University of Patras

University of Patras

Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών
Type	Public
Established	November 11, 1964
Rector	Venetsana Kyriazopoulou
Administrative staff	754 faculty members, 238 teaching staff, 481 administrative personnel
Students	21,000
Undergraduates	17,000 (active)
Postgraduates	3,825
Location	Patras, Greece
Campus	Rio campus, 7 kilometres east of the city of Patras
Colors
Affiliations	EASN
Website	www.upatras.gr

University of Patras (UPatras; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών, Panepistímio Patrón) is a public university in Patras, Greece. It is the third largest university in Greece with respect to the size of the student body, the staff, and the number of departments. Together with its educational and research work, the rich campus life of the University of Patras, attracts many candidate students every year as their first and foremost choice for their Higher Degree studies.^[1]

As of 2014, there is a student population of approximately 21,000 active students enrolled at the university (17,000 at the undergraduate level and 4,000 at the postgraduate level). It has more than of 830 faculty members, 164 scientific staff members and 372 administrative personnel and comprises 24 Departments, which operate 112 laboratories and 14 fully equipped clinics.^[2][3]

The University of Patras is considered one of the best universities in Greece and has been placed in the top 200 universities in specific subject areas.^[4][5][6]

History

The University of Patras was established on 11 November 1964 as a self-administered Academic Institution under the supervision of the Greek Government. University of Patras was initially housed in the city centre of Patras, Greece and later in a campus area of about 600 acres selected in 1968 and appropriated on behalf of the University located in the adjacent municipality of Rio.^[7] Its opening took place on the 30th of November 1966 which is the date that the city of Patras celebrates its Patron “Saint Andrew”. This is the reason that the emblem of the University is an X cross which symbolises the one on which St. Andrew was crucified Covering an area of 4.5 km², it is one of the largest in the country.^[8] In June 2013 the University of Western Greece was incorporated in the University of Patras.^[9][8] The University is a two-city campus, situated in both Patras and Agrinion.^[7]

Besides its distinguished path in education, the University of Patras has excelled in the fields of Basic and Applied Research. The University of Patras has acquired international prominence for pioneering wide ranging Research in areas such as Environment, Health, Biotechnology, Mechanics, Electronics, Informatics and Basic Science. A number of the Departments, Laboratories and Clinics have been designated as Centres of Excellence, on the basis of International Assessment. The University of Patras has a reputation for quality and innovative research and presents an effective participation in a plethora of Research Projects, Scientific Organizations, and Research Groups.^[1]

In 2014, the University of Patras celebrated the success of Stavros Christakopoulos, who achieved the second position in the mathematics class using the 10%. The University presently stands well ahead of its original goal, which was to set “a firm model of an Academic institution providing Greece with a highly qualified Alumnae contributing to the society’s development and growth”. Today, the University of Patras enjoys recognition as an Academic Institution with a worldwide impact, attracting thousands of students and a large number of Academic and Research Personnel actively involved in the cutting-of-edge science, Innovation and Excellence.^[9]

Emblem

The emblem of the University of Patras is Andrew the Apostle.^[10]

Location and campus

The University of Patras is located on the Campus of Patras and in the city of Agrinio.^[7]

The campus of Patras is located next to the University Regional General Hospital of Patras, in the suburb Rion, which is 7 km (4.3 mi) North East of the City of Patras within the Municipality of Patras. It is a self-contained campus located at the foot of mount Panachaiko with a view over the Gulf of Corinth and the mountains of Central Greece across the water. The School of Medicine lies west of the hospital but smaller in size with the parking lots in the west and downtown Rio, and a river with Papandreou Avenue in its southwest. The university is accessible by GR-8A, and now the new bypass (perimeter highway) with an interchange in the west and a westbound interchange in the northeast. The elevation is around 50 m (160 ft) above sea level. The facilities lie in the western part, the central part and the northern part. The far western part, and the eastern part are empty.

