Aalto University
Encyclopedia
Aalto University is a Finnish
university
established on January 1, 2010, by the merger of the Helsinki University of Technology
, the Helsinki School of Economics
, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki
.
Aalto University aims to create a new science and arts community by bringing together three existing universities of technology, economics and art.
, president of the University of Art and Design Helsinki
at the time, proposed the merger of Aalto University's founding schools in his president's opening speech in 2005. Sotamaa's line of reasoning was that this move would create a unique interdisciplinary university that was needed to create new innovative thought.
The idea received attention within the Finnish Ministry of Education, which appointed Raimo Sailas, a leading official at the Ministry of Finance, to investigate the possibility of a merger. After Sailas' group reported that it considered the merger to be beneficial to the Finnish academic world and economy, the Finnish government decided to go on with the project on November 11, 2007.
On May 29, 2008, the government announced that the new university would be named for the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto
in recognition of his achievements in technology, economics and art. The Finnish Minister of Education at the time, Ms. Sari Sarkomaa
, together with representatives of Finnish industries and professional organisations, signed the Aalto University charter on June 25, 2008 in Helsinki
. On December 19, 2008, Prof. Tuula Teeri
was selected by the Board to be the first President of Aalto University.
Aalto University started operating on January 1, 2010. In the process of creating the university the university law of Finland was rewritten for the university to be allowed to collect endowment. The process of collecting donations is still under way and aims to collect a total of 200 million euros from private donations. All private donations will be augmented by 2.5 times the sum by the Finnish state, to a maximum of 500 million euros. Making the projected goal of fund raising 700 million euros.
(Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, Tekniska högskolan, TKK). The technology campus is located in Otaniemi
, Espoo
, in the metropolitan area of Greater Helsinki
. Founded in 1849 by Grand Duke Nicholas I
, TKK received university status in 1908 and was incorporated into the Aalto University along with the School of Economics and School of Art and Design in 2010. In 1966, the then Helsinki University of Technology moved from downtown Helsinki to its current Otaniemi campus, designed by Alvar Aalto
. The Otaniemi campus has about 250 professors and approximately 15,000 students studying in 19 degree programmes leading to master's degrees. This means the largest part of the Aalto University is located in Otaniemi.
in 1904 by the business community and was given the status of a university in 1911. It operated as a private university until 1974, when the state of Finland was given the financial responsibility of the university.
, and was founded in 1871. Media Centre Lume - the National Research and Development Center of audiovisual media - is also located in the university. The school awards the following academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts
, Master of Arts
, and Doctor of Arts
.
The university has been active in establishing research projects and industrial collaborations via the private sector. During the rectorship of Yrjö Sotamaa
the university was active in integrating design into Finnish innovation networks.
, a molecular geneticist
and former deputy president of Royal Institute of Technology
. The university is organized into six schools with their respective deans and administrative structures.
The Aalto University Student Union (AUS) is the student government of Aalto University and all registered students are members. Its elected leadership consists of a representative council elected by the student body and a board selected annually by the Representative Council. The student union is responsible for a wide range of things, such as student housing, recreation and health care.
All engineering programmes offered by the schools of science and technology lead to the degree of diplomi-insinööri
(M.Sc. (Tech.), Master of Science in Technology), a five-year taught Master's degree, which is fairly similar to the German Diplom-Ingenieur degrees. The only exceptions to this are the architecture programmes that lead to the M.Sc. degrees of architecture and landscape architecture. From 2005, according to the Bologna process
, all students must also complete a Bachelor's degree (B.Sc. (Tech), Bachelor of Science in Technology
), in Finnish tekniikan kandidaatti or TkK, before the DI or architect's degree. However, the schools of science and technology do not offer programs terminating in a Bachelor's degree; a student may only be accepted to study for the Master's level degree. The schools of science and technology require a Bachelor's degree from foreign students studying in English, because only Master's studies are offered completely in English.
Undergraduate studies are generally quite similar in between different programs with a considerable part being taken by a tuition of a solid base in mathematics and physics. Students may depending on program of study choose the level of undergraduate mathematics studies, with the L-course (Laaja, wide) being the most rigorous. Only the top of approximately 10 % of the students are invited to the L-course in addition to the students in the Engineering Physics and Mathematics program, making it possibly the most selective mathematical training in the whole nation, taking into account the generally significantly selective nature of most Aalto School of Science and Technology programs. Approximately 41 % of those students finish the first 3 L courses successfully, and 83 % of those finish the fourth, which is mandatory for only a part of them. Combined L1-3 completion rates are therefore similar to the recent ones for Harvard's
Math 55
.
Apart from numerous programs in Finnish/Swedish, various international Master's programs are offered exclusively for studies in English http://studies.aalto.fi/en/programs/technology/.
The postgraduate degrees given are tekniikan lisensiaatti (Lic.Sc. (Tech.), Licenciate of Science in Technology
) and tekniikan tohtori (D.Sc. (Tech.), Doctor of Science in Technology
).
