The University of Turku celebrated its centenary in 2020. Our motto – From a free people to free science – refers to our University’s unique history.
On the verge of Finland's independence, the people were determined to establish the first Finnish-language university in the world. Thus, the Turku Finnish University Society was founded, and in three years it collected donations from 22,040 individuals to establish the University of Turku.
The University of Turku was founded on 28 February 1920. Education started in the summer of 1922 in the former Phoenix building which was situated on the north side of the Turku market square. University Street, Yliopistonkatu in Finnish, still cuts through the city centre as a reminder of the University’s founding years.
100 years later, 2020, the University of Turku celebrated as a multidisciplinary and international community of over 20,000 students and 3,300 researchers, teachers, and experts. In Turku, the operations are centralised on the University Hill and the surrounding campus. In addition, the University has campuses in Rauma and Pori.
We thank our partners whose contribution enabled the production of the University of Turku 100 years events and publications.
