University of A Coruña

Founded in 1989, the University of A Coruña is a modern, public university located in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city is home to the Roman Tower of Hercules, a historic lighthouse that can be found on A Coruña’s flag and coat of arms. A Coruña is also known for its ‘galerias’ - balconies encased in a glass frame in order to let the sunshine in during the summer and offer protection from cold weather and rain throughout the winter. The university’s departments are split into two main campuses, one in A Coruña itself and the other in the neighbouring city of Ferrol. The A Coruña campus is spread across three of the city’s suburbs: Elviña and Zapateira, which are situated near the site of the Battle of Elviña (which took place amid the Peninsular War), and Oza. The university’s motto is Hac Luce, which translates as ‘with this light’. Its stated mission is ‘to create, manage and disseminate cultural, scientific, technological and professional knowledge via the development of research and teaching’. It offers degree programmes in arts and humanities, engineering and architecture, health sciences, science, social sciences and legal studies. Courses on the cultural, social and linguistic identity of Galicia are also available to students. The university aims to be ‘a quality public service that creates higher levels of welfare for society through the pursuit of social, scientific and technological advances’, conducted within a framework of ethical standards. A Coruña is also a university with a thriving Arts scene and offers its students a range of exhibitions, workshops, courses and theatre and dance classes in between lectures. It has a charitable academic foundation – the A Coruña Foundation – established to provide students with social support.