Finnish students are accepted mainly on the basis of result in the national DIA entrance exam. The exam variant taken by most entrants mainly tests quantitative ability in mathematics, physics and chemistry, but specialized tests are available for students applying to a number of programs. The score required for entry to the Aalto University varies much depending on the intended field of study, however, in general the scores required for the Aalto University are higher than for any other university granting entry through the DIA exam. For example, the mean sum of mathematics and physics DIA exam scores was 7.2 in the year 2010, whereas the mean minimum sum of mathematics and physics exam scores for gaining admission to an Aalto program was 17.1-20.1, depending on the priority point distribution. Aalto also contains five of the most selective programs with respect to the matriculation exam scores, out of approximately total of 50 university technology programs
in the nation, of which approximately 30 are outside of Aalto, and the three most selective programs with respect to entrance exam and combined scores. The minimum scores required for these top programs are in the 95th-99th percentile range of the whole applicant pool, and approximately 98th-99.8th percentile of what would be the score distribution of the whole age group.
In its degree programs, the school has a two-step program structure with a three-year Bachelors degree followed by a two-year Masters degree. A doctoral degree normally takes four additional years.
The Aalto University School of Economics has two campuses. The main campus is located in the center of Helsinki. At this campus, the school offers five Bachelor of Science Programs (out of which two are offered entirely in English) and 15 Master of Science Programs, including the European joint degree CEMS MIM and three joint programs organized between Aalto schools. Nine out of the 15 Master of Science Programs are offered entirely in English. New students start by studying towards the BSc in Economics and Business Administration degree and on completion, are eligible to continue to study for the Master’s degree.
The Mikkeli campus is located 230 km away from Helsinki in Mikkeli and offers an English language Bachelor’s program in International Business (BScBA).
Aalto MBA and Executive MBA Programs are organized by Aalto University Executive Education Ltd. MBA and Executive MBA programs are offered in Helsinki
, China
, Singapore
, South Korea
, Taiwan
and Poland
and have tuition fees, unlike the degree programs. The MBA program is taught through two-week modules by visiting faculty from some of the business schools in the world, including Emory University
, Rutgers Business School
, University of South Carolina
, Georgetown University
, UCLA, Concordia University
, Queen’s University, Rotterdam School of Management
, Indiana University
, ESADE
and INSEAD
.
The Global Alliance in Management Education (CEMS
) is a strategic alliance of 25 member schools around the world – each a top school of its country – and 57 prestigious corporate partners.
The (CEMS
) Master's in International Management provides a unique blend of top-level education and professional experience for multilingual, multicultural postgraduate students. The CEMS Corporate Partners of AALTO are Kone, Nokia and Stora Enso.
AALTO students have the opportunity to take (CEMS) MIM program in addition to their MSc degree program at AALTO. CEMS MIM is a one year's specialization program in international management. The CEMS MIM curriculum has been jointly designed by CEMS Schools and the Corporate Partners. At graduation, CEMS students at Aalto ECON receive both MSc degree certificate and CEMS MIM certificate. CEMS MIM has a high recognition among the corporate sector. In 2009, CEMS program was ranked 1st in 2009 and 2nd in 2010 by the Financial Times
among Masters in Management programs.
Aalto University participates in 12 "Centres of Excellence" (huippuyksikkö, see below), selected by the Academy of Finland
to represent the top research in the country and receiving separate, fixed-period funding from the Academy.
Researchers at AALTO have achieved notability in, among other things, low temperature physics (holding the current world record for the lowest temperature achieved), the development of devices and methods for magnetoencephalography
, mobile communications, wood processing
, and neural networks, with professor Teuvo Kohonen
initiating research in self-organizing map
s. Additionally, the first commercialised total synthesis
, the synthesis of camphor
, was invented by Gustaf Komppa
, the first professor of chemistry at TKK and the Nobel laureate (chemistry, 1945) Artturi Virtanen held a professorship in biochemistry at TKK. More recently, the university has notably invested in the research of nanotechnology, operating the largest cleanroom
facility in Northern Europe and one of the largest microscopy clusters in Europe.
The Nokia Research Center
has operated a "lablet" on university premises since 2008, in order to establish joint research programs and daily interaction between Nokia and university researchers, who will share the same facilities.
to represent the top research in the country, and receives separate, fixed-period funding from the Academy. Currently, the following units are designated Centres of Excellence.
s Innopoli and Technopolis are also situated nearby. It is also directly adjacent to Keilaniemi
, with Life Science Center and the headquarters of several notable Finnish companies, such as Nokia
and Fortum
. The Otaniemi campus is connected by a 15-minute bus ride to the center of Helsinki and a metro
line is being constructed. The main university campus is located at Otaniemi, Espoo. The former premises of TAIK and HSE are set to be gradually moved to Otaniemi, save for the master's level education in economy which is set to stay in Töölö, Helsinki.
The ‘Teekkarikylä’ Student Village, home to over 2,000 students of technology, is also located in Otaniemi. There are over one hundred student organizations on campus which provide a range of opportunities to take part in pastimes of various kinds, from sports to music.
The Aalto University students are known for active student life, an integral part of many student traditions play the brightly colored overalls worn to many events. The color of the overall signals what the student studies (e.g. the economy students are recognized from dollar green overalls). The student community has also organised important charity events. In fact, the name for these events tempaus, has entered common language to describe any carnival-like charity event.
The students of technology (the teekkaris) are especially noticeable, as they wear a distinctive hat with a tuft on many occasions (both formal and informal). Technology students are also famous for, and Finland's leading practitioners of, student pranks (jäynä), similar in principle to MIT hack
s. Their most widely publicised stunt took place in 1961, when a team of students smuggled a statue of Paavo Nurmi
onto the 300-year-old wreck of Regalskeppet Vasa
just days before its lifting from the bottom of the sea.
The students of economy are known for their parties in downtown Helsinki, where the economy student building hosts a lavish nightclub, the KY Klubi (the economy student club).
