Rennes 2 University (UR2; french: Université Rennes 2) 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 ...
located in
Upper Brittany
Upper Brittany (french: Haute-Bretagne; br, Breizh-Uhel; Gallo: ''Haùtt-Bertaèyn'') is the eastern part of Brittany, France, which is predominantly of a Romance culture and is associated with the Gallo language. The name is in counterpoint to ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. It is one of the four universities in the
Academy of Rennes.
[The two others are: UBO (]Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
), Western Brittany, and UBS in Lorient
Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France.
History
Prehistory and classical antiquity
Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...
- see
Académie de Rennes
/ref>
The main campus is situated in the northwest section of Rennes in the Villejean neighborhood not far from the other campus, located at La Harpe.
History
Creation of the University of Brittany
Asked by Francis II, Duke of Brittany
Francis II ( Breton: ''Frañsez II'', French: ''François II'') (23 June 1433 – 9 September 1488) was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the grandson of John IV, Duke of Brittany. A recurring theme in Francis' life would be ...
, the Pope created the first university of Brittany in Nantes in 1460. It taught arts, medicine, law, and theology. In 1728, the mayor of Nantes, Gérard Mellier, asked that the university be moved to Rennes, Nantes being more trade oriented. The Law school was thus moved to Rennes in 1730. This city already had the Parliament of Brittany, so it was more suited to have this school. In 1793 the national government closed all universities in France. It was not before 1806 that the Law school reopened in Rennes.
Development of the faculties in Rennes
In 1808, Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
reorganized the universities in France, creating the University of France
The University of France (french: Université de France; originally the ''Imperial University of France'') was a highly centralized educational state organization founded by Napoleon I in 1808 and given authority not only over the individual (previ ...
. From the 2 original cities housing the University of Brittany, only Rennes was included in this University. Nantes had to wait until 1970 to have its university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
again. In 1810 a faculty of letters opened, which gathered in 1835 five schools (French literature, foreign literature, antic literature, history, and philosophy). The science faculty opened still in Rennes in 1840. Those 3 faculties remained without clear boundaries between them until 1885 with the creation of a "Conseil des facultés" which took in 1896 the name of University of Rennes. In the middle of the 19th century, they were gathered in the Palais Universitaire, located currently in the Quai Émile Zola, but were then scattered downtown. The Faculty of Letters was thus relocated in 1909 to the Séminaire, located currently in the Place Hoche.
Creation of Rennes 2 University
In 1967, the Villejean campus opened, dedicated to Arts, Letters, and Human Sciences.
In 1969, in order to enforce the growth of French universities, a law was passed, splitting the University of Rennes into two new entities. This new university took the name of 'University of Upper Brittany'. The Villejean neighborhood was then still in development, building housing facilities for students, along with other university facilities.
250px
In the east of the city, Beaulieu includes sciences and philosophy. In the west, Villejean includes Schools of Foreign Languages, Arts, Human Sciences and Social Sciences. Rennes I University's School of Medicine, is located on the edge of Villejean campus, but also on Brittany's largest hospital center, Pontchaillou.
Since March 2002, Villejean campus can be reached with the VAL subway, via the station 'Villejean-Université', making the university only 5 minutes away from the inner city.
The two universities are currently working on their unification. If this project were to be accomplished, the brand new university, with its 40,000 students, would be one of the largest in France.
in 2015, the Robert-Poirier Stadium
The Robert Poirier Stadium, or Villejean Athletics Stadium, is an indoor athletics stadium, inaugurated 5 July 2015 on the Villejean Campus at the University of Rennes. It is designed to aid in the development of sport excellence on campus. It ...
was inaugurated on the Villejean campus.
List of former presidents
Academic programs
The university is structured around 5 UFRs, or Units of teaching and research. This organization based on UFR is common to all public universities in France.
* The UFR of Sports (APS), ;
** 1 department: STAPS
** 1 research unit.
* The UFR of Arts, Letters, Communication (ALC):
** 5 departments ( Plastic arts, Performing arts, History of art
The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetic visu ...
, Literature and Music) ;
** 4 research units.
* The UFR of foreign Languages
** 11 departments: German, English, Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
, Breton and Celtic languages
The Celtic languages ( usually , but sometimes ) are a group of related languages descended from Proto-Celtic. They form a branch of the Indo-European language family. The term "Celtic" was first used to describe this language group by Edwar ...
, Chinese, Spanish, Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, LEA (Applicated Foreign Languages, students study 2 languages and a few economic notions), Multi-langues, Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
and Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
. 21 different foreign languages are being taught in those departements, from beginner to advanced level.
** 4 research units, including one belonging to the CNRS,
** 1 Center for non-student teachings: Le Centre de Langues,
** 1 institut
L'Institut des Amériques de Rennes
(IDA), the American Studies institute.
