University Montpellier I

University of Montpellier I functioned as a French public research university which operated in Montpellier. The institution served as a vital academic center for the region during several decades while it specialized in teaching law and medicine and social sciences. The institution preserved its scholarly urban identity through its historical buildings and contemporary academic facilities which formed part of the city structure. The academic institution received acknowledgment for its research excellence and its ability to create an international academic network which brought researchers and students from different countries to its Mediterranean campus in France.

The university exists as a direct descendant of the medieval University of Montpellier which received official recognition through a papal bull in 1289 while its medical and law schools trace their origins to the 12th century. The historic university system in France underwent a transformation after May 1968 when the educational reforms led to the establishment of three independent universities in 1970. The University Montpellier I was established to preserve the complete heritage of the Faculty of Medicine which exists as the oldest Western medical school that has continuously operated since its founding and the Faculty of Law. The university built its image as a center for research in law and health studies during the 45 years which followed the institutional split.