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Tampere, with 175,000 inhabitants, is the second largest regional centre in Finland after the Greater Helsinki Area. It is located 109 miles (175 km) north of Helsinki on a narrow neck of land between two lakes. It was founded in 1779 by the Swedish King Gustav III for purposes of industry and commerce. Today, Tampere is a lively industrial town known for its theatre, opera, concerts and other art.
The University was set up in Helsinki in 1925 as the Civic College. Its purpose was to improve the general standards of education in the country and to enable students to obtain professional skills required in Finland right after its newly-won independence. In 1930 the College became known as the School of Social Sciences, and in 1960 it was transferred to Tampere. University status was granted in 1966. The University's strength still lies in a social-science oriented approach to research as a whole, making it the national leader in this field.
The University of Tampere has over 12,000 full-time undergraduates and a further 5,000 full-time students enrolled in five faculties: Economics and Administration, Education, Humanities, Medicine and Social Sciences. Moreover, there is a section devoted solely to bachelor's degrees. The University is also responsible for 11 graduate schools.
In addition to its bilateral agreements the University participates in NORDPLUS, ISEP, Fulbright, Socrates/ERASMUS and TEMPUS programmes as well as in the research programmes of the European Union. More than 300 international students at the University of Tampere represent over 50 nationalities. Courses are taught in Finnish, but an increasing number of lectures and seminars are available in foreign languages, mainly English.
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