University of Patras

The University of Patras (UPatras; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών, Panepistímio Patrón) is a public university in Patras, Greece.

The University of Patras was founded on November 11, 1964, as a self-governing academic institution under the supervision of the Greek government. It was housed in the city center 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.

The first departments to be established at the university were the Department of Mathematics (1966), the Department of Physics (1967), and the Department of Chemistry (1968). The university has since grown to include 13 schools and 36 departments, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in a variety of fields.

The inauguration of the University of Patras took place on November 30, 1966, on the same day as the celebration of Saint Andrew, the patron Saint of the city of Patras. For this reason, the emblem of the University is an X-shaped cross symbolizing the one on which St. Andrew was crucified.

In the early years of the university, the focus was on developing the undergraduate programs and building up the faculty. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, the university began to expand its research activities. Today, UPatras is home to a number of world-class research centers and institutes, and its faculty members are actively involved in research projects funded by the European Union and other international organizations.

UPatras has also played an important role in the development of the city of Patras. The university campus is a major cultural and economic center, and its students and faculty members are active participants in the life of the city.