* The UFR of Human Science
Human science (or human sciences in the plural), also known as humanistic social science and moral science (or moral sciences), studies the philosophical, biological, social, and cultural aspects of human life. Human science aims to expand our u ...
:
** 3 departments: Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
/ Teaching Sciences / Sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
, Language and Communication,
** 4 research units.
** 1 formation center : Cefocop
** 1 institute
Institut de criminologie et Sciences Humaines
(ICSH)
* The UFR of Social sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
:
** 4 departments: Administration économique et sociale (AES), Geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...
space amenagement, History, and Mathematics applied to Social sciences (MASS),
** 6 research units, including 5 belonging to the CNRS.
** 2 institutes
L'Institut des Amériques de Rennes
(IDA), the American Studies institut, and the "Institut de formation et de recherche sur l'administration territoriale" (IFRAT)
Campus life
Student organizations
With its 50 or so student circles, Rennes 2 University has the highest rate of organizations per student among French universities. There is a radio station, Radio Campus Rennes, for which the EREVE was built in 2005. Most of the organizations are located throughout different buildings on campus.
Festivals
Different festivals are organized by the students, some of them were large enough to enlarge their fields to the city itself. Among them:
*"K-barré", focusing on performing arts
*"Roulements de tambour", focusing on music
*"Travelling", focusing on cinema, now a Citywide festival.
*"Tubas d'or", focusing on short movies
People
Alumni
* Louis Le Pensec (1937), Minister of Agriculture, Senator, Member of Parlement
* Marylise Lebranchu, Minister of Justice
* Jean-Yves Le Drian
Jean-Yves Le Drian (; born 30 June 1947) is a French politician who served as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in the governments of Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex (2017–2022) and as Minister of Defence under Presi ...
, Minister of Defense
* Bernard Bonnejean (1950), writer
* Étienne Daho (1957), singer
* Hélène Delavault
* Muriel Laporte (1963), lead singer of Niagara, rock band
* Gustave Parking (1955),
* Christophe Honoré (1992), movie maker, movie writer, writer
* Gaël Roblin
Gaël ( Gallo: ''Gaèu'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France.
It lies southwest of Rennes between Saint-Méen-le-Grand and Mauron. In the 18th century, a fair was held twice a year in August and ...
(2006),
Faculty
* Anne F. Garréta (1962), writer, prix Médicis
The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and . It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."
The award goes to a work of fiction in the French language. In 19 ...
2002
* Jean Delumeau
Jean Léon Marie Delumeau (18 June 1923 – 13 January 2020) was a French historian specializing in the history of the Catholic Church, and author of several books regarding the subject. He held the Chair of the History of Religious Mentalities ( ...
(1923), historian, elected to the Académie française, 27 September 1989.
* Dominique Fernandez (1929), writer, prix Médicis
The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and . It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."
The award goes to a work of fiction in the French language. In 19 ...
1974, Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...
1982, elected to the Académie française, 8 March 2007.
* Henri Fréville, Senator, Member of Parlement, Mayor of Rennes
* Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera (, ; born 1 April 1929) is a Czech writer who went into exile in France in 1975, becoming a naturalised French citizen in 1981. Kundera's Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, then conferred again in 2019. He "sees himself ...
(1929), writer, prix Médicis
The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and . It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."
The award goes to a work of fiction in the French language. In 19 ...
1973
* Jean-Yves Le Drian
Jean-Yves Le Drian (; born 30 June 1947) is a French politician who served as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in the governments of Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex (2017–2022) and as Minister of Defence under Presi ...
(1947), Member of Parlement, Governor of the Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
Region
* Jean-Claude Maleval, writer, psychoanalyst, professor of psychopathology
* Robert Merle (1908), writer, prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...
1949
* Juan José Saer (1937), writer, Premio Nadal
Premio Nadal is a Spanish literary prize awarded annually by the publishing house Ediciones Destino, part of Planeta. It has been awarded every year on 6 January since 1944. The Josep Pla Award for Catalan literature is given at the same ceremo ...
1986
* Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL (; 7 December 1924 – 7 January 2017) was a Portuguese politician, who served as prime minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th pres ...
(1924), President of Portugal.
Popular culture
In the film ''Brocéliande
Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly r ...
'' (2003) by Doug Headline
Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...
, the story is set on campus, even if the only recognizable element is the 2001–2002 orange student ID card.
See also
* List of public universities in France by academy
In France, various types of institution have the term "University" in their name. These include the public universities, which are the autonomous institutions that are distinguished as being state institutes of higher education and research that p ...
Notes
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennes 2 - Upper Brittany, University Of
Education in Rennes
Educational institutions established in 1969
1969 establishments in France
Universities and colleges in Rennes
Universities in Brittany