Finland was the top choice

Zak Allal, who moved from the United States to Finland, appreciates the honesty and resilience of the Finnish people. His app, Finnish Companion, helps immigrants learn the Finnish language more easily.

Allal’s decision to move to Finland was as logical as the man himself. Originally from Algeria, he lived in the United States for over 10 years. As an entrepreneur and educator, he worked at Singularity University in California’s Silicon Valley, specializing in education and consulting. He collaborated with Google and NASA.

Allal shares how he grew increasingly frustrated with the way Californians were always eager to talk about themselves and their achievements. It became hard to tell what was true and what wasn’t. He longed for more genuine people around him. After a divorce, he wanted a fresh start, with well-being and happiness as the top priorities in his life.

Allal created an extensive Excel spreadsheet listing various countries and their indexes, including life expectancy, overall happiness, and quality of life. Finland rose to the top of the list. Without much more thought, the doctor by training started looking for work and was offered a research position at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, studying epilepsy treatment pathways. Knowing nothing about the country except for Nokia, he moved to a new culture in March 2022.

While living in Finland, Allal has come to realize how wonderful the Finnish work culture is.

“In the work culture of North Savo, in particular, there’s this quiet, modest, yet powerful and determined force. I have a great respect for that and for the people here,” Allal says.

He has enjoyed living in Kuopio, as he loves peace and quiet. Additionally, this university town has everything one might need. Having lived in California, he also appreciates that there are never traffic jams in Kuopio. Allal enjoys walking, and even temperatures as low as -15°C haven’t stopped him from walking to work.

The dark winter in Kuopio might inspire some to exercise, while others might indulge in comfort foods. Allal, on the other hand, spent the winter months coding and programming. Just a couple of months after his arrival, he launched the Finnish Companion online service. The app helps people studying Finnish understand the complexities of the language more logically. This nonprofit startup won a €10,000 prize at the Tahko Ski Lift Pitch competition.

Allal, who speaks seven languages, became frustrated while learning Finnish because it was hard to find words in their inflected forms. If someone learning Finnish wants to know the meaning of “kävellessäsi” (while walking), they might not realize that it is an inflected form of the verb “kävellä” (to walk). Finnish Companion, however, shows the inflected forms as well as all the meanings of the word. Allal hopes that the app will encourage immigrants to use Finnish more, helping them integrate into Finnish society more easily.

Allal is neurodivergent, with Asperger’s and ADHD. Despite, or perhaps because of this, he feels like a polymath from the Renaissance era, when people had broad knowledge of various arts and sciences. He enjoys doing 4–5 different jobs at once and finds it rewarding. In addition to his professional expertise, Allal is also a professional pianist and composer.

Currently, Allal lives in Helsinki, as he can do his work from other cities as well. He also has to travel abroad often, so being close to the airport is a positive factor. While Kuopio does have an airport, the low number of passengers makes prices high. However, he still sees the airport as a positive asset and believes it could help attract more foreign talent to the city.

Allal is currently awaiting medical accreditation in Finland. In the future, he hopes to specialize in either neurology or radiology. His dream is to return to Kuopio to work as a doctor, as he misses the city. The reasons are partly rational, but North Savo has also captured a piece of his heart: Kuopio brought balance to his life, something he had been seeking for a long time.

Text: Akiola-Media Oy / Niina Linna

Photos: Zak Allal