North Karelia in Development: Analyzing Regional Progress: Case Study: ELY-centre

Abstract

This paper discusses the past historical context of some of North Karelian society’s most relevant issues and how these give clear guidelines for authorities regarding where to focus their attention and establishing a positive trend for future projects to follow and execute based on the results of this thesis. The integration of migrant populations has always been a topic of long discussion in Finland, especially in North Karelia. This makes addressing the topic in a productive manner where everyone participates actively a bit harder. That is why different organizations from different working areas have come together under the lead of ELY Centre to get hands on work. Different specialists in the field have participated and still participate in different efforts that aim at dealing with the situation caused by the aging population and the struggles of integrating international talent into the local communities. ELY Centre is leading one of the largest projects, which is one of the most ambitious to dramatically face topical problems in North Karelia. A survey serves to analyze how well the organizations have worked together and how they can possibly work together better in the future.