The University of Perpignan (french: Université de Perpignan; ca, Universitat de Perpinyà Via Domitia) is a French university, located in

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

History

The first university of Perpignan was established in 1349 by King

Peter IV of Aragon Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...

. It is one of the oldest regional universities, following in the steps of more renowned centers of learning, such as the far more influential

University of Toulouse The University of Toulouse (french: Université de Toulouse) was a university in the French city of Toulouse that was established by papal bull in 1229, making it one of the earliest universities to emerge in Europe. Suppressed during the Frenc ...

and

University of Montpellier The University of Montpellier (french: Université de Montpellier) is a public university, public research university located in Montpellier, in south-east of France. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest univ ...

. Peter IV, having conquered in 1344 the town of Perpignan and reunited to his estates the

Kingdom of Majorca The Kingdom of Majorca ( ca, Regne de Mallorca, ; es, Reino de Mallorca; la, Regnum Maioricae; french: Royaume de Majorque) was a realm on the east coast of Spain, which included certain Mediterranean islands, and which was founded by James I o ...

, of which Perpignan became its capital, compensated that city for its loss of power by founding, at the request of the magistrates, 20 March 1349, the University of Perpignan, for the teaching of civil and canon law, and other arts and sciences. In the charter he praised "the deep learning of the professors of Perpignan". By the Bull of 28 November 1379, the

antipope Clement VII Robert of Geneva, (french: Robert de Genève; 1342 – 16 September 1394) elected to the papacy as Clement VII (french: Clément VII) by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI, was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election l ...

confirmed the foundation and privileges, and the university, in a petition addressed to him in 1393, declared him its founder: "Pater et Genitor". In 1381

John I of Aragon John I (27 December 1350 – 19 May 1396), called by posterity the Hunter or the Lover of Elegance, but the Abandoned in his lifetime, was the King of Aragon from 1387 until his death. Biography John was the eldest son of Peter IV and his third ...

, son of Peter IV, granted permission to the city authorities to build the university near the royal castle. The institution spread in Perpignan an atmosphere of learning, the study of law being specially developed. Theology was taught there during the first years of the fourteenth century, but it was not until 21 July 1447, that the faculty of theology was created by a Bull of

Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V ( la, Nicholaus V; it, Niccolò V; 13 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV, Po ...

and it did not receive its statutes until 1459. The university of Perpignan was closed for two centuries between 1794 and 1971. A new ''University Center'' was established in Perpignan and in 1979 the University became autonomous financially, administratively and educationally.

Organisation

The university is composed of four Faculties: * Faculty of Pure and Experimental Science * Faculty of Law and Economics * Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences * Faculty of Sports and Physical Activities and three institutes: * University Institute of Technology * Institute of Business Administration * Institute of Franco-Catalan Studies

Notable people

Faculty

Claude Combes Claude Combes (born 22 July 1935 in Perpignan) is a French biologist and parasitologist. He is a professor of animal biology and director of the Centre de Biologie et Écologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne at the Université de Perpignan. He g ...

(born 1935, in

) - biologist and parasitologist *

Jean Meyer Jean Meyer Barth (born February 8, 1942) is a French-Mexican historian and author, known for his writings on early 20th-century Mexican history. He has published extensively on the Mexican Revolution and Cristero War, the history of Nayarit, and ...

(born 1942, in

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

) - historian * Jean-Marcel Goger (born 1954 in

Nancy, France Nancy ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Nanzisch'' is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the northeastern Departments of France, French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, which was Lorraine and Barrois, an ...

) - historian *

Jacqueline Assaël Jacqueline Assaël (born 7 August 1957, Marseille) is a French Hellenist and a professor of Greek language and literature at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis since 2004. She is also an essayist and poet. Assaël is a specialist in the work ...

(born 1957,

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

) - Hellenist, essayist and poet *

Christophe Euzet Christophe Euzet (born 2 April 1967) is a French politician who served as a member of the French National Assembly from 2017 to 2022, representing the 7th constituency of Hérault. Early life and education Of Catalan origin by his mother, ...

(born 1967) - politician

LREM Renaissance (RE), previously known as La République En Marche ! (frequently abbreviated LREM, LaREM or REM; translated as "The Republic on the Move" or "Republic Forward"), or sometimes called simply En Marche ! () as its original name, is a l ...

Pere Aragonès Pere Aragonès i Garcia (; born 16 November 1982) is a Catalan lawyer and politician from Spain, serving as the President of the Government of Catalonia since 22 May 2021. He previously served between 2018 and 2021 as Vice President and Ministe ...

(born 1982) - Catalan lawyer and politician;

President of the Government of Catalonia The President of the Government of Catalonia ( ca, President de la Generalitat de Catalunya, ) is one of the bodies that the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia stipulates as part of the Generalitat de Catalunya, others being the Parliament, the gov ...

Alumni

Lídia Armengol i Vila Lídia Armengol i Vila (13 September 1948 – 26 November 1991) was an Andorran historian and civil servant who championed the restoration of her country's historic language and culture. Biography Armengol was born in the old quarter of Andorra ...

(1948 – 1991) - historian and civil servant

Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...

Jeannie Mah Jeannie Mah (born 1952) is a Canadian ceramic artist who is known for creating ceramic vessels that function as thought-provoking sculptures. Education Mah was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and attended the University of Regina where she recei ...

(born 1952, in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...

) - Canadian ceramic artist *

Chadi Massaad Chadi Georges Massaad is an architect and a Lebanese businessman, former president of the Central Fund for the Displaced. Life Born in 1959 in Bourj al Moulouk – Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, and belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. Universit ...

(born 1959, in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

) - architect *

Chafik Rachadi Chafik Rachadi (in Arabic : شفيق رشادي) (born on October 21, 1963, in Marrakech, Morocco) is a Moroccan politician. Education and law career Rachadi obtained a B.A. in Business Administration from Montreal (1987), a degree in internati ...

(born 1963, in Marrakech, Morocco) - politician. *

Asmaa Rhlalou Asmaa Rhlalou is a Moroccan journalist and politician of the National Rally of Independents(RNI). She has been a member of the Moroccan Parliament and was elected as the mayor of the Moroccan capital Rabat by the municipal council in September 2 ...

- Moroccan journalist and politician *

Nicolas Lebourg Nicolas Lebourg (born 1974) is a French historian who specializes on far-right movements in Europe. Biography Born in 1974, Lebourg studied sociology at Aix-Marseille University and history at the University of Perpignan, from which he graduated ...

(born 1979) - historian *

Nsah Mala Nsah Mala (born Kenneth Toah Nsah) is a Cameroonian poet, writer, author of children's books and literary researcher. He writes in English, French, and Iteanghe-a-Mbesa ( Mbesa language). Biography Early life and education Born in Mbesa (als ...

(born 1988), writer and poet

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Recipient of honorary degree

Predrag Matvejević Predrag Matvejević (7 October 1932 – 2 February 2017) was a Bosnian and Croatian writer and scholar. A literature scholar who taught at universities in Zagreb, Paris and Rome, he is best known for his 1987 non-fiction book ''Mediterranean: A ...

(1932 – 2017) - Bosnian and Croatian writer and scholar

Notes

;Attribution

External links

Official site
{{authority control Educational institutions established in the 14th century

University of Perpignan Via Domitia The University of Perpignan (french: Université de Perpignan; ca, Universitat de Perpinyà Via Domitia) is a French university, located in Perpignan. History The first university of Perpignan was established in 1349 by King Peter IV of Arago ...

Educational institutions established in 1979 Universities and colleges in Perpignan 1979 establishments in France 1349 establishments in Europe 1340s establishments in France