The University of Jyväskylä (JYU) (P3) is a multidisciplinary, dedicated scientific university, with an absolute drive for quality in all areas. Measured according to the number of Master's degrees conferred, the University of Jyväskylä ranks as the second largest university in Finland. The University has 15 000 students in addition to adult education students, representing 40 000 students in total. The University has established strong international partnerships in the field of education with 35 institutions of higher education abroad. It also participates actively in five exchange programmes (Erasmus, Nordplus, ISEP, FIRST, North South) worldwide and hosts 700 international students from 70 different countries annually, and offers extensive support services for international students. The University is strongly linked with top national and international research, business and innovation communities. According to the Government Institute for Economic Research, the University is one of the most profitable in Finland. From the business perspective, the University ranks among the four most interesting universities in Finland. At the same time it is part of over 300 international scientific networks and has more than 50 ongoing collaborative programmes with top universities from Europe, North America, Japan, China and India.
The attractiveness of University of Jyväskylä for its partners lies in highly talented and creative scientists, excellent infrastructure, and commitment to succeed. The University's first-rate success in the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence Programme (six Centres of Excellence) reinforces its position as one of the best research universities in Finland.
The University is also highly successful in attracting external competitive funding, from national as well as European funding agencies.
The University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences is the only academic institution in Finland educating experts in sport sciences. The Faculty educates, for example, all the physical education teachers and master’s-level coaches, gerontologists and physiotherapists in Finland. The combination of subjects related to sports and health in one faculty is unique in our country.
The Faculty conducts internationally recognised research on sports, health and their connections, spanning the entire human life cycle. The research activities encompass basic and applied research, as well as research serving product development.
The research on physical education concentrates on the physical education provided in schools, as well as on exercise motivation and motor skills learning. In addition, the research focuses include sport psychology, physical education for special groups, and dance pedagogy. Sport sociology studies areas such as sports planning, sport and leisure administration, sports management, sports economy, sports marketing, and sports tourism.