Self-portrait

An international university that fosters inclusion and dialogue among peoples and cultures, promotes internationalization—including of the local area—creates synergies and collaborations at both local and international levels, and focuses on innovation and the use of technology to promote the Italian language and culture. It trains young people who are able to spread them, interact, and communicate in international contexts for the development of peace, dialogue, and exchange among peoples and cultures.

The University for Foreigners of Perugia:

Is a university of small size with a dense network of international relations, capable of attracting students from all over the world and supporting all its students in their academic development abroad with over 150 possible destinations for study and internships. The University for Foreigners of Perugia must increasingly invest in specialization and the enhancement of its expertise, focusing on the quality of teaching and research.

It is a university faithful to its institutional mission and stands out in the Italian academic landscape for its international dimension. Every year, it manages to attract a high proportion of international students who study in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs alongside Italian students, fostering a creative and fertile cultural exchange, and guaranteeing high-quality international degree programs.

It is a university that attracts a large number of students, even from outside the province, and is able to meet its students' expectations: according to the 2018 ANVUR university indicators, 91.3% (a figure above the national average) of graduates said they were "very satisfied" with the degree program they chose and with the additional skills they acquired.

It is a university that has always been distinguished by the interdisciplinary nature of its research, making multidisciplinarity the methodological premise from which to scientifically investigate Italy's linguistic and cultural heritage. To this end, it also makes use of the extensive network of collaborations established through international agreements, while respecting its cultural specificities and dimensions.

It is a university with international visibility and renown, derived from its tradition of spreading and promoting Italian culture in all its most important forms: language, art, music, literature, history, philosophical thought, theater, cinema, and lifestyle. From this history, it intends to start anew, focusing on the quality of its overall educational offerings, specialization in what are the university’s traditional areas of expertise, and a continuous process of improvement and development.

It is a university committed to increasingly enhancing its postgraduate education system, expanding its range of advanced training courses and first and second level master's programs, with particular attention to the doctorate, which should become even more attractive to graduates with master's degrees.

It is a university that has always fostered inclusion and dialogue among peoples and cultures, valuing and promoting diversity in all its forms.

The University for Foreigners of Perugia aims to continue growing and to respond positively and with strong determination to the needs of a context closely tied to its mission, which increasingly requires flexibility and dynamism. The international environment, quality of life, and characteristics of its territory are important tools for the University for Foreigners of Perugia to enhance its competitiveness and appeal.

The University for Foreigners of Perugia is the oldest and most prestigious Italian institution dedicated to teaching, researching, and promoting the language and civilization of Italy in all its forms.

Its history began in 1921, when the lawyer from Perugia, Astorre Lupattelli, who had long been working on this ambitious project, established the first higher culture courses in his city with the aim of spreading knowledge of Umbria in Italy and abroad, showcasing its history, institutions, and natural and artistic beauty.

Until 1926, the courses were held in the classrooms of the University of Perugia—one of Italy’s oldest and most renowned universities—and in the Sala dei Notari of the historic Palazzo dei Priori.

Since 1927, the University has had its own premises in the prestigious Palazzo Gallenga, located in the heart of the city.

In addition to the main headquarters at Palazzo Gallenga, there are now four auxiliary buildings—Prosciutti, Lupattelli, Orvieto, and Valitutti—which, located in a splendid park in the city center and within walking distance from Palazzo Gallenga, form the heart of a building complex that enriches the teaching and research facilities, together with the prestigious Villa La Colombella, a historic patrician residence set amidst the hills near Perugia, adding to the institution’s valuable property assets.

With the law of February 17, 1992, no. 204, it was reorganized as a University. In addition to Italian language and culture courses, the University now also offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as master's programs.