Established in 1990, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a public university in Barcelona, Spain, the country’s Catalan capital.
UPF is known for flexibility and dynamism. Studies at the university are increasingly customisable.
The university’s main strengths are its Social Sciences and Humanities, Health and Life Sciences and Communication and ICT.
UPF was commissioned by the Catalan Parliament to train young professionals and to improve Spain’s contributions to global research.
The university is named for the linguist Pompeu Fabra, an expert on the Catalan language, credited with standardising this once-disused language and revising it, giving it the status it holds today. Catalan is the official language of UPF. Students wishing to learn Catalan tongue will have plenty of opportunity in Barcelona and around Pompeu Fabra.
Barcelona is a vibrant city and one of the top tourist spots in Europe, with its blue ocean, sandy beaches, museums, fashionable shops and Gaudi architecture. Gaudi’s masterpiece, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, dominates the city’s northern skyline.
UPF has three campuses around the city. Social and Human Sciences are studied at Ciutadella, Health and Life Sciences at Mar and Communication and Information Technologies at Poblenou.
Pompeu Fabra University, also known as UPF, is a public institution that was founded in 1990. It is located in Barcelona, Spain, and has three campuses – the Cituadella, Poblenou and Mar campuses – located near one another in the heart of the city. The university’s namesake, Pompeu Fabra, is credited with standardizing the modern Catalan language during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In a recent year, more than 13,000 students attended the university. Some student housing is available near the school's campuses, though UPF does not manage it directly.
UPF has three broad academic focus areas: social sciences and humanities, health and life sciences, and communications and information technologies. The university is also affiliated with the UPF Group, a collection of specialized teaching and research institutions, including the UPF Barcelona School of Management, the Elisava School of Design and the Mar Nursing School. UPF follows a trimester-based academic calendar. In a recent year, around 20 percent of the UPF faculty was international. Three languages are spoken in UPF classrooms: Catalan, Spanish and English. The primary language of instruction for undergraduates is Catalan, though some subjects are taught in English. Additionally, some graduate-level programs are taught entirely in English, including master's programs in political philosophy and biomedical research.
The university has numerous research groups, including groups focused on human genetics research, political behavior and wireless communications. UPF is also affiliated with several research centers that are UPF Group members, including the Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) is a young, public and modern university which was founded in 1990 and called to become one of Europe’s leading universities. Awarded with a CEI label (International Excellence Campus) by the Spanish Ministry of Education, UPF's indicators have made it a benchmark for the Spanish and European university systems.
In recent years, the university has begun to figure prominently in some prestigious international rankings. For example, Universitat Pompeu Fabra is ranked 295th globally in the QS World University Rankings and 23rd for Economics and Econometrics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject.
Moreover, in order to promote research and transfer activities undertaken by university researchers and provide them with greater international visibility, the university is developing the UPF Research Park in the fields of social sciences, humanities,communication and information technologies. The UPF Research Park, which develops its activity at the Ciutadella and Poblenou campuses, coordinates its activities in the fields of health and life sciences with the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, located on the Mar campus. UPF is committed to offering a high-quality teaching model and outstanding research with international projection, the three axis of the UPF model.
