The Centre of Law and Welfare gathers welfare-related legal research, expertise and education at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). The centre has almost thirty researchers and has become the most significant research and teaching centre point in Finland on its own field of research. The center works in connection with the UEF Law School, and it was formerly known as the Institute of Law and Welfare, but the name will be changed to the Centre of Law and Welfare on the 1st of February 2022. The university has other centres as well and the new name fits excellently into the whole and is in line with the university's bylaws.
- The development of research and teaching on Welfare Law has been one of the priorities of our department recently. In a relatively short time, the activity has grown into a valuable centralized operation, says Matti Turtiainen, the head of UEF Law School.
Welfare Law answers to current multidisciplinary legal questions related to society, legislation and the wellbeing of individuals. The Centre of Law and Welfare is networked both nationally and internationally. The centre is involved in various research projects which focus on the wellbeing and rights of individuals at different stages of life – from childhood to old age.
- It is also notable that last autumn the University of Eastern Finland was the first university in Finland to enable studying Welfare Law as a major subject, reminds Anna Mäki-Petäjä-Leinonen, the director of the Centre of Law and Welfare and Professor of Law and Ageing.
Welfare Law can be chosen as a major for Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in public law. Welfare Law has connections with several fields of law and in legal issues of Welfare Law, public and private law often intersect. Welfare Law emphasizes multidisciplinary and multi-method research, and both research and teaching focus on multidisciplinary networking.
- The growth of our centre is based on shared enthusiasm and co-operation. In the future as well, we will continue to support multidisciplinarity and multi-methodology. Also valuing different competences will be one of the key factors when further developing the Center of Law and Welfare, summarizes Henna Nikumaa, the coordinator of the Centre.
Read more about the Centre of Law and Welfare: https://sites.uef.fi/hyvinvointioikeus/?lang=en
Further inquiries
Matti Turtiainen, head of the Law School, University of Eastern Finland, matti.turtiainen@uef.fi, +358 50 5277015
Anna Mäki-Petäjä-Leinonen, professor, the director of the Center of Law and Welfare, University of Eastern Finland, anna.maki-petaja-leinonen@uef.fi, +358 40 5118841