Nations at Finnish universities
Encyclopedia
In Finland
, student nations (in Finnish, sg. osakunta, pl. osakunnat; in Swedish (student)nation) are student organisations within which a large proportion of extra-curricular student activity takes place. Though membership is not compulsory, the nations provide one of the main nodes of student social life, along with the faculty-based organisations (ainejärjestöt) at the universities.
The first Finnish student nations were originally established at The Royal Academy of Turku
. When the Academy moved to Helsinki after the Great Fire of Turku
taking the name University of Helsinki
, the nations moved along with it. Their institutional form is based on the original nation system of the University of Uppsala.
There are 15 nations at the University of Helsinki
, each one representing a historic region or province of Finland. Four of these nations represent Swedish-speaking regions which overlay some of the remaining 12 regions, which are Finnish-speaking regions. For example, Åbo Nation ("Turku Nation") and Varsinaissuomalainen osakunta ("Finland Proper Nation") both represent a very similar geographic region, though the former is Swedish- and the latter Finnish-Speaking. In addition to the nations at Helsinki University, there is also an association for Swedish-speaking students, Teknologföreningen
, at Aalto University School of Science and Technology, and it is also legally a nation.
The 16 nations, those at Helsinki University and Teknologföreningen, have a special legal status as their existence and overall purpose is regulated by the Universities Act. Therefore, organizations termed "nations" at other Finnish universities founded in the 20th century are not nations in the legal sense of the word, but instead associations, regulated by the Associations Act. For example, at the University of Turku
, there are four student nations established in the 1920s.
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...
, student nations (in Finnish, sg. osakunta, pl. osakunnat; in Swedish (student)nation) are student organisations within which a large proportion of extra-curricular student activity takes place. Though membership is not compulsory, the nations provide one of the main nodes of student social life, along with the faculty-based organisations (ainejärjestöt) at the universities.
The first Finnish student nations were originally established at The Royal Academy of Turku
The Royal Academy of Turku
The Royal Academy of Turku was the first university in Finland, and the only university in present-day Finland to be founded when it was still a part of Sweden. In 1809, after Finland became a Grand Duchy under the suzerainty of the Russian Tzar, it was renamed the Imperial Academy of Turku...
. When the Academy moved to Helsinki after the Great Fire of Turku
Great Fire of Turku
The Great Fire of Turku was a conflagration that is still the largest urban fire in the history of Finland and the Nordic countries. The fires started burning on 4 September 1827 in Burgher Hellman’s house on Aninkaistenmäki slightly before 9 p.m...
taking the name 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...
, the nations moved along with it. Their institutional form is based on the original nation system of the University of Uppsala.
There are 15 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...
, each one representing a historic region or province of Finland. Four of these nations represent Swedish-speaking regions which overlay some of the remaining 12 regions, which are Finnish-speaking regions. For example, Åbo Nation ("Turku Nation") and Varsinaissuomalainen osakunta ("Finland Proper Nation") both represent a very similar geographic region, though the former is Swedish- and the latter Finnish-Speaking. In addition to the nations at Helsinki University, there is also an association for Swedish-speaking students, Teknologföreningen
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...
, at Aalto University School of Science and Technology, and it is also legally a nation.
The 16 nations, those at Helsinki University and Teknologföreningen, have a special legal status as their existence and overall purpose is regulated by the Universities Act. Therefore, organizations termed "nations" at other Finnish universities founded in the 20th century are not nations in the legal sense of the word, but instead associations, regulated by the Associations Act. For example, at the University of Turku
University of Turku
The University of Turku , located in Turku in southwestern Finland, is the second largest university in the country as measured by student enrollment, after University of Helsinki. It was established in 1920 and also has faculties at Rauma, Pori and Salo...
, there are four student nations established in the 1920s.
Finnish-speaking
- Eteläsuomalainen osakuntaEteläsuomalainen osakuntaEteläsuomalainen osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking, established in 1905 and it has Uusimaa and Eastern Uusimaa as recruitment regions...
(ESO) - Savolainen osakuntaSavolainen osakuntaSavolainen osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1905....
(SavO) - Karjalainen OsakuntaKarjalainen OsakuntaKarjalainen Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1905....
(KO) - Hämäläis-OsakuntaHämäläis-OsakuntaHämäläis-Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1653 at The Royal Academy of Turku. In 1828, the Academy moved to Helsinki adoptng the name university and Hämäläis-Osakunta moved there along with the other nations...
(HO) - Keskisuomalainen OsakuntaKeskisuomalainen OsakuntaKeskisuomalainen Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1931....
(KSO) - Kymenlaakson OsakuntaKymenlaakson OsakuntaKymenlaakson Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1933....
(KyO) - Varsinaissuomalainen osakuntaVarsinaissuomalainen osakuntaVarsinaissuomalainen osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking, established in 1906....
(VSO) - Satakuntalainen OsakuntaSatakuntalainen OsakuntaSatakuntalainen Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1654....
(SatO) - Wiipurilainen OsakuntaWiipurilainen OsakuntaWiipurilainen Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1654....
(WiO) - Etelä-Pohjalainen OsakuntaEtelä-Pohjalainen OsakuntaEtelä-Pohjalainen Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1908....
(EPO) - Pohjois-Pohjalainen OsakuntaPohjois-Pohjalainen OsakuntaPohjois-Pohjalainen Osakunta is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finnish-speaking and established in 1907....
(PPO)
Swedish-speaking
- Nylands NationNylands NationNylands Nation is one the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Finland's oldest, Swedish-speaking and established in 1643 at The Royal Academy of Turku. In 1828, the Academy moved to Helsinki taking the name "University" and Nylands Nation moved there along with the other Nations...
(NN) - Vasa nationVasa nationVasa nation is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Swedish-speaking and established in 1908....
(VN) - Åbo NationÅbo NationÅbo Nation is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Swedish-speaking and established in 1643....
(ÅN) - Östra Finlands NationÖstra Finlands NationÖstra Finlands Nation is one of the 15 student nations at the University of Helsinki, Swedish-speaking and established in 1924....
(ÖFN)
Student nations at Aalto University School of Science and Technology
- TeknologföreningenTeknologföreningenTeknologföreningen 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...
(TF)