"A top university in a top city is great, even internationally speaking. A metro station named after the university brings an ambience which already many metropoles have", Rector Jukka Kola commends.
The University, celebrating its 375th anniversary, got its own station as a gift from the City of Helsinki, which considers the University a major cooperation partner. The name change is also expected to help international guests find their way to the City Centre Campus.
"The university is significant when it comes to the attraction of Helsinki. It deserves to be acknowledged in this manner, says Mayor Jussi Pajunen.
The renaming of the metro station is also a token of appreciation to the students – especially the University of Helsinki Student Union (HYY), which has long worked to develop the City Centre Campus.
"A metro station named after the University underscores how important the University community is to the City of Helsinki," says Mari Kyllönen, Chair of the HYY Board in her press release.
The Student Union was on the ground today as well, collecting students' ideas on ways to improve travel and commuting in Helsinki.
"The new name further consolidates the sustainable and long relation with the City of Helsinki. Sustainability is important also in public transportation and we wish to encourage all citizens in using it, says Kola.
The metro station, opened in 1995, has already been equipped with new signage, and changes will also be made to the announcements. In Finnish, the station is called Helsingin yliopisto and in Swedish, Helsingfors universitet.
The 375th anniversary events will continue on Wednesday, 21 January, when the University community celebrates the opening ceremony in the Main Library (Kaisa House). The semifinal teams of the Helsinki Challenge competition honouring the anniversary year will be introduced on 28 and 29 January in the Great Hall of the University's Main Building.