Founded in 1860, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is the oldest Romanian higher level education institution. The university is one of the most prestigious in the country, classified as a first league research and education centre by Romania’s Ministry of Education in 2011.
It offers degrees in biology, chemistry, law, economics, physical education, philosophy, social sciences, physics, history, geography and geology, mathematics, IT, literature, psychology, theology and European studies. Although the university welcomes international students, courses are only available in Romanian. Students can, however, learn the language at Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
The university hosts the Museum of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, honouring Romanian heritage starting with the Cucuteni prehistoric civilisation and ending with the institution’s notable alumni. The Natural History Museum, founded in 1834, also attracts visitors through its showcase of over 300,000 vegetal and animal specimens characterising Romanian climate.
The Botanical Garden, set up in 1856, is the largest in the country. The university’s Planetarium and Astronomic Observatory, built in 1913, provides further means of observing the outer world.
Iasi is one of the largest cities in Romania. It has a rich history as the crossroads between Polish, Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman tradesmen.
The city is an also an important cultural centre, hosting six universities, over sixty schools, two theatres, an opera house and many other cultural institutions. In Iasi’s immediacy, the Moldovan medieval monasteries such as Sucevita, Moldovita and Voronet, with external mural paintings, are recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.