Although student traditions vary in between the different constituent schools common activities started to burgeon early after the foundation of Aalto-U. The most noticeable student event of the first year of the university was Aalto on Tracks, where a group of 100 students came together to rent a private train which they traveled 10 000 km on from Helsinki to the Shanghai Expo enjoying multidisciplinary talks and workshops on the way. The event was such a success that the follow-up Aalto on waves is planned to arrange a trip by boat to South America. Aalto on Tracks also spurred students of Tongji University
to arrange Tonji on Tracks which essentially takes the journey of Aalto on Tracks in the opposite direction.
Aalto Entrepreneurship Society is a multi-disciplinary society uniting students and graduates of all disciplines of the University. It aims to encourage high-tech, high-growth, scalable entrepreneurship by arranging get-togethers to spark ideas and innovations and aid start-up initiatives among the Aalto students.
The festival shows the public a wide array of works: everything from distinguished theses, individual statements, concepts and products arising from commercial collaboration to works of art. All this in perfect harmony.
For the graduating students the exhibition is an opportunity to interact with society, future employers, the media and other influential parties.
In addition to the exhibition, MoA offers a varying program with seminars, discussions, films, workshops and guided tours.
The purpose of AYY is to represent the students, look after their interests, and support the community of 15,000 students. AYY provides its members with a variety of services such as healthcare, recreation and housing. The Student Union is financed by membership fees, investments and profits from student housing.
Aalto University Student Union was formed in the beginning of 2010 through a merger between the respective student unions of the merged universities.
The Aalto University is also one of the two universities in Finland to host one or more Nations, a Finnish type of student corporation
. AU's only nation is Teknologföreningen (TF)
and its goal is to unite Swedish-speaking students at the university. The nation is housed in its peculiar building called Urdsgjallar. There are no nations for the Finnish speaking students, however the 11 regional Finnish-speaking nations at the University of Helsinki
do welcome AU students as members.
Construction of the Otaniemi campus was started in 1950, in order for the first buildings to host the athletes of the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki. Some of the building material originally used for the campus was acquired from the former Soviet Union embassy, which had been destroyed during World War II
, as a result of bombings by the Soviet Union
itself. The student housing has been used for housing athletes again in e.g. the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
, sometimes to the dismay of the students that have to move out during the events. The quality of the Otaniemi student housing holds a high standard in international comparison. There is also a somewhat more limited availability of student housing available in the vicinity of the other campuses.
The Otaniemi campus also contains the former student union building Dipoli
, named as the second Poli, the successor of the first student union building in downtown Helsinki. Dipoli was designed by Reima and Raili Pietilä
and completed in 1966. In 1993, the building was permanently rented to the university to act as a conference and continuing education
center and later sold due to high maintenance costs. It is regularly used for conventions, congresses and student parties.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
established on January 1, 2010, by the merger of the Helsinki University of Technology
Helsinki University of Technology
Aalto University School of Science and Technology , was the temporary name for Helsinki University of Technology during the process of forming the Aalto University...
, the Helsinki School of Economics
Helsinki School of Economics
The Aalto University School of Economics , known as Helsinki School of Economics until 2009, is the largest and leading business school in Finland and one of the most renowned in Europe...
, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki
University of Art and Design Helsinki
Aalto University School of Art and Design , known commonly as TaiK, is the largest art university in the Nordic countries, and was founded in 1871. Media Centre Lume – the National Research and Development Center of audiovisual media – is also located in the university...
.
Aalto University aims to create a new science and arts community by bringing together three existing universities of technology, economics and art.
History
In 2004, a workgroup led by Anne Brunila of the Finnish Ministry of Finance concluded that Finland had too many universities and other institutes of tertiary education which should be consolidated. Following this, Yrjö SotamaaYrjö Sotamaa
Yrjö Sotamaa, is a Finnish designer. Sotamaa is Professor Emeritus of Design Innovation in the Aalto University School of Art and Design and President Emeritus of the University of Art and Design Helsinki . He served as the head of TAIK from 1986 until 2008...
, president of the University of Art and Design Helsinki
University of Art and Design Helsinki
Aalto University School of Art and Design , known commonly as TaiK, is the largest art university in the Nordic countries, and was founded in 1871. Media Centre Lume – the National Research and Development Center of audiovisual media – is also located in the university...
at the time, proposed the merger of Aalto University's founding schools in his president's opening speech in 2005. Sotamaa's line of reasoning was that this move would create a unique interdisciplinary university that was needed to create new innovative thought.
The idea received attention within the Finnish Ministry of Education, which appointed Raimo Sailas, a leading official at the Ministry of Finance, to investigate the possibility of a merger. After Sailas' group reported that it considered the merger to be beneficial to the Finnish academic world and economy, the Finnish government decided to go on with the project on November 11, 2007.
On May 29, 2008, the government announced that the new university would be named for the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
in recognition of his achievements in technology, economics and art. The Finnish Minister of Education at the time, Ms. Sari Sarkomaa
Sari Sarkomaa
Sari Sarkomaa is a Finnish politician and former Minister of Education. She served in Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet between April 19, 2007 and December 19, 2008. Sarkomaa quit her ministerial post to spend more time with her family. She was succeeded by Henna Virkkunen.-External links:...
