University of Kelvia

The University of Kelvia (Finnish: Kelvian yliopisto, abbreviated as UK) is a public research university based in Kelvia, Arola. Founded in 1921 by the British colonial government to provide higher education for the Arolan population, it has since become one of the most prestigious universities in the Nordic region. As of 2023, the university has 34,772 students enrolled into its degree programmes.

Prior to the 1960s, admission was mostly determined by entrance exams, however the requirements have been slightly relaxed in recent years with interview sessions replacing examinations. Nevertheless, entrance to the university is still quite selective and due to this is one of the highest ranking universities in the world.

The UK's main campus is located in the Rantalahti district, with administrative buildings and most faculty buildings situated on the main campus, with the exception of the faculty of Dentistry & Medicine which is located next to the Kelvia Kasurila City Hospital.

British era (1921-1958)
The University of Kelvia was founded in January 1921 by the British colonial government, with the intention to improve higher education in the then crown colony of Arola, and enrollment began that same year. A majority of students that enrolled during this period were the Arolan population, since it only served as a local university at the time.

During the Nazi occupation in World War II, the university was placed in the management of the Nazi Party and programmes were drastically changed to fit with the party's ideals. After the war ended, the British regained control.

Modern era (1958-present)
Following Arola's independence in 1958, ownership of the university was transferred to the newly formed Arolan government. As such, the policies of the university changed once again, with the entrance examination requirement lifted in 1965 in favour of interviews, which ensured that enrollment continued to stay competitive even without the use of examinations. In May 1969, the university was expanded with a new western wing featuring a wider range of faculties.

In 1977, the Faculty of Computing (later renamed the Faculty of Technology) opened. The National Library of Arola, which only received minor upgrades since the university's foundation, was renovated significantly in 1988.

As part of the university's centennial in 2021, the colours of the university changed to light blue and royal blue.

Faculties
The University of Kelvia has a total of 10 faculties as of 2023:
 * Agriculture
 * Arts
 * Business
 * Dentistry & Medicine
 * Design & Engineering
 * Law
 * Music
 * Science
 * Social Sciences
 * Technology

Campus
The main campus in the Rantalahti district is currently divided into two wings, the older East Wing and the newer West Wing. The university also owns the off-site Dentistry & Medicine building in the Kasurila district.

East Wing
The East Wing is the older wing of the university and is located adjacent to the National Library of Arola, a dual-purpose public library open to both university students and the general public. The wing houses the administration buildings, the faculties of Agriculture, Arts, Business, Law and Music, the university's main food court and the East Dormitory. Most of the buildings were built during the university's inception in the 1920s, with the exception of the Agriculture and Business faculties which were rebuilt into their current iterations in 2003 and 2009 respectively.

The East Dormitory has been expanded since its opening in 1953, 1982 and 2006 and is currently able to accommodate 20,000 students. The cafeteria is located on the ground floor of the dormitory.

West Wing
The West Wing opened as an expansion of the university in 1969 and was completed over a decade later in 1980. It consists of the faculties of Design & Engineering (opened 1972), Science (opened 1969), Social Sciences (opened 1974) and Technology (opened 1977), the indoor athletics hall, as well as the West Dormitory which first opened in 1976 and expanded in 2018.

Dentistry & Medicine Annex
The Dentistry & Medicine Annex opened in 1957 on the original premises of the Kelvia General Hospital (now Kelvia Kasurila City Hospital). The annex is located next door and directly connected to the hospital via a walkway although only university staff and students are able to access the premises. It underwent a significant interior renovation in 2002, alongside the restoration of the original facade.