University of Patras with Rio–Antirrio bridge on the background

The campus has 4 entrances; the Platonos Entrance Eisodos Platonos, the Dionysios Solomos Entrance Eisodos Dionysiou Solomou, lying to the west next to Papandreou Avenue which is also a road linking to Kastritsi, Georgios Seferis Entrance Eisodos Georgios Seferis in the east and Yianni Ritsou Entrance Eisodos Y. Ritsou with the old GR-8A (Patras - Corinth - Athens) in the north. The mountains are situated in the southeast. The track and field and sporting grounds are in the southern part.

The first buildings of the new university campus were a unit of 20 small ground level pre-fabricated buildings, still housing some academic and administrative offices. In 1972 the construction of buildings "A" and "B" started. Building "A" houses the administrative services, the rectorship, the Senate's Conference Hall, the University's Ceremonial Hall, a teaching amphitheatre and seminar halls.^[7]

University of Patras, Administration Building A

Following the master plan, 25 buildings were eventually built, and many more are under construction for the housing of most of the departments, along with a new library, a museum of science and technology, a Botanical Garden, a new Student Centre. Within the campus are also found the students' residence hall, the Conference and Cultural Centre, a restaurant, a bank, a bookstore, a stationery, the Publishing House, cafeterias and kiosks. The University Guest Hall is the only building of the University outside the campus. It is located three kilometres west of the campus. The total number of lecture halls in the different building units is 115. Within the campus there is also the Regional University Teaching Hospital which functions both as the major regional medical centre and as a teaching facility for the Faculty of Medicine. Several other facilities are available on campus including a gymnasium and a swimming pool, a nursery school, a primary and secondary school for the children of faculty and staff, a post office. In addition to constructing new buildings, new sites at the surroundings have been appropriated on behalf of the University.^[7]

Library & Information Service building (ΒΥΠ).

Today, buildings of a total area of 210100 sqm have been fully completed and are functioning. Concurrently there is a continuous effort to upgrade and improve the landscape within the campus, although extensive infrastructure projects, landscaping and athletic facilities have been completed.^[7]

The university contains:

• Academic areas (1 northwest)
• School of Engineering / Polytechnic Faculty (central)
• School of Business Administration (south-central)
• School of Medicine
• School of Sciences (1 central, western and southern part)
• University office (south and west)

The Municipality of Agrinio is the link connecting Aitolia and Akarnania and it is one of the largest cities of Western Greece.^[11]

Studies

The University consists of five Schools, twenty-four Departments with Undergraduate Study Programs leading to a specific Degree. Furthermore, the University of Patras offers thirty four of Postgraduate Study Programs.^[12]

Academic structure

The University consists of five Schools, with a total of twenty-four Departments.

Research

The teaching and research activities of a department or a sector may be grouped and concentrated in even smaller operational, not academic units, the laboratories or clinics in the case of medicine. In its 112 laboratories that boast extensive equipment and facilities, research is conducted by students and teaching staff members.

Apart from regular teaching and research activities, the laboratories are the focal points for the creation of national and international research consortia. The University participates in all major European research programmes such as ESPRIT, EURECA, RACE, LRE, BRITE-EURAM, IMPACT, LIFE, ENVIRONMENT, COPERNICUS, FAIR, STRIDE, BIOMED and other programmes sponsored by the D6XII, D6XVI, D6XIII Directorates.

The management of research projects is carried out by the Research Committee and its administration unit. The financial management of research projects with external funding produces resources for the University, which are used for specific educational and developmental activities, as well as funding of young researchers. In recent years, over 2700 research projects, financed both by the State and the European Union have been carried out.^[13][14][15]

Academic evaluation

An external evaluation of all academic departments in Greek universities was conducted recently by the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQAA).^[16]

Notable alumni

• Nikolaos Bourbakis
• Maria X
• Marilita Lambropoulou
• Christos Laskaris

See also

• List of universities in Greece
• Academic grading in Greece
• Bologna Process
• Education in Greece
• Polytechnic (Greece)
• University of Patras Formula Student Team - UoP Racing Team

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of Patras.

• University of Patras - Official Website (Greek) (English)
• #

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Coordinates: 38°17′12″N 21°47′11″E / 38.28667°N 21.78639°E / 38.28667; 21.78639