University of Bologna

The University of Bologna (Italian: Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (studiorum), it is the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, and the first degree-awarding institution of higher learning. At its foundation, the word universitas was first coined.[3][4][5] With over 90,000 students, it is the second-largest university in Italy after La Sapienza in Rome.[6]

University of Bologna
Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
Latin: Universitas Bononiensis
MottoPetrus ubique pater legum Bononia mater[1] (Latin)
Motto in English
St. Peter is everywhere the father of the law, Bologna is its mother
TypePublic research university
Establishedc. 1088; 935 years ago (1088)
Academic affiliations
Coimbra Group
European Universities Association
Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities
International Association of Universities
Scholars at Risk
Europaeum
Una Europa
Mediterranean Universities Union
Utrecht Network
RectorGiovanni Molari
Academic staff
2,917[2]
Administrative staff
2,965[2]
Students90,291[2]
Undergraduates47,253
Postgraduates36,266
4,239
Location,
Italy

44°29′38″N 11°20′34″E
CampusUniversity town
103 hectares (256 acres)
NewspaperUNIBO Magazine
Colours  Red
Sports teamsCUS Bologna
Websiteunibo.it (in Italian)

It was the first place of study to use the term universitas for the corporations of students and masters, which came to define the institution (especially its law school) located in Bologna. The university's emblem carries the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum ("Nourishing mother of studies"), the date A.D. 1088.[7] It has campuses in Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini and a branch center abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[8] It also has a school of excellence named Collegio Superiore di Bologna. An associate publisher of the University of Bologna is the Bononia University Press. The university saw the first woman to earn a university degree and teach at a university, Bettisia Gozzadini, and the first woman to earn both a doctorate in science and a salaried position as a university professor, Laura Bassi.

It is one of the most prestigious universities in Italy and is commonly ranked among the top universities in Italy and the world. It is especially renowned for its studies in law, medicine, and the natural sciences.[9][10] University of Bologna had a central role in the sciences during the Italian renaissance, where it housed and educated Nicholas Copernicus as well as numerous other renaissance mathematicians.[11]


Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article University of Bologna, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.