Our history

HTO has existed for nearly as long as engineering and technical education has been organized in Helsinki. The school itself (Helsinki Industrial School, later Helsinki Technical Institute) originated in the 1880s, and HTO’s predecessor, the “Toverikunta” (Fellowship), was founded a few decades later. Old records show that the Toverikunta was officially established in the 1940s, but its actual activities are believed to have started as early as the 1920s.

The history of the modern HTO began in the 1970s when two parallel organizations – the Student Union of Helsinki Technical Institute and the Student Association of Helsinki Technical Institute – were merged to eliminate overlapping functions and competition, forming a unified body to serve all students. This merger led to the creation of the Student Union of Helsinki Technical Institute (HTOL), which held its founding meeting on April 22, 1975.

In 1996, Helsinki Technical Institute joined a temporary polytechnic pilot project – a project that ultimately became permanent. Other institutions participating in the pilot included the Helsinki IV Institute of Health Care, Helsinki Nursing Institute, and Helsinki Institute of Social Services.

Following the merger of these educational institutions, their student organizations came together in 1996 to form the Students of Helsinki Polytechnic – HAMOK ry. HTOL's Student Union began gradually transferring its operations to this new umbrella organization. Over time, HTOL's Student Union evolved into a department-based student association, following a university model, and in 2001, changed its name to HTO ry – The Engineering Students of Helsinki Polytechnic.

Eventually, with the enactment of the Polytechnic Act, Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia and EVTEK University of Applied Sciences merged to form Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. As a result, HTO adopted its current name and role as the advocacy and social organization for students of technology and transport at Metropolia.

Maintaining and developing student culture in all its forms, as well as fostering a sense of community among students, is HTO’s core mission. Some traditions have naturally carried on despite the changes over the decades. The best-known example is Tursajaiset, a traditional event for first-year engineering students, known as tursas. However, most current traditions have emerged over the past decade. Some older traditions have been revived – and certainly more will be brought back in the future.