The University of L’Aquila sits in the capital of the Abruzzo region, in central Italy. Its present form dates from 1964, when the free University of L’Aquila was set up by presidential decree, but higher education in the town goes back much further: the Jesuits ran a college there from 1596.
Teaching and research are organised in departments, among them Human Studies and Physical and Chemical Sciences. Physics, engineering, including civil and information engineering, and computer science are the main strengths named in the directory.
The 6 April 2009 earthquake struck the city and the university directly, causing deaths and heavy damage to buildings; the institution had to carry on its mission despite the loss. The university also operates sites in the surrounding mountains, including an astronomical observatory at Campo Imperatore on the Gran Sasso and an alpine botanical garden.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
EUA. Collaborations with INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory.
Research:
Particle physics and astrophysics (Gran Sasso labs), Earthquake engineering and resilient structures, ICT and telecommunications, Environmental monitoring.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
800
Current students***:
18000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
60000
Pros
Strong links with Gran Sasso National Labs, expertise in earthquake engineering, resilient community post-earthquake.
Cons
City and university significantly affected by the 2009 earthquake, ongoing reconstruction, smaller city.
Best For
Science and engineering university with unique links to Gran Sasso labs and expertise in seismic resilience.
Università degli Studi di Salerno combines computer science, engineering and chemistry.
Università degli Studi di Cagliari is another Italian university with engineering, computer science and environmental sciences.
Computer engineering, environmental engineering and materials science are listed for Università degli Studi della Calabria.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Civil engineering and geodesy are taught together with mechanical and electrical engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover in Germany.
Germany's Universität Ulm is known for physics and quantum science, with computer science and engineering.
Université Gustave Eiffel in France specialises in civil engineering, urbanism, transport and construction materials.
In Poland, Gdańsk University of Technology unites civil and environmental engineering with electronics and telecommunications.
Spain's Mondragon Unibertsitatea - Goi Eskola Politeknikoa / Escuela Politécnica Superior offers mechanical engineering, industrial electronics and computer engineering.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How old is the University of L'Aquila?
The modern institution was founded in 1964, although higher education in the town goes back to a Jesuit college of 1596.
Where is it located?
The university is in L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, in central Italy. Several sites lie in and around the city, and two research sites are in the nearby Gran Sasso mountains.
Which departments does it run?
Two of them are Human Studies and Physical and Chemical Sciences. The official site gives the current list.
What happened to the university in 2009?
The earthquake of 6 April 2009 caused casualties and extensive damage to university buildings.
What research facilities does it have?
It runs an astronomical observatory at Campo Imperatore, on the Gran Sasso, and an alpine botanical garden. These support teaching and research on the mountain environment.
What are its main fields of study?
The directory names physics, civil and information engineering and computer science as key fields. Degree programmes and fees are listed on the university website.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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