Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä is a city in central Finland located near Lake Päijänne[?] and Lake Keitele[?]. It is well known for its numerous buildings designed by Alvar Aalto, for its education facilities and for hosting Neste Rally Finland[?], which is part of the World Rally Championship series.

Education

A number of firsts in Finnish education have taken place in Jyväskylä:

• The first Finnish-speaking Lyceum (1858)
• The first Finnish-speaking teacher training college (1863)
• The first Finnish-speaking school for girls (1864)
• Finland's first Summer University (1914)

Due to this, among other things, the city earned the nickname Finland's Athens.

The teacher training college later evolved into a College of Education (1937) and further into the multidisciplinary University of Jyväskylä (1966).

University of Jyväskylä is one of the most popular universities in Finland. Almost 15.000 students are enrolled to study for a Bachelor's or Master's degree, and the university also offers PhD programs in most of its subjects. Historically, the university has excelled in the study of education, but in the last few decades it has also gained respect in the sciences. It is the only University in Finland offering university-level education in sports, training sports teachers and coaches.

History

Jyväskylä was founded in 1837 by Nicholas I of Russia and it was essentially built from scratch. The original town was built between Lake Jyväsjärvi[?] (which is connected to Lake Päijänne[?]) and the Jyväskylä ridge and consisted of most of the current grid-style city centre. In the early 20th Century, the town expanded several times.

Numerical data on Jyväskylä

• Founded 22 March 1837
• Population in the city proper: 81.000 (2002)
• Population in the urban area: 143.000 (2002)
• Area: 136,9 km2
• Population density: 766/km2