University of Strasbourg

The origins of the University of Strasbourg date back to the early 16th century when Jean Sturm created an institution where one could study theology, philosophy, medicine and law. A strong intellectual center in Europe during the 17th century, the University then experienced three centuries of bicultural development being moved back and forth between France and Germany. In the wake of several historic developments, three separate universities were established in 1968 focusing on sciences, humanities and legal, political, social and technological education.

Over nearly two decades the universities have laid the groundwork for inter-university cooperation, strengthened over time by jointly designed and managed projects. Backed by this experience, the three universities decided to take a further step by uniting their potential for instruction and research within a single university. And thus, on 1 January 2009 the University of Strasbourg was born - a unique and pioneering example of merging universities in France. European by nature and international by design, the University's strengths and assets stem from its active involvement in virtually every discipline comprising the current body of knowledge.

As a young university founded on an age-old tradition, it strives to attain cross-disciplinarity so that this mixing fosters new research opportunities and produces courses that meet society's need. The international dimension is fundamental for the University of Strasbourg and thanks to the world wide reputation of its research teams, built on excellence and efficiency, it emerges among Europe's foremost research universities. Each of the University's main academic fields of instruction is based upon research sections that are the driving force of the institution, with over  2,600 professors and 2,000 staff.

The Technology Transfer Office, one of the very first developed in a French university, strives to promote the work of the researchers and facilitate partnerships with economic and institutional stakeholders. An essential player in the promotion of scientific and technical culture, the University interfaces with its host city, Strasbourg. Solidly anchored in the European Higher Education Area, the University of Strasbourg, a beating heart of the Alsatian metropolis with its 41,000 students, has the potential to face the challenging international competition.