HR Specialist Petra Muraus enjoys working with people and solving tricky problems.
Every working day is different for Petra Muraus, an HR Specialist in Human Resources Services at the University of Eastern Finland, and that is what makes her work interesting.
“The best thing about my job is that I get to work with people every day and help them in a wide range of situations,” Muraus says.
The University of Eastern Finland employs around 600–700 international staff members. Muraus specialises in supporting international staff at different stages, from arriving in the country and settling into everyday life to taking up their duties and eventually leaving the country.
“Sometimes international staff members face challenging situations and contact me directly. It is rewarding to be able to solve problems together, and that leaves you with a good feeling. In this role, you also have to be genuinely proactive rather than simply waiting for people to get in touch.”
In addition to supporting international staff, Muraus’ duties include planning staff training, workplace well-being campaigns, the university’s work on equality and non-discrimination, and supporting various events.
Muraus currently serves as secretary to the Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities Committee. She has participated in events organised by the Talent Hub Eastern Finland project, which aims to support the employment of international professionals. She is also involved in the HR Excellence in Research working group, which focuses on improving researchers’ status and career development.
“I like the fact that my work includes all kinds of tasks.”
From Slovenia to Finland as an exchange student – and learning the language
Petra Muraus is originally from the city of Maribor in Slovenia. She first came to Helsinki, Finland, in 2014 as an exchange student during her Master’s studies at the University of Maribor.
“I didn’t really like Helsinki in February, but a year later, I came back to Finland,” Muraus says with a laugh.
After completing her studies, Muraus found her first job in Finland at an English-language kindergarten, as she did not yet speak Finnish. After that, Muraus spent around four years in Mikkeli working on an Erasmus+ project led by Etelä-Savon Liikunta ry and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. She then worked at Vamos in Kuopio for just over two years.
“At Vamos, much of my work involved supporting refugees, and helping others became a passion. I knew from personal experience what adapting to a new country and taking care of all practical matters involves.”
Values play an important role when working in a university setting. Now I get to do meaningful work with international researchers.
Petra Muraus
HR Specialist
It was at Vamos that Muraus met Anne Kauppinen, a Senior HR Specialist at the University of Eastern Finland, marking her first contact with the university.
After her maternity leave, Muraus was looking for a permanent position. She found one as an HR Specialist at Charles River, a research services company. Employing just over one hundred people, the company’s working language was English, and the range of duties was broad. In autumn 2025, an HR Specialist position became available at the University of Eastern Finland, and Muraus applied and was selected for the role.
“I had already been thinking it would be nice to work at the university. Values play an important role when working in a university setting. Now I get to do meaningful work with international researchers. The University of Eastern Finland is also my first workplace where I speak a lot of Finnish,” Muraus says.
“Here, you can be yourself”
Muraus feels at home in Kuopio: the city is about the same size as Maribor, her home town in Slovenia. Kuopio’s safety and its outdoor recreation opportunities have also made an impression on her.
As a work and study community, the university is very large but at the same time international and approachable.
“It was a big change at first, as the university has many more staff members than my previous employers. Because my work involves many different roles, I get to know someone new every week. That is really nice, and I have gained many good colleagues.”
Muraus has also experienced a positive culture shock at the University of Eastern Finland: the workplace has a flat hierarchy and people tend to be on first-name terms, without using titles.
“Here, you can be yourself. That is important for everyone, students included.”
