The year was 2021, and for the first time the streets of Lahti were alive with the sounds of bachelor level Teekkari students from LUT University’s Lahti campus. The twist – with every programme in English, they were a hugely international group. Teekkari traditions needed to be not just adapted, but built anew.
An example can be seen at sitz (sitsit) parties. Initially, Finnish songs were simply translated into English, but since they drew heavily on Finnish history, nostalgia, and pop culture, their meaning and cultural significance were often lost on non-Finnish participants.
To solve this, Lahti students, with help from Erasmus (ESN), began creating new songs inspired by cultural references familiar both in Finland and globally, such as Nokia’s iconic ringtones and Eurovision. The atmosphere transformed, with sitz parties that once struggled to attract international participants beginning to sell out quickly.
In Lahti there are three Teekkari guilds, as well as ESN. Around 300 new technology students started in Autumn 2025.