A complex and messy merger: The road to university of eastern finland

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine the university merger between the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio, which resulted in the establishment of the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). In particular, we look at the key goals and the rationales of the merger, the way the merger process progressed, and how it was implemented. The aim of this chapter is to describe and analyze the change process of the UEF merger especially from the viewpoints of education, research, organization and management. Even though the universities committed to the process and the process was implemented bottom-up, the merger was closely linked to the national structural development program outlined by the Ministry of Education and Culture.