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The University Today The University of Naples Federico II was established in 1224 through an Imperial Charter of Frederick II Hohenstaufen, King of Sicily and Sacred Roman Emperor. It was the first publicly funded university in Europe. Nowadays the university offers courses in essentially all academic disciplines, leading to 168 graduate level degrees. Research facilities provide support to all these courses. Students are given opportunity to pursue intellectual development as well as the acquisition of professional skills. Current student enrolment nears 97,000 and the academic personnel, at this time, is 3,121. The University is made up of 3 Divisions (Poli), which operate as semi-independent bodies for the teaching and research management of 13 Faculties and 87 Departments grouped, within each division, according to academic and research relatedness. Thus, the Division of Science and Technology includes: the Faculty of Sciences (which, in turn, includes the Schools of Physics, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Biological Sciences), the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Architecture. The Division of Life Sciences includes: the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the recently established Faculty of Biotechnology. The Division of Social and Human Sciences includes: the Faculty of Economics, The Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, the Faculty of Political Sciences and the Faculty of Sociology. Many more organisations are integral part of the Federico II University, these include a system of 14 highly specialised Museums, covering a wide range of fields, and 2 Botanical Gardens hosting unique species. The Central Library facility is linked to the Division and Faculty libraries; it runs many digital programmes designed to provide free access and the widest possible dissemination of published material to the academic staff. There are 16 Inter-departmental Research Centres (see Organisational chart on page….) open to scholars of all Departments and Faculties. The Federico II University has a tradition of promoting and supporting student’s associations. There are more than 50 student associations currently active, which bring together students, of widely varied cultural and social background, who give rise to initiatives and activities of different nature, including sporting events, arts, social and political forums. The venue of the University has changed many times, over the many centuries of its history (see: History). Nowadays, the size of the University is such that its venues are spread throughout the city of Naples and its immediate surroundings. The three major campuses are located in the centre of town, its North and Western outskirts. The Senate House and the main administrative offices, along with the Faculties of Law and Literature and Philosophy are in central Naples; the much newer campuses on the Hill of Camaldoli (North) and the Fuorigrotta (West) areas, host the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Faculties of Sciences and Economics, respectively. The Faculty of Medicine includes a large University Hospital, as part of a much larger hospital system, which includes the multi-speciality “Cardarelli” Hospital, the largest hospital of Southern Italy, the Cancer Institute and the Hospital for Infectious diseases. The University Federico II is striving to become a World University and, to this end, places the highest priority in nurturing relationships, both within Italy and internationally. Our students are relentlessly encouraged in the pursuit of excellence, at home and abroad. Our staff and students take part in a variety of exchange programmes, within Europe, the Americas and Asia. While promoting cooperation with the more scientifically advanced research institutions of the affluent world, we are making every effort to help the less fortunate. Citizens of Northern Uganda have one doctor out of each 40.000 people: “Gulunap” is the interuniversity cooperative project undertaken by the University of Naples Federico II and the School of Medicine of the city of Gulu in Northern Uganda. The project, started in 2004, aims at training doctors for the specific needs of the local communities, first call treatments, promotion of preventive medicine and an integrated therapeutic approach. Four years down the road, the Faculty has nearly 200 students coming from all over Uganda but also from Kenya , Sudan and Congo. Cognizant of the changing demand of education and research, the Federico II University of Naples is making every effort for raising its international standings and to become more attractive for international students. Its educational network is being geared towards the establishment of life-long, high level professional training programmes, while maintaining excellence in all fields of education and research. |
