The regional impact of Universities in Finland

During the rapid growth of higher education from the early 1960s to the mid 1970s, many new universities were founded in different parts of Finland. This article, resulting from the research project University and Environment, deals with the impact of this decentralized system of higher education on the regional development of Finland. The research is based on an analysis of the historical and social context of the expansion of higher education, followed by a more detailed examination of the different forms of regional impact. The findings suggest that the change from an agrarian to an industrial or post-industrial society has given rise to the assumption that higher education is a part of the social infrastructure in the world of scientific-technological revolution.