was established in 1969 in Finland. Combining technology and business, LUT University (in Finnish: until 2003 Lappeenrannan teknillinen korkeakoulu, LTKK, and from 2003 Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto, LTY) has served as an academic forerunner since 1969. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Finnish government made plans to establish the University of Eastern Finland in Lappeenranta, but it was ultimately decentralized in three cities: Lappeenranta, Kuopio, and Joensuu. Only the departments of engineering were located in Lappeenranta at that time. The Department of Business Administration was established and teaching of economics began in 1991.