The University of Tours was established as part of efforts to modernize and democratize higher education in France after the events of 1968. The university was created by grouping together a number of older educational institutions.
Organisation
The university has a number of campuses, often dedicated to a specific faculty, distributed across the city of Tours:
Plat d’Étain
Tanneurs
Tonnellé
Portalis/Deux-Lions
Grandmont
Pont-Volant
Fromont
Emile Zola
The university also has a satellite campus in Blois.
Academics
The university comprises seven departments, as well as an engineering school and two technology institutes:
The university offers bachelor, master and doctorate degrees in line with the Bologna Process. It also provides Technological Diploma courses through the two University Institutes of Technology. Several other institutions operate within the framework of the university:
École publique de journalisme de Tours, a semi-autonomous journalism school affiliated to the university.
Centre hospitalier régional et universitaire de Tours , a grouping of six regional hospitals affiliated to the university that collaborate on health services and medical training.
Institut européen d'histoire et des cultures de l'alimentation, a humanities and social sciences research center that studies the history of food cultures.
Research
Research at the University is at the forefront in the social sciences and humanities in the study of the Renaissance through the Graduate Center of the Renaissance since 1956 and in knowledge of food heritage through a program ambitious research at the Institute of European history and culture of food. The University of Tours is also distinguished in the field of materials for energy technology research with the Microelectronic at CERTEM in collaboration with ST Microelectronics in 1996. The research also extends into the field of medical imaging and bio-medicine, oncology, and eminently in the study of autism at the University Hospital of Tours. Geo-science and environment with the study of insects at the Institute for Research on the biology of the insect. Since 1969 the CESA, Planning Department today Polytech'Tours research in the field of cities, territories and societies is deemed to France. Finally the University of Tours works in the field of mathematical research through the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and Mathematics.
Rankings
In 2016, the Center for World University Rankings placed François Rabelais University 682nd in the world and 30th in France. Law François Rabelais University undergraduate law program is ranked 3rd in France by Eduniversal, with 3 stars.
