University of Bordeaux

Overview

Université de Bordeaux, or the University of Bordeaux, is a multidisciplinary research-focused institution in the famous wine-growing region of France. Founded in 1441, it is the successor to the first university in the polis that the Romans established in 286. It is also one of the two higher education institutions in the area, a member of the Community of universities and higher education institutions of Aquitaine, and is the third largest university in the country by number of students.

The university used to have only four faculties—law, theology, arts, and medicine—that it expanded into colleges: Law, Political Science, Economics, Management, Health Sciences, Human Sciences, and Science and Technology. These are further subdivided into 25 faculties, schools, and departments. It also established three institutes—Technology, Education, and Vine and Wine Science. Overall, Université de Bordeaux offers 150 bachelor and vocational programs, 250 master degrees, and 55 national diplomas in health.

Though its courses are mainly in French, the institution also offers study programs that are offered in English, Spanish, and other languages to accommodate its international students. The University of Bordeaux also enables students abroad to experience their brand of education through its 60 international study programs in baccalaureate, graduate, and postgraduate levels.

Apart from those, it has partnerships with over 500 institutions around the world. Through the agreements with these universities and colleges, the University of Bordeaux is able to offer its programs to international students in Japan, the Basque region, California, and Canada, among others.

Fully committed to research, Université de Bordeaux operates 11 research departments, including Archaeological Sciences, Bordeaux Neurocampus, and Social Sciences of Contemporary Changes. It also has eight Clusters of Excellence. Five of these have received national LabEx accreditation and there are also five clusters that are recognized as Facilities of Excellence.

The commitment of the University of Bordeaux to research has been recognized by the French government through the award Initiative of Excellence. It became one of the first universities in France to receive the award, which came with a grant of 700 million euros.

The university's academic and research rigor can also be attested to by the numerous scientists and alumni whose achievements and works have been recorded in history. Among them are Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a physician who built the guillotine. Pierre-Paul Grassé, a renowned zoologist and proponent of neo-Lamarckian evolution, graduated from the medicine program of the university. A Nobel laureate, François Mauriac, is also an alumnus of the institution.