University of Fribourg
Université de Fribourg Universität Freiburg | |
| Latin: Universitas Friburgensis | |
| Motto | Scientia et Sapientia ("Knowledge and Wisdom") |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1582/1763, 1889 |
| Rector | Katharina Fromm |
Administrative staff | academic 1'150, admin 750 |
| Students | 10,000 |
| Location | , , 46°48′23″N 7°09′06″E / 46.80625°N 7.15174°E |
| Campus | University town |
| Affiliations | BeNeFri; Compostela Group of Universities |
| Website | www.unifr.ch |
The University of Fribourg (French: Université de Fribourg; German: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland.
The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg. In 1763, an academy of law was founded by the state of Fribourg which formed the nucleus of the present law faculty. The University of Fribourg was finally created in 1889 by an Act of the parliament of the Swiss Canton of Fribourg.
The University of Fribourg is Switzerland's only bilingual university and offers full curricula in both French and German, two of Switzerland's national languages. Students number about 10,000; there are about 200 tenured professors and 700 other academic teaching and research personnel. The Misericorde Campus, constructed between 1939 and 1942, was designed by the architects Honegger and Dumas, students of Swiss architect Le Corbusier.
There are five faculties: Catholic theology, law, natural sciences, humanities, and economics & social sciences.