History

Since its foundation by Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, ruler of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (1859-66), as the successor to higher education structures dating back to the Princely Academy founded in 1694, the University of Bucharest has contributed to the development and modernisation of Romanian education, science and culture. The following are some of the more important episodes in its history:

1694: Constantin Brâncoveanu, ruler of Wallachia, founds the Princely Academy of Saint Sava in Bucharest on the advice of Constantin Cantacuzino, a brilliant scholar and humanist educated at Padua. Lectures are delivered in Greek

1776: Alexandru Ipsilanti, ruler of Wallachia, reforms the curriculum of the Saint Sava Academy, where courses of French, Italian and Latin are now taught. New buildings for the Academy are erected between 1776 and 1779

1855: Carol Davila creates the National School of Medicine and Pharmacy

1859: Establishment of the Faculty of Law

1863: Establishment of the Faculties of Sciences and Letters

1864: Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza creates the University of Bucharest, bringing together the Faculties of Law, Sciences and Letters as one single body (decree no. 756 of 4/16 July 1864)

1869: The Faculty of Medicine is created through the transformation of the National School of Medicine and Pharmacy

1916-1918: Closure of the University of Bucharest as a result of German occupation during the First World War

1934-1936: Construction of the Law Faculty building

1948: Passing of the Education Reform Law, which applies the Soviet model to higher education, leading to a thorough restructuring of the University of Bucharest. The Faculties of Theology, Human Medicine and Veterinary Medicine are detached from UB. The higher education institutes are dismantled and new institutes subordinated to the Academy of the Romanian People's Republic are created

1990: The beginning of a renewal process for the University of Bucharest. New faculties departments and research centers are created, the teaching process is radically reorganized, and the number of students is considerably increased. There is also a spectacular increase in the international contacts and co-operation projects of the University of Bucharest

1994: Celebration of 300 years since the foundation of the Princely Academy and 130 years since the establishment of the modern structures of the University of Bucharest

1996: Adoption of the University of Bucharest Charter

2010: The University of Bucharest now comprises 19 faculties, with over 30,000 full-time students of whom 1000 foreign students, and some 3,000 teaching positions