, together with representatives of Finnish industries and professional organisations, signed the Aalto University charter on June 25, 2008 in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. On December 19, 2008, Prof. Tuula Teeri
Tuula Teeri
Professor Tuula Teeri , Ph.D., is a Finnish molecular geneticist and the President of Aalto University. She has previously been the Vice President at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Professor Teeri started as the President of Aalto University on April 1, 2009.She holds a Ph.D...
was selected by the Board to be the first President of Aalto University.
Aalto University started operating on January 1, 2010. In the process of creating the university the university law of Finland was rewritten for the university to be allowed to collect endowment. The process of collecting donations is still under way and aims to collect a total of 200 million euros from private donations. All private donations will be augmented by 2.5 times the sum by the Finnish state, to a maximum of 500 million euros. Making the projected goal of fund raising 700 million euros.
History of the schools of science and engineering
As the Aalto University was founded the four schools of science and engineering were formed out of the departments of the Helsinki University of TechnologyHelsinki University of Technology
Aalto University School of Science and Technology , was the temporary name for Helsinki University of Technology during the process of forming the Aalto University...
(Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, Tekniska högskolan, TKK). The technology campus is located in Otaniemi
Otaniemi
Otaniemi , or Otnäs , is a district of Espoo, Finland. It is located near the border of Helsinki, the capital of Finland....
, Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
, in the metropolitan area of Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki and the smaller Helsinki Metropolitan Area or Capital Region refer to two regions of different size surrounding Helsinki, the capital of Finland...
. Founded in 1849 by Grand Duke Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
, TKK received university status in 1908 and was incorporated into the Aalto University along with the School of Economics and School of Art and Design in 2010. In 1966, the then Helsinki University of Technology moved from downtown Helsinki to its current Otaniemi campus, designed by Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
. The Otaniemi campus has about 250 professors and approximately 15,000 students studying in 19 degree programmes leading to master's degrees. This means the largest part of the Aalto University is located in Otaniemi.
History of the School of Economics
Aalto University School of Economics (Aalto ECON), ; ), known as Helsinki School of Economics (HSE) until 2009 was established in HelsinkiHelsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
in 1904 by the business community and was given the status of a university in 1911. It operated as a private university until 1974, when the state of Finland was given the financial responsibility of the university.
History of the School of Art and Design
Aalto University School of Art and Design (Aalto TAIK), known commonly as TaiK, is the largest art university in the Nordic countriesNordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
, and was founded in 1871. Media Centre Lume - the National Research and Development Center of audiovisual media - is also located in the university. The school awards the following academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, and Doctor of Arts
Doctor of Arts
The Doctor of Arts is a discipline-based terminal doctoral degree that was originally conceived and designed to be an alternative to the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy and the education-based Doctor of Education . Like other doctorates, the D.A. is an academic degree of the...
.
The university has been active in establishing research projects and industrial collaborations via the private sector. During the rectorship of Yrjö Sotamaa
Yrjö Sotamaa
Yrjö Sotamaa, is a Finnish designer. Sotamaa is Professor Emeritus of Design Innovation in the Aalto University School of Art and Design and President Emeritus of the University of Art and Design Helsinki . He served as the head of TAIK from 1986 until 2008...
the university was active in integrating design into Finnish innovation networks.
Administration
The University is governed by the seven-member Aalto University Foundation Board. The Board decides on the Foundation's strategy, operation and financial issues, is responsible for any far-reaching plans and appoints the University president and vice rectors. The first President of Aalto University is Tuula TeeriTuula Teeri
Professor Tuula Teeri , Ph.D., is a Finnish molecular geneticist and the President of Aalto University. She has previously been the Vice President at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Professor Teeri started as the President of Aalto University on April 1, 2009.She holds a Ph.D...
, a molecular geneticist
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
and former deputy president of Royal Institute of Technology
Royal Institute of Technology
The Royal Institute of Technology is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH was founded in 1827 as Sweden's first polytechnic and is one of Scandinavia's largest institutions of higher education in technology. KTH accounts for one-third of Sweden’s technical research and engineering education...
. The university is organized into six schools with their respective deans and administrative structures.
The Aalto University Student Union (AUS) is the student government of Aalto University and all registered students are members. Its elected leadership consists of a representative council elected by the student body and a board selected annually by the Representative Council. The student union is responsible for a wide range of things, such as student housing, recreation and health care.
Schools
The university is organized since the beginning of 2011 into six schools formed out of the three merged universities. Each school having several departments and separate laboratories as well as a number of separate research and other units.- School of Art and Design (Aalto TAIK)
- School of Chemical TechnologyAalto University School of Chemical TechnologyAalto University School of Chemical Technology is a part of the Aalto University and one of the four new schools of technology established from the former Aalto University School of Science and Technology on 1 January 2011...
(Aalto CHEM) - School of Economics (Aalto ECON)
- School of Electrical EngineeringAalto University School of Electrical EngineeringAalto University School of Electrical Engineering is a part of the Aalto University and works in the area of basic research as well as in the field of latest technologies and provides high quality engineering education for both Finnish and international studentsSchool's eight departments widely...
(Aalto ELEC) - School of EngineeringAalto University School of EngineeringAalto University School of Engineering is a part of the Aalto University and is one of the four new schools of technology established from the former Aalto University School of Science and Technology on 1 January 2011...
(Aalto ENG) - School of ScienceAalto University School of ScienceAalto University School of Science is a part of the Aalto University and is one of the four new schools of technology established from the former Aalto University School of Science and Technology on 1 January 2011...
(Aalto SCI)
Other Units and Institutes
- Aalto University Library
- Aalto University Professional Development (former Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli)
- Helsinki Institute of PhysicsHelsinki Institute of PhysicsThe Helsinki Institute of Physics is a physics research institute operated by University of Helsinki, Aalto University and University of Jyväskylä...
