Bozen-Bolzano is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is considered as a bridge between North and South due to the three spoken languages in South Tyrol (Italian, German, and Ladin). The city’s character is lively and multilingual.
With a population of around 107,000, it is also by far the largest city in the Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano. This area has a special statute that protects the rights of the German and the Ladin-speaking minority in Italy. The merging of Italian and German-Austrian culture is well reflected in the different architectural styles that enchant every visitor.
Bozen-Bolzano is a place where the traditions of the past intertwine with the challenges of the future. Innovation and sustainability are the keywords for the new development of a city that is able to look to the future while maintaining strong ties to its roots and values.
The combination of Alpine and Mediterranean atmospheres, the mix of north and south, create an irresistible and unique ambience.
The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Unibz) was founded in 1997 as a non-state university. It has five faculties: Economics and Management, Education, Design and Art, Computer Science and Science and Technology. It includes 4,500 students enrolled in more than 40 undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. A high percentage of lecturers (35%) and students (17%) are from abroad.
Despite its relatively recent foundation, unibz in the past few years has already established itself as an important research institution, both in Italy and abroad.
Its research projects deal with global environmental, economic, social, and technological issues. Some address issues of particular interest to South Tyrol or the Alpine area. Main issues dealt with are sustainable resource use, socio-economic development, and lifelong learning. The main characteristics of research are interdisciplinary collaboration and internationality. There are also multiple channels of interaction with local companies, mainly through the NOI Techpark, which is in the Bolzano industrial area.
The university is active in various ways to involve citizens in teaching and research activities, through the Studium Generale, the Junior Uni, the Fab Lab (a laboratory with courses open to the public), the Long Night of Research, collaboration on local radio programmes, the organisation of creative workshops and exhibitions. There are also numerous institutional collaborations with the public sector, museums and third sector associations.
What distinguishes unibz from all universities in Italy and Europe is the multilingualism used in courses and research. The three official languages – Italian, German and English – are used during lectures, meetings, conferences and at all events. The university thus offers an ideal environment not only to acquire specific knowledge in the disciplines that are the basis of the degree courses, but also to master the communication skills required by the job market and an increasingly globalised society.
Unibz has three campuses. Bozen-Bolzano is the main campus and is located in the city centre. The central services and four Faculties (Economics and Management, Computer Science, Design and Art, Science and Technology) can be found here. The Brixen/Bressanone campus is home to the Faculty of Education, while Bruneck/Brunico is the campus of the Bachelor’s degree in Tourism, Sport and Event Management and the Master’s degree in Tourism Management, which are part of the Faculty of Economics and Management.
City of Bozen-Bolzano |
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano |
Contact person:
Sabrina Michielli Responsabile della Struttura organizzativa del Sindaco/ Die Verantwortliche der Organisationseinheit des Bürgermeisters |
Contact person:
Prof. Stefania Baroncelli, Professor of Law, Faculty of Economics and Management Kathrin Staffler, Quality and Strategy Development |
Phone: +39 0471 997219 | Phone: +39 0471 013120/ +39 0471 011601 |
Email: sabrina.michielli@comune.bolzano.it | E-mail: stefania.baroncelli@unibz.it |
Website: www.comune.bolzano.it | Website: www.unibz.it |