Bucharest Polytechnic Institute

Politehnica University of Bucharest

Universitatea Politehnica din București
Former names	School of Bridges and Roads, Mines and Architecture (1864-1867) School of Bridges, Roads and Mines (1867-1888) National School for Bridges and Roads (1888-1920) Polytechnic School of Bucharest(1920-1938) Politehnica Carol II of Bucharest (1938-1948) Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest (1948-1992)
Type	Public
Established	1864 (1818)
Rector	Mihnea Costoiu
Academic staff	1,400
Administrative staff	1,300
Students	25,469 (2011-2012)
Undergraduates	16,864
Postgraduates	8,605
Location	Bucharest, Romania
Website	www.upb.ro

Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romanian: Universitatea Politehnica din București) is a technical university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in 1864, as School of Bridges and Roads, Mines and Architecture (based on the older technical school of Gheorghe Lazăr, from 1818), and it was renamed Polytechnic School in 1920. Politehnica University is classified by the Ministry of Education as an advanced research and education university.

Politehnica University of Bucharest is the largest technical university in Romania. Its traditions are connected to the founding of the first higher technical school in Wallachia, in 1818, by Gheorghe Lazăr. Born in Avrig, Transylvania, Gheorghe Lazăr studied in Sibiu, Cluj and Vienna. In 1817–1818 he endeavored to convince the local noblemen of the need for supporting a modern technical school in Romania.

Thus, on 24 March 1818, by a princely edict of Ioan Caragea, the premises of Saint Sava Abbey were converted into the new school, Școala Tehnică Superioară pentru Ingineri Hotarnici ("The Upper School for Surveying Engineers").

Later, in 1832 the school was reorganised, including four cycles, in accordance with the provisions of Organic Regulation. Among other faculties, the one dealing with exact sciences included courses such as applied trigonometry, geodesy, mineralogy, engineering graphics, descriptive geometry, mechanical elements applied to ordinary machines, principles of building roads and bridges, elements of architecture, etc. The graduates were obliged either to work for three years for the state, or to return the grant received. In 1862, the ruler of the United Principalities, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, had established by another Princely Decree a set of rules for the organisation of civil engineers, the hierarchy of engineers or conductors, their salaries, the conditions for admission and promotion, were clearly defined.