Jonna Vuorenpää, President of Young Crew Finland, was there to cheer on the team.
The competition aims to challenge participants’ project management skills in a realistic, time-pressured case that requires both technical and teamwork skills. During the event, teams will solve multi-stage project scenarios in an international environment, simulating real-world project pressures and decision-making situations. The first phase of the competition was carried out using the SimulTrain project simulation, where the competitors were tasked to perform a real-life project scenario. In the second phase, the competitors presented their final report and reflected on what they had learned and the success of the project.
High level of project expertise
The Finnish team consisted of three members: Siiri Karjalainen, Jenny Nyman and Henri Toivomäki. The Finnish team was one of the strongest competitors in the final. The team’s journey to the competition started with a strong performance in the qualification round and progressed from winning the national final to the international final in Poland. Although there was no win this time, the Finnish team’s performance was excellent and a testament to the high level of project expertise.
In the end, the Greek team won a tough competition with a brilliant performance in both the simulation and the presentation of the final report. The host country Poland also finished in the top three, with Germany in third place. The win means that Greece will host next year’s final in its home country. Finland is also sure to feature in next year’s international final.
More than just project management
The competition provided a unique opportunity for participants to network with other countries’ top performers and industry experts. The atmosphere at the event was energetic and inspiring – international community spirit at its best.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow both professionally and on a personal level. It was a great experience!” says Siiri Karjalainen of the Finnish team.
In addition to the competition, participants were also able to enjoy the local culture and the event’s supporting programme. The programme included a visit to Warsaw’s historic School of Economics University, a guided tour of Warsaw’s sights, networking with other participants and a closing gala on Saturday evening where the winner of the competition was announced.
Congratulations to Greece for the victory and thank you once again Posti Oyj for supporting our team in the competition!