(is operated jointly with University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiThe University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
, University of JyväskyläUniversity of JyväskyläThe University of Jyväskylä is a university in Jyväskylä, Finland. It has its origins in the first Finnish-speaking teacher training college , founded in 1863. Around 14,000 students are currently enrolled in the degree programs of the university...
, Lappeenranta University of TechnologyLappeenranta University of TechnologyThe Lappeenranta University of Technology was established in 1969. The university campus is situated on the shore of lake Saimaa, about 7 kilometres away from the city center...
, Tampere University of Technology) http://www.hip.fi/
Study in Science and Technology
Diplomi-insinööri
Diplomi-insinööri is a Finnish Master's level academic degree with a nominal length of 300 ECTS credits. The official English translation of the degree is Master of Science in Engineering, Master of Science and Master of Science in Technology. The Finnish name derives from the old German degree...
(M.Sc. (Tech.), Master of Science in Technology), a five-year taught Master's degree, which is fairly similar to the German Diplom-Ingenieur degrees. The only exceptions to this are the architecture programmes that lead to the M.Sc. degrees of architecture and landscape architecture. From 2005, according to the Bologna process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
, all students must also complete a Bachelor's degree (B.Sc. (Tech), Bachelor of Science in Technology
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
), in Finnish tekniikan kandidaatti or TkK, before the DI or architect's degree. However, the schools of science and technology do not offer programs terminating in a Bachelor's degree; a student may only be accepted to study for the Master's level degree. The schools of science and technology require a Bachelor's degree from foreign students studying in English, because only Master's studies are offered completely in English.
Undergraduate studies are generally quite similar in between different programs with a considerable part being taken by a tuition of a solid base in mathematics and physics. Students may depending on program of study choose the level of undergraduate mathematics studies, with the L-course (Laaja, wide) being the most rigorous. Only the top of approximately 10 % of the students are invited to the L-course in addition to the students in the Engineering Physics and Mathematics program, making it possibly the most selective mathematical training in the whole nation, taking into account the generally significantly selective nature of most Aalto School of Science and Technology programs. Approximately 41 % of those students finish the first 3 L courses successfully, and 83 % of those finish the fourth, which is mandatory for only a part of them. Combined L1-3 completion rates are therefore similar to the recent ones for Harvard's
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Math 55
Math 55
Math 55 is a two-semester long first-year undergraduate mathematics course at Harvard University. The official titles of the course is Honors Abstract Algebra and Honors Real and Complex Analysis...
.
Apart from numerous programs in Finnish/Swedish, various international Master's programs are offered exclusively for studies in English http://studies.aalto.fi/en/programs/technology/.
The postgraduate degrees given are tekniikan lisensiaatti (Lic.Sc. (Tech.), Licenciate of Science in Technology
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
) and tekniikan tohtori (D.Sc. (Tech.), Doctor of Science in Technology
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
).
Finnish students are accepted mainly on the basis of result in the national DIA entrance exam. The exam variant taken by most entrants mainly tests quantitative ability in mathematics, physics and chemistry, but specialized tests are available for students applying to a number of programs. The score required for entry to the Aalto University varies much depending on the intended field of study, however, in general the scores required for the Aalto University are higher than for any other university granting entry through the DIA exam. For example, the mean sum of mathematics and physics DIA exam scores was 7.2 in the year 2010, whereas the mean minimum sum of mathematics and physics exam scores for gaining admission to an Aalto program was 17.1-20.1, depending on the priority point distribution. Aalto also contains five of the most selective programs with respect to the matriculation exam scores, out of approximately total of 50 university technology programs
Diplomi-insinööri
Diplomi-insinööri is a Finnish Master's level academic degree with a nominal length of 300 ECTS credits. The official English translation of the degree is Master of Science in Engineering, Master of Science and Master of Science in Technology. The Finnish name derives from the old German degree...
in the nation, of which approximately 30 are outside of Aalto, and the three most selective programs with respect to entrance exam and combined scores. The minimum scores required for these top programs are in the 95th-99th percentile range of the whole applicant pool, and approximately 98th-99.8th percentile of what would be the score distribution of the whole age group.
Study in Art and Design
The School of Art and Design has been a leader in art and design education in Finland for over 138 years. It is an international postgraduate university institution with students from over 50 countries. It offers doctorate, master and bachelor degrees in a wide range of disciplines - fine art, design, new media, art education, visual culture, motion picture and production design. School of Art and Design is a pioneer in research and in developing interdisciplinary study programmes.Study in Economics
The School of Economics offers degrees in economics and business administration at the Bachelor, Master, Licentiate and Doctoral levels, along with MBA programs targeted to business professionals. Although the main teaching language of the university is Finnish, several of these degrees and programs are offered entirely in English.In its degree programs, the school has a two-step program structure with a three-year Bachelors degree followed by a two-year Masters degree. A doctoral degree normally takes four additional years.
The Aalto University School of Economics has two campuses. The main campus is located in the center of Helsinki. At this campus, the school offers five Bachelor of Science Programs (out of which two are offered entirely in English) and 15 Master of Science Programs, including the European joint degree CEMS MIM and three joint programs organized between Aalto schools. Nine out of the 15 Master of Science Programs are offered entirely in English. New students start by studying towards the BSc in Economics and Business Administration degree and on completion, are eligible to continue to study for the Master’s degree.
