National and Capodistrian University of Athens
| Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών | |
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| Latin: Universitas Atheniensis | |
| Type | Public |
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| Established | May 3, 1837 |
| Rector | Meletios – Athanassios Dimopoulos |
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Academic staff
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1.974 |
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Administrative staff
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1.316 |
| Students | 104.000 [2014] |
| Undergraduates | >50,000 |
| Location | Zografou, Athens, Greece |
| Campus | Urban, suburban |
| Newspaper | "To Kapodistriako" |
| Colours | Blue and White |
| Website | Official website (English) |
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The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA;Greek: Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών, Ethnikón kai Kapodistriakón Panepistímion Athinón), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece. It has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837 and is the oldest higher education institution of the modern Greek state and the first contemporary university in the Eastern Mediterranean. Today it is one of the largest universities by enrollment in Europe, with 104,000 (2014) registered students. In 2012 it was ranked in the positions 501–550 among the best universities in the world, according to the index of QS World University Rankings, as well as according to the evaluation of Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
The University of Athens was founded on May 3, 1837 by King Otto of Greece (in Greek, Othon) and was named in his honour Othonian University (Οθώνιον Πανεπιστήμιον). It was the first university in the liberated Greek state and in the surrounding area of the Southeast Europe as well. It was also the second academic institution after the Ionian Academy. This fledging university consisted of four faculties; Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts (which included applied sciences and mathematics). During its first year of operation, the institution was staffed by 33 professors, while courses were attended by 52 students and 75 non-matriculated "auditors".
It was first housed in the residence of architects Stamatios Kleanthis and Eduard Schaubert, on the north slope of the Acropolis, in Plaka, which now houses the Museum of the University. In November 1841 the university relocated on the Central Building of the University of Athens, a building designed by Danish architect Christian Hansen. He followed a neoclassical approach, "combining the monument's magnificence with a human scale simplicity" and gave the building its H-shape. The building was decorated by painter Carl Rahl, forming the famous "architectural trilogy of Athens", together with the building of the National Library of Greece (left of the university) and the building of the Athens Academy (right of the university). Construction began in 1839 in a location to the north of the Acropolis. Its front wing, also known as the "Propylaea", was completed in 1842–1843. The rest of the wings' construction, that was supervised at first by Greek architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou and later by his colleague Anastasios Theofilas, was completed in 1864. The building is nowadays part of what is called the "Athenian Neoclassical Trilogy".
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