Year of foundation: 1542
Approx. number of students: 33,000
Period of study: Mid September-Mid January; Early February- End May
MCI partner since: 2005
The City
Zaragoza is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Kingdom of Aragon, Spain. It is situated on the river Ebro and its tributaries, the Huerva and Gállego, near the center of the region, in a valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert (Los Monegros) to thick forest, meadows and mountains. Zaragoza has approx. 700,000 inhabitants and is thus the 5th biggest city of Spain.
Zaragoza hosted Expo 2008 in the summer of 2008, a World's Fair on water and sustainable development. It will host another fair in 2014, the upcoming "Flowers Expo", and it is a candidate to be European Capital of Culture in 2016. The city is famous for its folklore, a renowned local gastronomy, its trilogy of landmarks (the Basílica del Pilar, La Seo Cathedral and the The Aljafería Palace.) Together with La Seo and the Aljaferia, several other buildings form part of the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Fiestas del Pilar are among the most celebrated festivals in Spain.
The University
Situated in the heart of Aragon, the University of Zaragoza is the only public university in the region, which means it is funded by the "Diputación General de Aragón" (Government of Aragon) and the government of Spain. Its activity is spread along the three provinces of Aragon, with teaching campuses and research centres in Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza.
With an impressive history dating back to the Roman period, it is no wonder that the university is very popular with international students. They come from far and wide to study at this cultural University that is surrounded by monuments and museums. 