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Reflecting on her journey from working-class family to head of state, former President of Finland Tarja Halonen spoke at the Institute of Politics Tuesday about her career in public service and Finland’s achievements in education, human rights, and sustainable development.

Halonen served as president of Finland from 2000 to 2012, and recently co-chaired the United Nations High-level Panel on Global Sustainability. She is currently the Angelopoulous Global Public Leaders Fellow at the Kennedy School, a position intended to bring leaders transitioning out of their office or position to Harvard in order to collaborate with researchers and meet with students for one semester.

Halonen spoke at length at the event about the “we” mentality of compassion and public service instilled in her by her parents, which she characterized as the “Nordic way.”

“Life is not always fair,” she said, quoting her mother. “But that’s why we are here, [to] make the world better.”

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Halonen was born into a poor, working-class family near the end of World War II, an economic situation she characterized as “normal” for much of Europe at the time. She attributed a part of her own success and that of her country to smart investments in education and human capital, which she said have allowed Finland to maintain a world-class economy despite a lack of abundant natural resources such as oil and gas.

Halonen said that one challenge her country has faced recently in education is the issue of developing a “life of learning” and instilling curiosity in its citizenry, since much of the knowledge learned in academic settings can become quickly outdated in content and style.

“As soon as you will leave Harvard University, your education starts [to become] old-fashioned,” she said.

Reflecting on modern sustainability and environmental protection, Halonen said that informing the public of the conclusive academic work done regarding climate change is key to making a difference.

“Sustainable Europe is a modern trinity—we have to respect the planetary boundaries but we [also] have to put the people in focus, because they are the only ones who can make these decisions concerning sustainable development,” she said. “We have to empower them.”

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Halonen also emphasized the importance of a cohesive and inclusive national community, especially in small countries like Finland, highlighting in particular her country’s progress in the area of LBGTQ rights.

“You are part of us—it’s your sexual identity, and you should have the right to bring it openly [without] any pressure,” she said. “We are all different, but we are ‘we.’”

The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum event, which was moderated by Kennedy School dean David T. Ellwood ’75, is part of the Kennedy School’s annual “Public Service Week,” which will culminate on Friday with a day of volunteer efforts in the Cambridge and Boston areas.

—Staff writer Luca F. Schroeder can be reached at luca.schroeder@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @lucaschroeder.