University of Valencia

University of Valencia
Universitat de València
Type Public
Established 1499
President Esteban Morcillo Sánchez
Academic staff
 3,300
Students 65789 (Total)[1]
Undergraduates 45,000
Postgraduates 8,000
Location Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain
Campus Urban
Website http://www.uv.es
The University of Valencia's Historic Building

The University of Valencia (Valencian: Universitat de València [univeɾsiˈtad de vaˈlensia]; also known by the acronym UV) is a university located in the Spanish city of Valencia. It is one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Valencian Community, and is regarded as one of Spain's leading academic institutions. The University was founded in 1499, and currently has around 55,000 students. Most of the courses are given through the medium of Spanish, but the university has promised to increase the amount of courses available in Valencian. Moreover, in some degrees part of the teaching is in English.

It is located in the Mediterranean Spanish baseline, in the city of Valencia which is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 829,705 in 2014. One of its campuses is located in the metropolitan area of Valencia, in the municipalities of Burjassot and Paterna.

There are three campuses:

The University is committed to keeping and establishing links with universities world-wide, either through bilateral agreements or by taking part in international programmes and networks. Thanks to international exchanges, students from different nationalities and cultures live and work together at the Universitat de València.

The Strategic Plan of the University of Valencia 2008-2011 is oriented towards excellence in teaching, research and cultural diffusion to society.

The current chancellor is Esteban Morcillo Sánchez.

History

At the request of Jaime I the Conqueror, Pope Innocent IV in 1246, authorized by a Bull the establishment of estudis generals in Valencia. The University Statutes were passed by the municipal magistrates of Valencia on April 30, 1499; this is considered to be the 'founding' of the University. In 1501, Pope Alexander VI signed the bill of approval and one year later Fernando II "el Católico" proclaimed the Royal Mandatory Concession.

Its foundation was due to the zeal of St. Vincent Ferrer and to the donation of a building by Mosen Pedro Vilaragut. Only very meagre accounts have been preserved of the practical workings of the university. From the time of its foundation the courses included Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, philosophy, mathematics, and physics, theology, Canon law, and medicine.

Historic claustre of la Nau building

The closing years of the seventeenth, and the whole of the eighteenth century, witnessed the most prosperous era of the university, Greek, Latin, mathematics, and medicine being specially cultivated. Among the names of illustrious students that of Tosca, Evangelista Torricelli's friend, noted physicist and author of important mathematical works, stands out prominently. Escolano says that it was the leading university in mathematics, the humanities, philosophy, and medicine. Large anatomical drawings were made by the students. Valencia was the first university of Spain to found a course for the study of herbs. Many of the Valencian graduates of medicine became famous. Pedro Ximeno discovered the third small bone of the ear. He was professor at Alcalá and had for a pupil the celebrated Vallés. Luis Collado, professor of botany, made some valuable discoveries and carried on exhaustive studies of the plants of the Levant; Vicente Alonzo Lorente wrote works on botany; and the famous botanist Cavanilles was also a student of this university.

In the seventeenth century the university divided into two factions, the Thomists and the anti-Thomists. The discussions were heated and aroused partisan feelings throughout the entire Kingdom of Valencia. The university possessed a library of 27,000 volumes which was destroyed by the soldiers under the command of General Suchet. Among the most noted professors of the university was D. Francisco Pérez Bayer, a man of wide culture and great influence in the reign of Charles III of Spain. Around the university several colleges for poor students sprang up: the first was founded by St. Thomas of Villanova in 1561 and then followed those founded by Doña Angela Alonsar, and Mosen Pedro Martín. The most famous, called Corpus Christi, was founded by Blessed Juan de Ribera; Philip II founded that of San Jorge; and Melchor de Villena founded the last in 1643. During the Spanish Civil War, in 1938, a fire badly damaged the library.[2]

Nowadays it is a modern European public university open to almost every branch of teaching, research and learning in humanities, basic sciences and technology, health sciences, social sciences, and education.

Campuses

The University of Valencia has three main urban campuses located in Valencia city and in Burjassot-Paterna, and some other buildings and facilities in the hearth of Valencia town, such as the Historic Building, Botanical Garden, Cerveró Palace, the Rectorate and others.

The University of Valencia's Medical School

Schools and Faculties

The University of Valencia has 18 Schools and Faculties located in its three main campuses. Each one allocates different academic departments and offers undergraduate, official masters and PhD programs. A virtual tour of each School can be seen through panoramic views.

Campus de Burjassot-Paterna

Campus de Blasco Ibáñez

Campus de Tarongers

Studying at the University of Valencia

The University of Valencia offers a complete range of degrees in almost all of the academic fields: arts and humanities, engineering, health sciences, sciences, and social sciences. It covers undergraduate studies, postgraduate courses, official masters and PhD programs.

The exchange programs with foreign universities, as well as other programs of International Cooperation and Development Aid, allow students to study in other academic institutions from Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia. Regarding student mobility through Erasmus program, it is among the top ten universities in Europe. The university has partnered with International Studies Abroad, a study abroad provider based in Austin, Texas, to bring inbound students from the United States and Canada.[3]

The Confucius Institute at the University of Valencia promotes Chinese language and culture and supports local Chinese teaching and it is in the top twenty of the world. The International Center of Gandia offers international seminars and specific academic activities on Brazilian Culture.

The Centre for the Teaching of Languages of the University of Valencia offers its service for the teaching of languages to those who form a part of the University, including immediate family members. It is also open to anyone not belonging to the institution who wants to learn a language using a special formula based on professional dedication and quality teaching

Research

Research is conducted through several ways. The Academic Departments within each School, the Research Institutes, the Science Park and some others.

The Research Institutes are conceived as multi-disciplinary research structures beyond the framework of the departments; they aim to meet the demand of the economic and social context in the research and transfer fields. The complete list could be seen at Research Institutes of the University of Valencia

The University of Valencia Science Park, PCUV, has been conceived as a meeting point between the University of Valencia and companies. A place where the exchange between university research groups and companies is ensured, stimulating the transfer of knowledge.

The University of Valencia disseminates its scientific activity through its Metode journal and the newsletter I+D+i+a.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.uv.es/uvweb/college/en/university/uv-numbers-1285853772681.html
  2. ↑ LOST MEMORY - LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES DESTROYED IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (Archived August 30, 2011, at WebCite)
  3. ↑ "Valencia, Spain Study Abroad Universities - ISA". Studiesabroad.com. Retrieved 2015-10-25.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. 

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