The Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki

The Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki is a Learning and Wellbeing Centre, and one of the largest privately-owned institutes in Finland.

The Institute, founded in 1961, is an institute of adult education operating within the Liberal Adult Education Act.

The Institute receives statutory financial assistance from the state. The Institute main building is located at Runeberginkatu 22-24 in Töölö, but there are other premises located all around the Helsinki area.

The Director is Anne Leinonen.

The Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki is a member of KOL (Finnish Association of Adult Education Centres). There are 181 institutes of adult education in Finland, which operate in every municipality with 650 000 students and 2 million teaching hours in total

A Versatile Selection of Courses

Courses at the Institute of Adult Education are courses on different subjects, are open for all (e.g. languages, sports, dance, art, handicrafts, music, digital skills).

Open University studies are arranged in cooperation with the universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland and Turku by classroom teaching and distance learning.

Personnel and On-Demand Training is aimed at companies, organisations and public sector personnel. The training can be single courses or broader wholes tailored according to the customer’s wishes to take place in either the customer’s or the Institute’s premises.

The Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki Has a Long and Honourable History

The Institute was founded in 1961 by TVK, an organisation promoting professional interests. From 1962 to 1996 the name of the institute was Virkailijain kansalaisopisto (An Institute of Adult Education for Civil Servants) and in 1996 the name of the Institute was changed to the Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki.

Explore the Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki “Elämää varten” (For Life) jubilee book, published in 2011.

Awards and Commitments

In 2007 the Ministry of Education awarded The Quality Prize for Adult Education Centres to the Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki, for the first time to an adult education centre in the metropolitan Helsinki area.

The Institute has declared to be A Discrimination-Free Zone, in line with The Ministry of the Interior campaign.

The Institute has signed the national corporate responsibility network FIBS ry:s Diversity Commitment.

The institute is Administered by the Professional Staff Unions’ Study Association

The owner and administrator of the Institute is the Professional Staff Unions’ Study Association (Toimihenkilöjärjestöjen Opintoliitto ry TJO).