Viikki Campus
Encyclopedia
The Viikki Campus is a campus area of the University of Helsinki
in Finland
, focusing on biological sciences. It comprises following units:
Besides these units of the University of Helsinki, the campus area also hosts the Helsinki Science Park and the Finnish Food Safety Authority.
The campus is located in the rapidly developing area of Viikki
in Helsinki
, about 10 km from the city center. It is closely associated with the Helsinki Business Park. The nearby arboretum
, nature conservation area of Vanhankaupunginlahti
and the experimental farm form a rare haven of countryside and wildlife at the heart of the capital city area.
At the center of the campus lies the Viikki Info Center, which is unique in Finland, as it hosts both the local municipal public library and a scientific library serving the Viikki Campus.
The manor was allocated in 1931 to the University of Helsinki for use as an experimental and teaching farm. However, the University took the area in to its actual use only in 1946, after the Second World War. At this time, the area was clearly countryside outside the city. In 1960s, the Departments of Agriculture, Food Sciences, Domestic Sciences and Environmental Sciences received new buildings in the area, and student dormitories were also built for the students of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
The campus was built into its present size from the year 1993 onwards. Then, a decision was made to concentrate the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and all life sciences to the Viikki Campus, resulting in major construction activities. All departments of Forestry moved into the campus area in 2002, and the Departments, later Faculties of Biosciences and Pharmacy moved in Biocenter building complex at the same time. As part of the centralization of Helsinki bioscience activities, the Finnish Food Safety Authority moved into the area in 2006.
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, focusing on biological sciences. It comprises following units:
- Faculty of AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and ForestryForestryForestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands... - Faculty of BioscienceBioScienceBioScience is a peer-reviewed monthly sometimes daily scientific journal that is published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences . The content is written and edited for accessibility to researchers, educators, and students alike...
s - Faculty of PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineVeterinary medicineVeterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
- Institute of BiotechnologyBiotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
- Viikki Science Library
Besides these units of the University of Helsinki, the campus area also hosts the Helsinki Science Park and the Finnish Food Safety Authority.
Viikki
Viikki is a neighbourhood of about 5,500 inhabitants in Helsinki, Finland. It is located at the bottom of Vanhankaupunginlahti bay, some 7–10 km from the city centre....
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, about 10 km from the city center. It is closely associated with the Helsinki Business Park. The nearby arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
, nature conservation area of Vanhankaupunginlahti
Vanhankaupunginlahti
Vanhankaupunginselkä is a bay area which together with parts of adjoining Viikki district constitute a natural conservation zone near downtown Helsinki in the southern part of Finland...
and the experimental farm form a rare haven of countryside and wildlife at the heart of the capital city area.
At the center of the campus lies the Viikki Info Center, which is unique in Finland, as it hosts both the local municipal public library and a scientific library serving the Viikki Campus.
History
Viikki area was a relatively wealthy agricultural village already in the Middle Ages. In conjunction of the founding of the City of Helsinki in 1555, the village of Viikki was formed as a crown storage manor responsible for supplying the Vantaankoski Crown Manor, a local administrative center, with crops and fodder. While the crown manor at Vantaankoski was destroyed already in 1571 by Russians, the Viikki storage manor remained in state ownership. Subsequently it served a residence of different officers and the provincial governors.The manor was allocated in 1931 to the University of Helsinki for use as an experimental and teaching farm. However, the University took the area in to its actual use only in 1946, after the Second World War. At this time, the area was clearly countryside outside the city. In 1960s, the Departments of Agriculture, Food Sciences, Domestic Sciences and Environmental Sciences received new buildings in the area, and student dormitories were also built for the students of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
The campus was built into its present size from the year 1993 onwards. Then, a decision was made to concentrate the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and all life sciences to the Viikki Campus, resulting in major construction activities. All departments of Forestry moved into the campus area in 2002, and the Departments, later Faculties of Biosciences and Pharmacy moved in Biocenter building complex at the same time. As part of the centralization of Helsinki bioscience activities, the Finnish Food Safety Authority moved into the area in 2006.
See also
- City Centre CampusCity Centre CampusThe City Centre Campus is one of the four campus areas of the University of Helsinki. It is located at the historic centre of Helsinki. The campus houses the following faculties:*Faculty of Arts*Faculty of Behavioural Sciences*Faculty of Law...
- Kumpula CampusKumpula CampusThe Kumpula Campus is a science campus of University of Helsinki. The campus is located some four kilometres from the centre of Helsinki, in the Kumpula district...
- Meilahti CampusMeilahti CampusThe Meilahti Campus is a campus area of the University of Helsinki in Finland. It houses the Faculty of Medicine and many medical research institutions. Several hospitals are also concentrated in the area.- See also :* City Centre Campus* Kumpula Campus...
- University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiThe University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...