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Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry is an association that supports education and innovation in water and environmental technologies. Its goal is to safeguard natural resources and the prerequisites for a good life for future generations, and it has deep roots in the history of Aalto University. ‘Eleven civil engineers specialised in agricultural water engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology founded the association in 1949. Although today our activities broadly support water-related education and research across Finland, Aalto still remains our beloved home base,’ says Timo Maasilta, chair of the association’s board, whose father was one of its founding members.

Today, the association is continuing its mission into its third generation. Timo’s daughter, Minna Maasilta, who holds a Master’s degree in water engineering, serves as the association’s managing director. Both are Aalto University alumni and recall their alma mater fondly. ‘Student life was a wonderful phase. Of course, we learned from books and lectures, but we also learned through living and learning about life via new people, situations, and experiences. Internships at water utilities were especially instructive, as professionals involved us students in a variety of tasks, which was fantastic,’ Timo recalls.

Minna began her studies at the Helsinki University of Technology and graduated from Aalto University in 2012. For her, the significance of the water sector stems from water supply, which she became involved with during her studies. ‘I got to work in water supply already during my studies, which strengthened my professional identity as a water supply engineer. One fun memory is from Vantaa Water, where as a student I helped repair a burst pipe in a flooded field with the fitters. I hadn’t yet received my work boots, so I waded barefoot through mud and clay. Water became a very concrete part of my life – from every direction,’ Minna says with a smile.

The professional student club Akva also played a meaningful role in her journey. Through its excursions, young engineering students got to explore topics like Mekong River research, Dutch flood barriers, Swedish wastewater treatment and transboundary water issues along the Nile in Ethiopia. ‘Akva anchored me to the water sector. I found my own community there, and we made amazing trips to places ordinary tourists never see. The more I learned about the water sector, the more it fascinated me,’ Minna says.

Supporting student excursions and study trips abroad has been at the core of the association’s activities since the very beginning. ‘In the beginning, there were hardly any other grants for this. Our idea was – and still is –  that every engineering student should have the chance to go abroad at least once during their studies. It’s always wonderful to read students’ travel and field reports,’ Timo says.

Clean water for all

Pekka Österlund, a board member of Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry, is also an Aalto alum. His connection to the water sector stems from a deep appreciation for nature. ‘The further my studies progressed, the more I understood water’s central role in sustaining life. Clean water is a prerequisite for life, and today’s water engineering experts face complex global challenges,’ Österlund says.

The challenges of the water sector know no borders. The effects of climate change are especially visible through water – floods, droughts and a scarcity of clean water. New solutions and expertise are constantly needed. ‘Clean water is a limited resource, and it must be given the value it deserves. Aalto is conducting impactful international research in the water sector, and we want to continue supporting bold experiments and new initiatives. It’s important to give wings to ideas that can have far-reaching effects,’ says Minna Maasilta.

Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry has played a central role in developing water engineering education and research in Finland. Over the past 15 years, Aalto University has received more than a hundred donations and grants from the association, and before that, the Helsinki University of Technology was a major beneficiary. ‘It’s been wonderful to follow the development of water expertise at Aalto. Water-related challenges are unlikely to become easier in the future, but broad-minded and courageous engineering skills will be crucial in solving them,’ says Pekka Österlund.

Text: Marjukka Puolakka

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