> Spanish Courses at Salamanca > University of SalamancaUniversityof Salamanca
The University of Salamanca was foundin 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is Spain’soldest (still existing) university. The University received confirmation fromthe Papal Bulls of Alexander IV in 1255. This gave the University its own sealand validated the degrees given by the University. Throughout the 13thcentury the University gained a strong fortune and popularity, even amongstudents from Paris and Bologna.
In the 15th and 16thcenturies, the University of Salamanca grew and began to progress towards new humanist methodologies; they usedthe example of Antonio de Nebrija and his teaching techniques (Nebrija was alsoa student at Salamanca). New degrees were added to the University’s curriculum, such as: Lawand classical languages.
Between the 1980s and 1990s the student body population grew from 20,000 to30,000. Many new investments were made to accommodate the growth. Today, thereare around 32,000 students studying at the University of Salamanca. It isconsidered to have one of Europe’s best research institutes. Also, in 1989, in union with the University of Cambridge, theUniversity co-founded the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE).