The Mikkeli campus is located 230 km away from Helsinki in Mikkeli and offers an English language Bachelor’s program in International Business (BScBA).
MBA Programs
Aalto MBA and Executive MBA Programs are organized by Aalto University Executive Education Ltd. MBA and Executive MBA programs are offered in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and have tuition fees, unlike the degree programs. The MBA program is taught through two-week modules by visiting faculty from some of the business schools in the world, including Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, Rutgers Business School
Rutgers Business School
Rutgers Business School is the graduate and undergraduate business school tied to the Newark and New Brunswick campuses of Rutgers University. It was founded in 1929.Rutgers Business School offers bachelor, masters, and Ph.D. degrees...
, University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, UCLA, Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
, Queen’s University, Rotterdam School of Management
Rotterdam School of Management
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University is the international business school of the Erasmus University Rotterdam located in Rotterdam, Netherlands...
, Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, ESADE
ESADE
The Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas is a college associated with the Ramon Llull University located in Barcelona, Spain. ESADE is composed of three departments; the ESADE Business School, the ESADE Executive Language Center and the ESADE Law School...
and INSEAD
INSEAD
INSEAD is an international graduate business school and research institution. It has campuses in Europe , Asia , and the Middle East , as well as a research center in Israel...
.
CEMS Masters in Management
The Global Alliance in Management Education (CEMS
CEMS
CEMS may refer to:*Capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry*CEMS - Global Alliance in Management Education*Rochester Area Colleges Center for Excellence in Math and Science*Continuous emissions monitoring system...
) is a strategic alliance of 25 member schools around the world – each a top school of its country – and 57 prestigious corporate partners.
The (CEMS
CEMS
CEMS may refer to:*Capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry*CEMS - Global Alliance in Management Education*Rochester Area Colleges Center for Excellence in Math and Science*Continuous emissions monitoring system...
) Master's in International Management provides a unique blend of top-level education and professional experience for multilingual, multicultural postgraduate students. The CEMS Corporate Partners of AALTO are Kone, Nokia and Stora Enso.
AALTO students have the opportunity to take (CEMS) MIM program in addition to their MSc degree program at AALTO. CEMS MIM is a one year's specialization program in international management. The CEMS MIM curriculum has been jointly designed by CEMS Schools and the Corporate Partners. At graduation, CEMS students at Aalto ECON receive both MSc degree certificate and CEMS MIM certificate. CEMS MIM has a high recognition among the corporate sector. In 2009, CEMS program was ranked 1st in 2009 and 2nd in 2010 by the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
among Masters in Management programs.
Research
Academy of Finland
The Academy of Finland is a governmental funding body for scientific research in Finland. It is based in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. Yearly, the Academy administers over 260 million euros to Finnish research activities. Over 5,000 researchers are working on the projects supported by the academy...
to represent the top research in the country and receiving separate, fixed-period funding from the Academy.
Researchers at AALTO have achieved notability in, among other things, low temperature physics (holding the current world record for the lowest temperature achieved), the development of devices and methods for magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography is a technique for mapping brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents occurring naturally in the brain, using arrays of SQUIDs...
, mobile communications, wood processing
Wood processing
Wood processing is an engineering discipline comprising the production of forest products, such as pulp and paper, construction materials, and tall oil...
, and neural networks, with professor Teuvo Kohonen
Teuvo Kohonen
Teuvo Kohonen, Dr. Ing , is a Finnish academician and prominent researcher. He is currently professor emeritus of the Academy of Finland.Prof...
initiating research in self-organizing map
Self-organizing map
A self-organizing map or self-organizing feature map is a type of artificial neural network that is trained using unsupervised learning to produce a low-dimensional , discretized representation of the input space of the training samples, called a map...
s. Additionally, the first commercialised total synthesis
Total synthesis
In organic chemistry, a total synthesis is, in principle, the complete chemical synthesis of complex organic molecules from simpler pieces, usually without the aid of biological processes. In practice, these simpler pieces are commercially available in bulk and semi-bulk quantities, and are often...
, the synthesis of camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
, was invented by Gustaf Komppa
Gustaf Komppa
Gustaf Komppa was a Finnish chemist best known for a world-first in commercializing total synthesis, that of camphor in 1903....
, the first professor of chemistry at TKK and the Nobel laureate (chemistry, 1945) Artturi Virtanen held a professorship in biochemistry at TKK. More recently, the university has notably invested in the research of nanotechnology, operating the largest cleanroom
Cleanroom
A cleanroom is an environment, typically used in manufacturing or scientific research, that has a low level of environmental pollutants such as dust, airborne microbes, aerosol particles and chemical vapors. More accurately, a cleanroom has a controlled level of contamination that is specified by...
facility in Northern Europe and one of the largest microscopy clusters in Europe.
The Nokia Research Center
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
has operated a "lablet" on university premises since 2008, in order to establish joint research programs and daily interaction between Nokia and university researchers, who will share the same facilities.
Centres of Excellence
A Centre of Excellence (huippuyksikkö) is selected by the Academy of FinlandAcademy of Finland
The Academy of Finland is a governmental funding body for scientific research in Finland. It is based in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. Yearly, the Academy administers over 260 million euros to Finnish research activities. Over 5,000 researchers are working on the projects supported by the academy...
to represent the top research in the country, and receives separate, fixed-period funding from the Academy. Currently, the following units are designated Centres of Excellence.
