Åbo Akademi joined the Finnish Student Sports Federation

OLL President, Akseli Haanpää, welcomes the federation’s third university member with enthusiasm.

“We warmly welcome Åbo Akademi to our member services. The membership is a very welcome addition from the Swedish-speaking part of the higher education field. The university has shown excellent proactivity in its own efforts to promote student sports. We look forward to working together to strengthen a physically active and sport-oriented higher education community,” says Haanpää.

Since 2023, Åbo Akademi has systematically worked to improve opportunities for elite student-athletes to pursue a dual career through university studies. This has involved reviewing university's support processes together with the elite athletes to identify areas for development. That Åbo Akademi has taken steps in the right direction was confirmed by the Finnish Olympic Committee’s 2024–2025 audit, which resulted in Åbo Akademi receiving the Committee’s certificate as an elite sport-friendly university on 8 May 2025.

The development work does not stop with the audit. A natural next step was to join the Finnish Student Sports Federation as a member.

“We look forward to developing our cooperation with OLL, whose broad activities support not only elite sports but also exercise and student well-being in general. Through OLL, we can better support our elite athletes in participating in competitions both nationally and internationally,” says Vice Rector for Education Mikael Nygård.

The higher education membership was introduced into OLL’s statutes in 2024, when the federation celebrated its 100th anniversary. Åbo Akademi has previously participated in the federation’s activities through its collaboration within CampusSport, which provides sports and exercise services for the universities in Turku.

With the new membership model, the federation brings together the entire higher education sector’s efforts to build a physically active and sport-oriented academic community. As a member of the Finnish Olympic Committee and international umbrella organisations, OLL represents higher education communities both nationally and internationally in the field of sports and physical activity. In 2025, Laurea University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jyväskylä have also joined as higher education members.

Further information

OLL President Akseli Haanpää, akseli.haanpaa@oll.fi, +358 44 7800 211
Åbo Akademi University's planner, physical activities, kristiina.teppo@abo.fi, +358 405599465