The Regional University Network in North Karelia
- Higher education and services to the whole region

The Regional University Network in North Karelia is a co-operational network that answers the training and development needs of the sparsely populated areas in North Karelia. The partners are North Karelia University of Applied Sciences, University of Eastern Finland , HUMAK University of Applied Sciences (Joensuu campus), and North Karelia Summer University. The starting point of the Regional University is the structural development of the institutions of higher education in the area. Its aim is to support co-operation between the institutions and to centralise them into larger, more efficient units. Another starting point is the decree on regional development governing higher education.

The Regional University is not a new institution but a network that functions in close contact with the local and regional institutions and educational actors.

The Regional University has three main tasks in North Karelia:

• To improve higher education opportunities for adults living in sparsely populated areas.
• To offer consulting and counselling services in adult education and training in the sparsely populated areas.
• To answer the training and development needs of industry and commerce, and the public sector.

The foundation of the network is regional approach. There are regional groups of representatives managing the network in Central Karelia and Outokumpu, and two in Lake Pielinen area. The groups consist of representatives of municipalities and cities, regional development companies, companies, all educational institutions, the employment administration, lobbying organisations, and the institutions of higher education in North Karelia. They meet regularly and compile the action programmes for regional education, know-how, and development.