- Centre of Excellence in Smart Radios and Wireless Research, SMARADSMARADSMARAD is the Finnish Center of Excellence in Smart Radios and Wireless Research, and is part of the Aalto University. The Director is Professor Antti Räisänen. SMARAD conducts high-level research and training in radio science and engineering and wireless data communications...
- Centre of Excellence in Bio- and Nanopolymers Research
- Centre of Excellence in Adaptive Informatics http://www.cis.hut.fi/
- Centre of Excellence in Computational Complex Systems Research http://www.lce.hut.fi
- Centre of Excellence in Computational Nanoscience http://tfy.tkk.fi/comp/
- Centre of Excellence in Low Temperature Quantum Phenomena and Devices http://ltl.tkk.fi/wiki/LT/CoE
- Centre of Excellence in Systems Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Research http://ltl.tkk.fi/wiki/BRU/CoE_Intro
- Centre of Excellence in Generic Intelligent Machines Research
- Centre of Excellence in Algorithmic Data Analysis Research as "From Data to Knowledge Research Unit") http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/research/algodan/, with University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiThe University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
- Centre of Excellence in Brain Research, together with University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiThe University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
and the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa) - Centre of Excellence in Applied Electronics Laboratory, as a part of Helsinki Brain Research Centre, HBRC
- Centre of Excellence in Inverse Problems, together with University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiThe University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
, Helsinki School of EconomicsHelsinki School of EconomicsThe Aalto University School of Economics , known as Helsinki School of Economics until 2009, is the largest and leading business school in Finland and one of the most renowned in Europe...
, University of OuluUniversity of OuluThe University of Oulu is one of the largest universities in Finland, located in the city of Oulu. It was founded on July 8, 1958. The university has around 16,000 students and 3,000 staff...
, and Lappeenranta University of TechnologyLappeenranta University of TechnologyThe Lappeenranta University of Technology was established in 1969. The university campus is situated on the shore of lake Saimaa, about 7 kilometres away from the city center...
http://wiki.helsinki.fi/display/inverse/Home
Campuses
Several high-tech companies, the Finnish forest industry's joint experimental laboratory KCL, and business incubatorBusiness incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
s Innopoli and Technopolis are also situated nearby. It is also directly adjacent to Keilaniemi
Keilaniemi
Keilaniemi is a district in the south-eastern part of Espoo, Finland. Keilaniemi is bordered by the university district of Otaniemi to the north, the commercial/residential district of Tapiola to the west, the Keilalahti bay separating Espoo and Helsinki to the east, and the Gulf of Finland to the...
, with Life Science Center and the headquarters of several notable Finnish companies, such as Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
and Fortum
Fortum
Fortum Oyj is a Finnish publicly listed energy company, which focuses on the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland and the north-west of Russia. After acquisition of Russian energy company TGC-10 in year 2008, Western Siberia has become an important operating area for Fortum. The head of the company...
. The Otaniemi campus is connected by a 15-minute bus ride to the center of Helsinki and a metro
Helsinki Metro
The Helsinki Metro , is the metro system in Helsinki, Finland. It is the World's most northern metro system, and currently the only one in Finland. The system was opened to the general public on 2 August 1982 after 27 years of planning...
line is being constructed. The main university campus is located at Otaniemi, Espoo. The former premises of TAIK and HSE are set to be gradually moved to Otaniemi, save for the master's level education in economy which is set to stay in Töölö, Helsinki.
Main Campus Otaniemi
The other four Schools of Science and Technology are based in Otaniemi in Espoo, 10 km from the center of Helsinki, on a campus designed by Alvar Aalto. Otaniemi has the highest concentration of high technology in the Nordic countries.The ‘Teekkarikylä’ Student Village, home to over 2,000 students of technology, is also located in Otaniemi. There are over one hundred student organizations on campus which provide a range of opportunities to take part in pastimes of various kinds, from sports to music.
Culture and student life
The students of technology (the teekkaris) are especially noticeable, as they wear a distinctive hat with a tuft on many occasions (both formal and informal). Technology students are also famous for, and Finland's leading practitioners of, student pranks (jäynä), similar in principle to MIT hack
MIT hack
Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are practical jokes and pranks meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness, or to commemorate popular culture and historical topics. The pranks are anonymously installed at night by hackers, usually, but not exclusively...
s. Their most widely publicised stunt took place in 1961, when a team of students smuggled a statue of Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Johannes Nurmi was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns," a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola, and others for their distinction in running...
onto the 300-year-old wreck of Regalskeppet Vasa
Regalskeppet Vasa
Vasa is a Swedish warship that was built from 1626 to 1628. The ship foundered and sank after sailing less than a nautical mile into its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. It fell into obscurity after most of its valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century...
just days before its lifting from the bottom of the sea.
The students of economy are known for their parties in downtown Helsinki, where the economy student building hosts a lavish nightclub, the KY Klubi (the economy student club).
Although student traditions vary in between the different constituent schools common activities started to burgeon early after the foundation of Aalto-U. The most noticeable student event of the first year of the university was Aalto on Tracks, where a group of 100 students came together to rent a private train which they traveled 10 000 km on from Helsinki to the Shanghai Expo enjoying multidisciplinary talks and workshops on the way. The event was such a success that the follow-up Aalto on waves is planned to arrange a trip by boat to South America. Aalto on Tracks also spurred students of Tongji University
Tongji University
Tongji University , colloquially known as Tongji , located in Shanghai, has more than 30,000 students and 8,000 staff members . It offers degree programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels...
to arrange Tonji on Tracks which essentially takes the journey of Aalto on Tracks in the opposite direction.
