University of Coimbra

University of Coimbra (UC, Portuguese: UNIVERSIDADE de Coimbra, pronounced: [univɨɾsidad (ɨ) dɨ kuĩbɾɐ]) is one of the Portuguese public university in Coimbra, Portugal. Founded in 1290 in Lisbon, and went through a number of deportations until permanently been moved to the current city in 1537, being one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, and the oldest university in Portugal, one of the largest higher educational and research institutions.

It is organized in eight different faculties according to a wide range of areas, granting academic bachelor's degree in (vacation BA) and Master (Mestre) and doctorate (Doutor) degree in almost all major fields of knowledge, such as the Arts and the Institute of Engineering, Humanities, Mathematics, Science natural and social sciences, medicine, sports and technology. He is a founding member of the Coimbra Group, a group of leading European research universities, which hosted the inaugural meeting. Coimbra University has more than 20,000 students, and hosts one of the largest communities of international students in Portugal, being the most cosmopolitan Portuguese university.

The university was founded, or ratified, in 1290 by King Dinis, after it began its existence in Lisbon with STUDIUM Generale (Estudo Geral) name. Scientiae scoring thesaurus, and the Charter of the royal proclamation league history Foundation March 1 of that year, despite the efforts that have been made since at least 1288 for the establishment of the first university in Portugal. It is therefore one of the oldest such institutions in the Iberian Peninsula. I was given confirmation of the papal also in 1290 (on August 9 of that year), during the pontificate of Pope Nicholas IV. According to the papal bull, all the faculties of "legitimate", except that the theology, can be created. Thus, the faculties of literature and law, canon law and medicine were the first to be created. It is, however, not to stay in Lisbon for a long time. In 1308, probably because of the problems of the liberation of the church (the relations between the latter and political power which soured somewhat in that time) and conflicts between city residents and students, the university moved to Coimbra. This was already the town of ancient traditions in education, being home to the highly successful school of the Convent of Santa Cruz. Then the university was established on the site known as "Estudos Velhos", which is roughly equivalent to the area where the main library now stands.

In 1338, during the reign of Afonso IV, he was transferred back to Lisbon, where he returned in 1354, this time to the city which was then in full expansion of the center. In 1377, during the reign of King Fernando, he was transferred back to Lisbon, where he will remain for more than a century and a half. So the Faculty of Theology probably dates back to this period - about 1380. In 1537, during the reign of Joao III, the university moved definitively to Coimbra, where it was installed in Alcaçova Palace. Enterprise entire university, including faculty members, and all the books from the library, was transferred from Lisbon to Coimbra. At the same time, the establishment of the university faculties (abolished in the 19th century), were made to restructure the curriculum and new teachers, both Portuguese and foreign, it has been admitted.

In the 18th century, the Marquis of Pombal made, Minister of the Kingdom, radical reforms at the university, especially with regard to the teaching of science, according to the owner of the Enlightenment belief anticlerical. During the many decades was the only university in Portugal, since its founding in 1290 until 1559 (University of Evora in the works between 1559 and 1759), and again between 1759 and 1911 (created the University of Lisbon and the University of Porto in 1911). The long history of the past and the predominance of the University of Coimbra make it an important axis of influence in Portugal, and not only educational, but also political and social.

Taken initial steps towards some convergence in European higher education systems with the signing of the Sorbonne Declaration by those responsible for higher education in France, Italy and the United Kingdom, Germany, Cabinet, in 1998, and later, in 1999, with the signing of the Bologna Declaration. Bologna process, which aims to create a European higher education area through the implementation of a similar degree structure, and common standards of quality assurance and encourage the mobility of students and faculty, was a major revolution in the field of higher education in Europe. It highlighted globalization and technological change and increased competition for international scarcity of highly skilled labor on the importance of making European higher education institutions attractive and competitive in all parts of the world. Higher Education and the European market to promote competition more integrated between European universities is a necessary condition for the production of leading innovations and catch up with the US economy. In Portugal, the University of Coimbra decided to postpone the new model adoption of the Bologna process from 2006 to 2007/2008 (with authorized a small number of programs that have been reached a national consensus for change among institutions exceptions) in order to make the transition to maintain the highest quality academic standards of integrity. Only in the 2008/2009 school year, the university was not a whole depends entirely on the new programs within eight colleges.