Aalto University listened to the voice of the community – the English and Swedish names of the new school were reviewed
28.11.2011
The current Aalto University School of Art and Design and the Department of Architecture at the Aalto University School of Engineering will combine forces and begin to operate as a new entity within the university on the 1 January 2012.
Based on a decision made on 8 November 2011, the Finnish name for the new school will be Aalto-yliopiston taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu.
In particular, the English version of the name received plenty of feedback and criticism from the Aalto community. As a result of this, the jury, which consisted of representatives of Aalto management, students, alumni and external experts, wanted to review its earlier decision.
According to the jury’s final decision, the English name of the school will be Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, and its name in Swedish will be Aalto-universitetets högskola för konst, design och arkitektur. The Finnish name announced earlier will remain the same.
The English and Swedish names are illustrative and easy to understand both internationally and within Finland. These names combine the internationally recognized and renowned expertise of the school’s disciplines. The names reflect the strong traditions and identity of the competence areas of arts, design and architecture in the current entities.
- The names for Aalto University’s new school sparked a lively debate within our community. For us on the jury, it was important to listen to and react to this message. A university community that is passionate about the identity of its schools is a valuable asset to be nurtured. I am delighted that the Aalto community wants to be so concretely involved in building our future, says Helena Hyvönen, Dean of the Aalto University School of Art and Design.
From 1 January 2012, the names of Aalto University’s schools will be as follows:
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
School of Chemical Technology
School of Economics
School of Electrical Engineering
School of Engineering
School of Science
For further information, please contact:
Dean Helena Hyvönen, School of Art and Design,
helena.hyvonen [at] aalto [dot] fi, tel. +358 50 324 3657
Communications Director Tapio Hedman, chairman of the jury, tapio.hedman [at] aalto [dot] fi, tel. +358 40 516 2396