Aalto Entrepreneurship Society is a multi-disciplinary society uniting students and graduates of all disciplines of the University. It aims to encourage high-tech, high-growth, scalable entrepreneurship by arranging get-togethers to spark ideas and innovations and aid start-up initiatives among the Aalto students.
Master of Arts Festival
The Aalto University Masters of Arts (MoA) festival is an event where the new professionals of the multidisciplinary university meet the public and the business community. It is also a place where art and science meet.The festival shows the public a wide array of works: everything from distinguished theses, individual statements, concepts and products arising from commercial collaboration to works of art. All this in perfect harmony.
For the graduating students the exhibition is an opportunity to interact with society, future employers, the media and other influential parties.
In addition to the exhibition, MoA offers a varying program with seminars, discussions, films, workshops and guided tours.
Student Union
Aalto University Student Union, AYY in short, and Aalto-yliopiston ylioppilaskunta in Finnish, is the official student union of Aalto University. Every Bachelor's and Master's degree student enrolled in Aalto University is a member of the Student Union.The purpose of AYY is to represent the students, look after their interests, and support the community of 15,000 students. AYY provides its members with a variety of services such as healthcare, recreation and housing. The Student Union is financed by membership fees, investments and profits from student housing.
Aalto University Student Union was formed in the beginning of 2010 through a merger between the respective student unions of the merged universities.
The Aalto University is also one of the two universities in Finland to host one or more Nations, a Finnish type of student corporation
Corporation (university)
Corporation refers to different kinds of student organizations worldwide.Generally, universities in the various European countries have student organizations called corporations. The name is derived from the Latin corporatio meaning a body or group...
. AU's only nation is Teknologföreningen (TF)
Teknologföreningen
Teknologföreningen is the only student nation at the Aalto University. The only other university in Finland hosting nations is the University of Helsinki. The Aalto University was formed in 2010 by a merger of three universities, before the merger Teknologföreningen was a student corporation of the...
and its goal is to unite Swedish-speaking students at the university. The nation is housed in its peculiar building called Urdsgjallar. There are no nations for the Finnish speaking students, however the 11 regional Finnish-speaking nations at the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
do welcome AU students as members.
Associations
In addition to the student union, Aalto university students have formed numerous associations for studies, cultural activity and sports. There are more than 150 associations maintained by university students.List of student associations
Currently this list includes only the associations known to have English Wikipedia articles.- The Polytech Choir
- Polyteknikkojen IlmailukerhoPolyteknikkojen IlmailukerhoPolyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho is the student flying club of the Aalto University. It is similar to the Akafliegs of German Universities. Students make designs with advice from staff to give practical experience before seeking employment...
- The Helsinki Academic Male Choir KYL(Kauppakorkeakoulun Ylioppilaskunnan LaulajatKauppakorkeakoulun Ylioppilaskunnan LaulajatThe Helsinki Academic Male Choir KYL is an academic men's choir based in Helsinki, Finland. The choir is associated with Aalto University, and the ensemble consist mainly of students and alumni of the university. The choir was founded in 1949. Since 1997 the artistic director of KYL has been Matti...
)
Student housing
The housing area of Otaniemi campus, known as Teekkarikylä (technology student village), is owned mostly by the student union and partly by HOAS (Helsinki Student Housing Fund). The housing is characterised by the presence of foreign students of many nationalities. As of 2005, the village offers housing for approximately 2,600 students.Construction of the Otaniemi campus was started in 1950, in order for the first buildings to host the athletes of the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki. Some of the building material originally used for the campus was acquired from the former Soviet Union embassy, which had been destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as a result of bombings by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
itself. The student housing has been used for housing athletes again in e.g. the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
, sometimes to the dismay of the students that have to move out during the events. The quality of the Otaniemi student housing holds a high standard in international comparison. There is also a somewhat more limited availability of student housing available in the vicinity of the other campuses.
The Otaniemi campus also contains the former student union building Dipoli
Dipoli
Dipoli is a conference center located in Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland as a part of the campus of the Helsinki University of Technology ....
, named as the second Poli, the successor of the first student union building in downtown Helsinki. Dipoli was designed by Reima and Raili Pietilä
Reima and Raili Pietilä
Reima Pietilä was a Finnish architect. He did most of his work together with his wife Raili Pietilä .Reima Pietilä was professor of architecture at the University of Oulu from 1973 to 1979....
and completed in 1966. In 1993, the building was permanently rented to the university to act as a conference and continuing education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
center and later sold due to high maintenance costs. It is regularly used for conventions, congresses and student parties.
Notable People and Famous Alumni
All three constituent schools have played an integral part in educating many of the top names in their respective fields in Finland. After the second world war Finland's economy grew and Finnish companies became players in the international markets requiring highly educated expertise and leadership. Both the schools of technology and economy catered to this need as the premier schools of their fields in the country. During the latter part of the 20th century the schools had to increase their student intake considerably to meet the demands of the burgeoning markets. Meanwhile the school of arts and design has educated many of the household names of art that created what is today known as the distinctive style of Finnish design.See also
- List of universities in Finland
- Institute of technologyInstitute of technologyInstitute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
- Aalto University Library
- Top Industrial Managers for EuropeTop Industrial Managers for EuropeTop Industrial Managers for Europe is a network of more than fifty engineering schools and faculties and technical universities....
(TIME) network for student mobility