The South Karelian Institute was founded as a separate research unit of the Lappeenranta University of Technology in the autumn of 2002. Its purpose is to promote the development of the region by conducting academic research in the fields of the humanities and social sciences on themes relevant to the region and its surrounding areas. The educational activities and publications of the institute aim to strengthen the expertise and scientific base of the region.
As a flexible unit, the institute is able to address current research projects quickly. Furthermore, the institute is able to create an efficient multidisciplinary research and researcher community in the region by recruiting researchers for projects and providing training, research facilities, and other supporting services to the local research community.