Our University

Aalto University was established in 2010 as three leading Finnish universities, the Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design Helsinki, were merged. Scientific research, artistic activities and teaching are carried out at Aalto's six schools and their departments and units.

The six schools combined are home to around 12 000 students and 4000 employees of which close to 400 are professors. The cornerstones of Aalto University research are four fundamental competence areas: ICT and digitalisation, materials and sustainable use of natural resources, global business dynamics, and arts and design.  Aalto University also focuses on three integrative multidisciplinary themes: advanced energy solutions, health and wellbeing, and human-centered living environments.

Aalto is an energetic community of game changers that value passion, freedom, courage, sense of responsibility, and integrity.

We emphasise the freedom to think independently and to take the initiative. Freedom is the cornerstone of academic thinking. Freedom means the permission, or even responsibility, to ask and question things – but also the willingness to respond and take a stand.

Courage means that at Aalto, we do not like to think of anything as categorically impossible, even though not everything is possible. Trial and error and their repetition even in the face of failing have led to many scientific breakthroughs.

These values have also largely contributed to Aalto’s entrepreneurial ecosystem that has been ranked among the top-5 rising stars in the world by MIT. Our community consists of both student-led and university-run entrepreneurial activities. For example, Europe's leading startup event Slush was born at Aalto's student community. Entrepreneurship infuses everything at Aalto.

Some think Finns are a little strange, in a good way. We host the world championships in swamp football, take a dip in icy water in the winter, are fanatics about saunas and have the most heavy metal bands per capita in the world.

On the other hand, Finland is renowned for its sensibleness and practicality. We top international comparisons in education, equality, safety and quality of life. People can be trusted and everyone is taken care of. We have plenty of ‘sisu’, or guts: we never give up.

This is the secret of Finland’s strength and allure and at Aalto University, you get to experience this for yourself.

You will see how important technology, design, creativity and startup culture are in Finland. We are known for our world-class engineers, tech gurus, architects, designers and artists. Finland is the home of the Moomins and Angry Birds. And Santa Claus, of course.

You will also see that although Finland is one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet, nature plays an essential role in the daily lives and identity of Finns – it’s never too far from your doorstep even in cities. Finns and visitors alike love the Baltic Sea, the archipelago, lakes and forests that offer the chance to hike, cross-country cycle, ski or run – and freely pick berries and mushrooms.

Finland is a unique, humorous and hip country that doesn’t fit in a box – allowing people to be themselves. Finland suits everybody.

The Otaniemi campus area was established in 1949, when the State purchased land for the future location of the Helsinki University of Technology and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The street plan for the area was designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The first part built in 1952 was Teekkarikylä (the student union’s housing area), which also served as accommodation for athletes during the Helsinki Olympics that same year.

Together with the City of Espoo, an environment that supports interaction is being built in Otaniemi for research, innovations, learning and the arts. The goal of campus development is a mixture of valuable history and new kind of planning.

Traditionally, university campuses have been divided into different buildings according to school. Aalto campus’ facilities have instead been divided according to the emphasis of research to better support multidisciplinary co-operation. In the future, also the surrounding companies, startups, technology parks and the university campus will be integrated more firmly to support the creation of new information and innovations.