Yliopistojen Aikuiskoulutusverkosto - UCEF

In Finland University Adult Education (UCE) is usually defined in the following way:

UCE is any form of education, vocational or general, resumed after an interval following the continuous initial education. This may include for example, education for full time mature students, liberal adult education, part time degrees and diplomas, post-experience professional education and training courses, staff development, open access courses and regional development through open and distance learning (EUCEN-European Universities Continuing Education Network).

In Finnish universities UCE comprises generally several operations on themes such as
 

• Continuing Professional Education
• Employment Training
• Open University/ODL
• Regional Development Projects
• International Projects
• Careers Services
• Research
• Publishing

There are 20 universities in Finland. Ten of them are multi-disciplinary and three are universities of technology. There are three business schools and three universities for arts, music and theatre. In addition, The National Defence College, under the auspices of Ministry of Defence, has the university status.

The UCE centres assume their strategies and profiles accordingly. By volume adult education is an important part of university education, the number of adult students being about 30 % higher than faculty students. The UCE centres are remarkable fund-raisers for their universities.