Arina donates EUR 125,000 to the University of Oulu

Promoting the vitality and attractiveness of Northern Finland is at the heart of Arina's strategy. Universities and, more broadly, co-operation between educational institutions at different levels of education play an important role in educating northern Finns also for the needs of trade and the tourism and restaurant industry. The presence and success of educational institutions play a key role in the establishment of experts in the region.

“I hope that our donation will strengthen the ability of universities to provide better quality education, which will boost the availability of future talent and the attractiveness and business life of the regions. Cooperation and interaction with educational institutions in the area is important from the perspective of both service development and recruitment”, says Reima Loukkola, CEO of Cooperative Arina.

“Together with Arina, we share common goals to build a better and more sustainable future. Through cooperation, we seek new and innovative solutions to this. We appreciate Arina's significant contribution to the development of northern Finland”, continues Jouko Niinimäki, Rector of the University of Oulu.

The donation is based on the decision of Arina's Board of Directors to donate a total of EUR 175,000 to the Universities of Oulu and Lapland. The University of Oulu receives EUR 125 000 and the University of Lapland EUR 50,000 in donations based on the geographical distribution of Arina's members. Donations to the universities are eligible for state matched funding, so they have a significant regional impact.

Cooperative Arina's donations are a continuation of Arina's previous university donations for the 100th anniversary of Arina. Arina is also supporting the professorship in brand marketing at the University of Oulu and collaborating with the university on, among other things, research projects and theses work.