The University of Provence Aix-Marseille I (French: Université de Provence) was a public research university mostly located in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.^[4] It was one of the three Universities of Aix-Marseille and was part of the Academy of Aix and Marseille. On 1 January 2012 it merged with the University of the Mediterranean and Paul Cézanne University to become Aix-Marseille University, the youngest, but also the largest in terms of students, budgets and staff in the French-speaking world.

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University of Provence
Aix-Marseille I

Type	Public research university
Established	1409–1792 1896–1968 1968–2012
President	Jean-Paul Caverni
Academic staff	1,527[1]
Administrative staff	835[1]
Students	23,056[2]
Undergraduates	12,807[2]
Postgraduates	7,948[2]
Doctoral students	1,297[2]
Location	Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Aubagne, Avignon, Digne, Lambesc, Marseille[3] ,  France
Website	https://web.archive.org/web/20061010125054/http://www.univ-provence.fr/ (in French)

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The University of Provence was founded on 9 December 1409 as a studium generale by Louis II of Anjou, Count of Provence, and subsequently recognized by papal bull issued by Antipope Alexander V.^[5][6] In 1792, the University of Provence, along with twenty-one other universities, was dissolved. The university was recreated in 1896. Following riots among university students in May 1968,^[7] it was re-established in 1968 through a merger of the school of humanities in Aix-en-Provence and the science one in Marseille.^[8] "The University of Provence [was] one of the most distinguished in France, second only to the University of Paris in the areas of French literature, history, and linguistics", according to Harvard University's website.^[9]

In the academic year of 2007–2008, 23,056 students were enrolled.^[2] Among them, 15,158 were female, while only 7,898 were male.^[2] 3,255 students came from countries outside France, 44 per cent of these came from Africa.^[2] 15,109 students studied in Aix-en-Provence, while others went to Marseille, Avignon, Digne, Lambesc, Arles and Aubagne.^[2] Overall, its facilities spanned 258 143 m².^[3]

In 2007, the budget was 120,7 million euros, with 39,2 million euros available after wages.^[10]

It had its own university press, Publications de l'Université de Provence.^[11] It also had its own theater, the Théâtre Antoine Vitez, named for Antoine Vitez.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

• Christian Bromberger, professor of anthropology and an expert of Iranian studies
• Georges Duby taught at the University of Provence.^[17]
• Mansour Mohamed El-Kikhia: Libyan politician and member of the interim National Transitional Council (NTC).
• Sadaf Foroughi and Kiarash Anvari are graduates of the film studies department.
• Gilles-Gaston Granger taught there from 1964 to 1986.
• Martine L. Jacquot, writer, journalist
• Pablo Daniel Magee, writer and investigative journalist, followed Hispanic and Latin American Studies at the University of Provence.
• John H. Hubbard taught at the University of Provence.
• 2008 Nobel Prize laureate in literature J.M.G. Le Clézio earned a master's degree with a thesis on Henri Michaux from the University of Provence in 1964.^[18]
• Annie Ousset-Krief, published historian and American Civilization specialist, taught at the University of Provence.
• Paul Veyne taught at the University of Provence in the 1960s.^[19]
• Norodom Ranariddh, a Cambodian politician and prince. He is a close relative to the current king of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni.