University of Bologna

Founded in 1088, the Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna is the oldest university in the Western world and today stands as one of Europe’s leading academic institutions. Over the years, it has paved the way for innovation thanks to an increasingly rich programme catalogue, cutting-edge research, a convincing third mission strategy and a strong international perspective. 

Since its foundation, the University of Bologna has been student-centred. With five campuses across Emilia-Romagna (Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini) and a branch in Buenos Aires, it offers its students a wide and diverse course catalogue tailored to the needs of present-day society: over 260 degree programmes within 31 departments. 

Its community of almost 100,000 students makes the University of Bologna the largest in Italy and one of the most international in Europe. It ranks first in Italy for the number of students participating in exchange programmes abroad and is among the top five universities in Europe for outgoing exchange students. Moreover, UniBo consistently appears among the top five Italian universities in major international rankings (QS, Shanghai, Times Higher Education, GreenMetric). 

The University of Bologna is deeply committed to sustainable development and actively contributes to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. As a comprehensive research university, it invests in a multidisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to research and teaching, considered inseparable parts of the same mission. 

In the European landscape of research and academic cooperation, UniBo is among the most active institutions. It maintains strong alliances with industries as well as public and private organisations, and represents a crucial hub for international networks, with lively relations across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. It is also one of the founding members of the prestigious Una Europa alliance, which is striving to build the integrated European university of the future.