The Society for Viipuri School of Economics (VITAKO)

In the spring of 2023, I had the honour of becoming a member of The Society for Viipuri School of Economics (Vitako) and of attending my first annual meeting of the Society at the Cultural Centre and Conference Hotel Sofia in Helsinki. Although my own membership in Vitako is still relatively recent, I represent the fourth generation of my family to belong to the Society. My father Heikki, my grandfather Toivo, and my great-grandfather Eevert were all members of this distinguished association, which was founded in Vyborg in 1919.

At the time of its founding, Viipuri was Finland’s most international city and the second-largest in the country. The original aim of The Society for Viipuri School of Economics was to raise funds for the establishment of a school of economics in Vyborg. After the wars, Vyborg was ceded to the Soviet Union, and the Society, together with its assets, was relocated to Helsinki. As it was no longer possible to establish a higher education institution in Vyborg, the Society redirected its mission toward founding a university in Eastern Finland.

This goal was realised in 1966 with the establishment of Lappeenranta University of Technology (now Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT). To this day, Vitako continues to support LUT University and a wide range of its development initiatives.

As a member of Vitako, I have a privileged vantage point from which to observe the field of Finnish higher education.