Åbo Akademi | |
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| Latin:Academia Aboensis[1] | |
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1918; 108 years ago (1918) |
| Chancellor | Carl G. Gahmberg [fi] |
| Rector | Mikael Lindfelt |
Administrative staff | 1,100 |
| Students | 5,500 |
| Location | , Finland |
| Campus | Urban |
| Language | Swedish |
| Colours | Red and yellow |
| Affiliations | Coimbra Group |
| Website | www |
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Åbo Akademi University (Swedish:Åbo Akademi[ˈǒːbʊakadɛˈmiː],Finland Swedish:[ˈoːbuɑkɑdeˈmiː]) is the only exclusivelySwedish language multi-facultyuniversity inFinland (or anywhere outsideSweden).[2] It is located mainly inTurku (Åbo is the Swedish name of the city) but has also activities inVaasa. Åbo Akademi should not be confused with theRoyal Academy of Åbo, which was founded in 1640, but moved toHelsinki after theTurku fire of 1827 and is today known as theUniversity of Helsinki.
Åbo Akademi was founded by private donations in 1918 as the third university in Finland, both to let Turku again become a university town and because it was felt that the Swedish language was threatened at theUniversity of Helsinki. The FinnishUniversity of Turku was founded in 1920, also by private donations and for similar reasons. Åbo Akademi was a private institution until 1981, when it was turned into a public institution.
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global – Overall | |
| QS World[3] | =643 (2026) |
As the only uni-lingually Swedish multi-faculty university in the world outside Sweden and consequently the only one in Finland, Åbo Akademi University is responsible for higher education for a large proportion of theSwedish-speaking population. This role has many implications for education and research as well as for the social environment. As there are few students in most subjects, cooperation between faculties and with other universities is very important.
A minority of students are Finnish speakers who have passed a university entrance Swedish language test. While Turku itself is a bilingual city, the university provides a strong Swedish environment. Most of the students, regardless of their original language, will be functionally bilingual when finishing their studies.
After reorganization approved in February 2025,[4] the university consists of two faculties:
In addition, there are several other units and joint programs, such as:
While the university turned into a public institution, the foundation Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi remained. Besides maintaining many of the university buildings, it is also a significant donor.
The following people have served as rectors of Åbo Akademi:[12]
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60°27′14″N22°16′43″E / 60.45389°N 22.27861°E /60.45389; 22.27861
