University of Parma
The University of Parma is one of the oldest universities in Europe: established with the ‘Diploma’ conferred to Umberto, the bishop of Parma, in the year 962 AD.
The ideal size of the University (27,000 students, with more than 5,000 graduates per year and about 1,700 faculty and staff members), together with the quality of life in Parma has always attracted a large number of students from all over Italy. More than two-thirds of our registered students come from outside of Parma and its Province: for this reason the University deserves top ranking for attracting the most non-resident students nationwide.
It has now 9 departments, covering most of the scientific disciplines:
• Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
• Department of Economics and Management
• Department of Engineering and Architecture
• Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries
• Department of Law, Politics and International Studies
• Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences
• Department of Medicine and Surgery
• Department of Veterinary Science
• Department of Food and Drug
Its course catalogue is made up of 40 First Cycle Degree Courses, 6 Single Cycle Degree Courses, 46 Second Cycle Degree Courses (7 of which entirely held in English), as well as many Postgraduate schools, Teacher Training courses, several Master Programmes and PhDs.
As one of the oldest higher education institutions in Italy, the University of Parma upholds the highest standards for excellence at scientific and research level: the outstanding results of research teams, articles on leading the international scientific journals and a number of successful partnerships with other important universities are just some examples. The excellence of our PhD programmes, in particular, has been recognized with an increase in funding from the Ministry of University and Research in 2014, as an acknowledgement to their scientific performance and attractiveness for international students. Parma had the highest number of Cited Researchers included in the 2014 Thomson Reuters rankings among all Italian Universities, as well (second only to the National Research Council).
The University has an excellent record of accomplishment in producing outstanding young professionals in a vast array of academic fields. We continuously communicate with public and private organizations, in order to better understand their true requirements, hence, improve, and update the proposed curricula accordingly.
The University of Parma has a longstanding tradition in collaborating with a large number of institutions worldwide in terms of high skills education, as well as research and innovation. Our research teams excel in a number of fields: from food and agriculture to biotechnologies, from innovative treatment to experimental medicine, to law, economics and arts. Among the greatest discoveries of our researchers, we must not forget the “mirror neurons” in the field of Neurosciences and the studies in Information Engineering concerning Intelligent Transportation Systems, which have led to the creation of Intelligent Vehicles. The University of Parma also features a TechnoPole for industrial research, which includes cutting-edge research centres operating in different industrial sectors.
The University of Parma brings recent experience in addressing its relationships with the local community – to improve the collaboration opportunities between the university and the municipality (considered as the ensemble of services available to civic society); promoting civic engagement towards the implementation of research ideas that may directly contribute to the enhancement of Parma region; promoting civic engagement in terms of teaching, research, training and volunteering; and sustaining lifelong learning opportunities and VET education towards citizenship.
Furthermore, Parma has been, as of January 1st 2019, entrusted with the Secretariat of the formerly mentioned eUniverCities Network, so reaffirming its continued determination, commitment and efforts towards sustainable growth of the City-University synergies. This role is shared between the University and the Municipality of Parma: an inter-institutional working group has been formed and tasked with the management and coordination of the Network Activities for the upcoming 3 years period.
The city of Parma has received the title Italian Capital of Culture 2020/2021 - an initiative led by the Municipality of Parma with great success, aimed at preserving and promoting the social and artistic values in a medium-sized City like Parma, where art and culture are deeply rooted into its heritage.
