The University of Caen Normandy (French: ''Université de Caen Normandie''), also known as Unicaen, is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...

in Caen, France.

History

John, Duke of Bedford - British Library Add MS 18850 f256v - detail

The institution was founded in 1432 by

John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford KG (20 June 138914 September 1435) was a medieval English prince, general and statesman who commanded England's armies in France during a critical phase of the Hundred Years' War. Bedford was the third son of ...

, the first rector being a Cornishman, Michael Tregury, afterwards Archbishop of Dublin. It originally consisted of a faculty of

Canon Law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

and a faculty of

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

. By 1438, it already had five faculties. The foundation was confirmed by the King of France Charles VII the Victorious in 1452. On July 7, 1944, the university was completely destroyed by aerial bombing during

Operation Charnwood Operation Charnwood was an Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from 8 to 9 July 1944, during the Battle for Caen, part of the larger Operation Overlord (code-name for the Battle of Normandy) in the Second World War. The operation was in ...

, an action of the

Battle of Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles ...

. Between 1944 and 1954, the university was based in the buildings of the regional teachers’ college. A new campus was designed by Henry Bernard and constructed between 1948 and 1957. The new university was inaugurated on 1 and 2 June 1957. Its logo, the mythical

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, symbolises this revival.

Rankings

Notable people

Notable alumni

File:Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (1745-1827) - Guérin.jpg,

Pierre-Simon de Laplace Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (; ; 23 March 1749 – 5 March 1827) was a French scholar and polymath whose work was important to the development of engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy. He summarized ...

File:Barbey.jpg,

Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly (2 November 1808 – 23 April 1889) was a French novelist and short story writer. He specialised in mystery tales that explored hidden motivation and hinted at evil without being explicitly concerned with anythin ...

File:Caspar Barlaeus.jpg, Caspar Barlaeus File:Urbain Le Verrier.jpg,

Urbain Le Verrier Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier FRS (FOR) H FRSE (; 11 March 1811 – 23 September 1877) was a French astronomer and mathematician who specialized in celestial mechanics and is best known for predicting the existence and position of Neptune usin ...

File:Guillaume-François Rouelle.jpg, Guillaume-François Rouelle File:IKBrunelChains.jpg,

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...

File:Dumont d'Urville.jpg,

Jules Dumont d'Urville Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (; 23 May 1790 – 8 May 1842) was a French explorer and naval officer who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. As a botanist and cartographer, he gave his nam ...

File:Charles de Marquetel de Saint-Evremond by Jacques Parmentier.jpg,

Charles de Saint-Évremond Charles de Marguetel de Saint-Denis, seigneur de Saint-Évremond (1 April 16139 September 1703) was a French soldier, hedonist, essayist and literary critic. After 1661, he lived in exile, mainly in England, as a consequence of his attack on Fre ...

File:Dangeard, P. A. Cl. CIPA0413.jpg, Pierre Augustin Dangeard File:Henri Poincaré-2.jpg, Henri Poincaré File:Dean Blake Van Leer.jpg, Blake Ragsdale Van Leer

Thomas Campion Thomas Campion (sometimes spelled Campian; 12 February 1567 – 1 March 1620) was an English composer, poet, and physician. He was born in London, educated at Cambridge, studied law in Gray's inn. He wrote over a hundred lute songs, masques ...

Notable faculty

* Doris Bensimon (1924–2009), Austrian-born French sociologist and academic

Miscellaneous

* The mathematician Pierre Varignon, whose work would influence the young

Leonhard Euler Leonhard Euler ( , ; 15 April 170718 September 1783) was a Swiss mathematician, physicist, astronomer, geographer, logician and engineer who founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made pioneering and influential discoveries in ma ...

, earned his

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from Caen in 1682. *

Pierre-Simon Laplace Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (; ; 23 March 1749 – 5 March 1827) was a French scholar and polymath whose work was important to the development of engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy. He summarized ...

(1749–1827) was introduced to mathematics in Caen by Christophe Gadbled and Pierre Le Canu. * Henri Poincaré (1854–1912) taught there between 1879 and 1881. * The university aligned with École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen and

French National Centre for Scientific Research The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,63 ...

to form the , which is known for the

G'MIC G'MIC (GREYC's Magic for Image Computing) is a free and open-source framework for image processing. It defines a script language that allows the creation of complex macros. Originally usable only through a command line interface, it is currently ...

open source image processing framework. * The university contains a famous scale model of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. * Those intending to become

advocates An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

or solicitors in Guernsey (or, until recently,

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...

) must complete three months' study of Norman law at Caen University (''Certificat d'Études Juridiques Françaises et Normandes'') prior to being called to the Guernsey or Jersey Bar, respectively. * The Carré international is located here. The center is a hub for exchange students from around the world who wish to attend university in France. They take students from A1 (no French experience) to C2 (Native language). * The university takes part in th
XL-Chem Graduate School of Research
ref> project, funded by the State via the National Research Agency. *

physician, poet, and composer of lute songs received his medical degree in 1605.

References

External links

Official English web site
welcome.unicaen.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Caen Normandy, University Of

University of Caen The University of Caen Normandy (French: ''Université de Caen Normandie''), also known as Unicaen, is a public university in Caen, France. History The institution was founded in 1432 by John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, the first rector ...

1432 establishments in Europe 1430s establishments in France Educational institutions established in 1957 Educational institutions established in the 15th century University of Caen Normandy 1957 establishments in France