Actually, all the reasons are of personal character, they explain why I would like to study (or rather, work) at Coimbra University.
Number 1: Location. The university is situated in a fascinating old city, a former capital of Portugal.
Coimbra is fairly called a cidade dos estudantes /the city of students. Actually, the city life, most social and cultural events centre round the University. Judge for yourselves: the most famous park in the city is the Botanic Garden of the University of Coimbra (the fifth oldest in the world, by the way). The main football team was founded by the University of Coimbra students' union in 1872. Two major city festivals – the Latada and Queima das Fitas / the Burning of the Ribbons – define the academic year. The Latada occurs at the beginning of the year and is a welcome to the new university students. On this day freshmen, wearing fancy costumes and tin cans tied to their legs, march through the streets and then are "baptized" in the Mondego River thus entering into the Coimbra academic fraternity.
Number 2: Age. The University of Coimbra is one of the oldest academic institutions in the world, its history dating back to 1290. And what is associated with the age of the University? – Tremendous old buildings, multiple traditions, first class reputation, and, as a matter of course, highest educational standards. Speaking of traditions, for our students it is not easy to imagine a university with its own church, right? The bell tower of São Miguel Chapel is the university symbol which can be seen from any part of the city. And one of its bells, the Cabra (She-goat), used to call students to the lectures. Lovely tradition, don't you think? However, once students, fed up with strict academic rules, dared steal the Cabra. There was a big scandal, but the bell was never restored. It was changed and the new Cabra nowadays rings only for masses.
click on the picture for a closer view
Number 3: Modernity. Despite its seven hundred years history, the University of Coimbra is open to innovations and tends to globalization. A few years ago they adopted the Bologna Process model and became a multicultural academic community. Students from all over the globe take full and part time courses in various subjects at 8 faculties. Together with reputable Classical Languages, Anthropology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences they offer academic degrees in Design and Multimedia, International Relations, Environmental Engineering and other state-of-the-art subjects.
Number 4 (which is actually, number 1 and the reason enough for me): the LIBRARY. When I entered Biblioteca Joanina I thought: It is my dream job! There’s nothing more tempting than to belong to this intellectual luxury, to be able to touch manuscripts of the XVI century, to learn from these ancient books.
I asked if students are allowed to take books here, about the procedure and suchlike and was astonished to hear that all those treasures can be borrowed!
The modern part of the library looks different, though the old ceiling has been preserved.
There was a sign Prison entrance (funny, isn’t it, inside a library) and I asked a working assistant, who appeared to be an applicant, who the prisoners were and for what sins they were taken into custody. For stealing books (!!!), drinking, non-obedience, misdemeanor of the sort. And if they cheated in the exams? I’m not sure, - was the reply.
And finally, Number 5: Opportunities. In all aspects and meanings of the word! Coimbra is in central Portugal, and Portugal is located close to Spain, Morocco and other wonderful countries. You learn Português and, probably, more languages communicating with students of different nationalities. The tuition fee, by the way, is not monstrous – about 900 euros per year.
Would you like to study at a University of the kind? Which of my arguments do not sound weighty to you?
