University of Pavia (UP)

The University of Pavia (Italian: Università degli Studi di Pavia, UNIPV or Università di Pavia; Latin: Alma Ticinensis Universitas) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one o ence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. It was the sole university in Milan and the greater Lombardy region until the end of the 19th century.[1] In 2022, the university was recognized by the Times Higher Education among the top 10 in Italy and among the 300 best in the world.[2] Currently, it has 18 departments and 9 faculties. It does not have a main campus; its buildings and facilities are scattered around the city, which is in turn called "a city campus". The university caters to more than 20,000 students who come from Italy and all over the world. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate programs; over 40 master programs, and roughly 20 doctoral programs (including 8 in English).[1][3] About 1,500 students who enter the university every year are international students.[4] The university operates multiple cultural and scientific museums, including the University History Museum, a botanical garden, research centers, university libraries and a university press. The university is also affiliated with Policlinico San Matteo, at which hundreds of medical students from the university perform clinical rotations during their clinical years. The University of Pavia is a member of the COIMBRA Group and European University Association. It also participates in the Erasmus Programme, which allows student exchanges between the University of Pavia and various universities in Europe.[5] An edict issued by the Frankish king of Italy, Lothar I (ruled 818–55) mentions the existence of a higher education institution at Pavia as early as AD 825.[6][7] This institution, mainly devoted to ecclesiastical and civil law as well as to divinity studies, was then selected as the prime educational centre for northern Italy. In 1361, the institution was officially established as a studium generale by the Holy Roman emperor Charles IV, who granted the same teaching privileges enjoyed by the University of Paris and Bologna, allowing the institution to teach canon and civil law, philosophy, medicine and liberal arts. It was then expanded and renovated by the duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti,[8][9] becoming the sole university in the Duchy of Milan until the end of the 19th century.[1][10] Gian Galeazzo worked tirelessly to consolidate the institution and in 1389, he obtained a permission from Pope Boniface IX to teach advanced theology courses.[11] Funerary slab of Baldus de Ubaldis (first half of the 15th century), Old Campus of the University of Pavia. It was divided into two distinct universities — of jurisprudence (teaching civil and canon law courses) and of arts (teaching medicine, philosophy and liberal arts courses). A rector was elected every year, normally a student who was over twenty years old.[11] The institution offered bachelor, licentiate and doctoral degrees. Despite the politics and hardships due to wars and pestilence, it experienced great growth and the institution was considered to be prestigious as evidenced by the influx of foreign students at the time.[6] In 1412, Filippo Maria Visconti further consolidated the universities, invited prominent scholars to teach there and declared an edict giving serious penalties aimed at preventing students from going elsewhere to study. ...view more