University of Oulu awarded Top-Level Athlete-Friendly Higher Education Institution quality label
The label follows an audit conducted by the Finnish Olympic Committee in spring 2026. The audit team considers the University of Oulu's strength to be its versatile and student-oriented guidance service package, which focuses on the tutor teacher model identified by students. The long-term cooperation between the University of Oulu and the Ouluseutu Sports Academy, which is based on established cooperation structures and regular interaction, creates good conditions for continuous development.
The audit itself has increased the awareness of the University of Oulu' s staff about the practices related to supporting top athletes and provided valuable perspectives for the continuous development of operations.
"Already during the audit process, we initiated and implemented several development measures to support the studies of top athletes. Another strength of the process was the active participation of the athlete student, which ensured that the perspective of top athletes was taken into account," says Johanna Flyktman, Quality Specialist at the University of Oulu.
As a good example of the development measures launched during the audit process, the audit team mentions a pilot project launched by the Faculty of Medicine in autumn 2025, in which one person acts as a tutor teacher for twenty student athletes at the faculty.
Toni Keränen, an Olympic-level javelin thrower studying business at the University of Oulu, is one of the top athletes who participated in the audit. He has received support from the university to combine his studies and sports career, and says that he has also benefited from the audit events, which have brought together athletes to share their thoughts.
“These were valuable opportunities to hear about the experiences of fellow athletes and reflect on them in relation to my own. I believe the sessions provided immediate support for many student athletes, but above all they will have long-term benefits. At this stage, it is already possible to say that the process has strengthened the sense of community among the athletes who took part, in one way or another,” says Toni Keränen.
The evaluation of elite athlete-friendly higher education institutions covers six areas and 23 quality factors, which are related to, among other things, personal study guidance, flexible study arrangements, the recognition of competence acquired through sports, and cooperation between the higher education institution and the sports academy. The quality model also aims to make the transition of athletes from upper secondary education to higher education smoother.
The quality label was announced in connection with the top-stage dual career seminar held in Oulu on 6 October 2026. The University of Oulu became the eighteenth higher education institution to pass the audit.
How are athletes supported at the University of Oulu?
The University of Oulu supports the combination of studies and sports and takes into account the challenges and specific needs of a sporting career. Students of the University of Oulu can apply for one academic year at a time to the Ouluseutu Sports Academy, which offers its own support services for students.
- The tutor teacher and the education planner support the preparation of a personal study plan (PSP), scheduling and planning of studies.
- Support measures may include flexibility in assignment deadlines, examination dates and locations, and mandatory attendance requirements during competitions and training camps, provided that the learning outcomes allow this. Flexibility applies to study arrangements and schedules, not to learning outcomes. Sports academy participation may also serve as grounds for an extension of the study right period.
- Competence acquired through sports can be recognised as part of degree.
- Members of the Sports Academy are invited to networking events throughout the academic year. These events provide opportunities to meet other competitive athletes, receive peer support, and learn about current topics.
- Members of the Sports Academy will receive a UniMove membership free of charge for the academic year.
In more detailed planning and scheduling of studies, students are primarily helped by their tutor teacher and education planner, who athletes should primarily contact. Questions about combining studies and sports or building your own dual career at the University of Oulu can also be sent to urheilijantuki@oulu.fi.