What is the Alumni Association?

The Alumni Association is a vibrant and growing community, a recognized strategic partner of the University of Helsinki, and an important part of the university family. The Association offers their members a possibility to find old as well as new friends and the chance to participate in and influence university life.

Alumni are those who have been granted the right to study at the University of Helsinki, researchers and those who have worked for the university. Having graduated is not required to be an alumnus or alumna; even students and staff are alumni.

The Association arranges interesting events and supports the university by, for example, passing on the knowledge and work experience of alumni to the university. The university supports students by handing out grants from the Alumni Association and through offering mentoring services for students. The Alumni Association aids the university’s fundraising.

The Alumni Association provides their members with benefits and discounts that are conveniently collected in a free phone app, as well as in our member letter.

Beyond this we organize around 50 events a year exclusively for alumni, as well as the traditional Alumni Celebration where the Alumnus or Alumna of the year is elected.

Take part, network, support the communityand save money! Become a member. 

Academic community

The Alumni Association is a significant Finnish and international force in terms of its size and activity. Its membership exceeds the number of residents in most Finnish municipalities – more than 7,000. We would need a facility the size of 60 metro cars or eleven University of Helsinki Great Halls to fit all our members in one place at the same time.¹

Together we are an academic community that highlights the significance of research and academ-ic education throughout Finnish society Every single member can feel proud of having supported students and the University through his or her membership fee. The Association engages members in projects that support the University’s strategic objectives. Through cooperation with faculties, strategic sectors and the University’s senior management, we have agreed on focus areas for the academic volunteer work of alumni. This is not the first time that inter-university cooperation has proved its value. It goes to show that there is no need to reinvent the wheel in alumni activities. At our events you will also find alumni from other universities as well as other #smartpeople.

We hope that everyone feels welcome to attend the Association’s events. You are welcome to bring along friends who are not members. According to the feedback we have received, you will enjoy yourselves. Drop by at least once – curiosity is a key virtue of alumni! A big Thank you to the hundreds of alumni who have participated in our academic volunteer work this year or the previous year by, for example, holding lectures, participating in work groups, helping with mail-outs and bringing together alumni from various fields.

¹ There are 717 seats in the Great Hall and 124 seats in the newest Helsinki city metro car model M200.