University of Helsinki

The University of Helsinki, in Finnish Helsingin yliopisto (abbreviation HY) and in Swedish Helsingfors universitet (abbreviation HU), is the largest university in Finland in terms of number of students and faculties. It was founded in the city of Turku (Turku Academy) in 1640, from where it was transferred to the new capital Helsinki in 1828. As of 2008, the university has 11 faculties, 35,000 undergraduate students and a staff of 7,900 people.

Personalities who studied at this University

• Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884), collector of Kalevala.
• Jaakko Hintikka (1929-2015), logical, epistemologist and philosopher.
• Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832-1901), geologist, Arctic explorer.
• Hugo Gyldén (1841-1896), astronomer.
• Anders Donner (1854-1938), astronomer.
• Karl Fritiof Sundman (1873-1949), astronomer.
• Mika Waltari (1908-1979), writer.
• That Saarinen (1953-), philosopher.
• Tarja Halonen (1943-), lawyer, President of Finland between 2000 and 2012.
• Harri Holkeri (1937-2011), Prime Minister of Finland 1987-1991
• Linus Torvalds, (1969-), scientific computer (Linux grower).
• Ernst Leonard Lindelöf (1870-1946), mathematician.
• Rolf Nevanlinna (1895-1980), mathematician.
• Lars Ahlfors (1907-1996), mathematician, one of the first two to get the Fields medal in 1936.
• Björn Kurtén (1924-1988), paleontologist.
• Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1870-1956), President of Finland 1946-1956
• Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (1895-1973), Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1945).
• Jorma Ollila (1950-), leader of Nokia.
• Olli Rehn (1962-), European Commissioner.
• Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) composer.
• Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (1865-1952), President of Finland 1919-1925
• Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (1861-1944), President of Finland 1931-1937
• Teija Tiilikainen (1964-), polytologist, member of the European Convention.
• Pekka Himanen, (1973-) philosopher, professor at the University of Helsinki and Berkeley in California
• Sampo Karjalainen, (1977-) owner of Sulake and one of the original founders of Habbo Hotel.
• Henkka Seppälä (1980-), bassist of the death metal melodic death group Children of Bodom.