Uppsala University

Founded in 1477, the historic Uppsala University was the first to be founded within both Sweden and the whole of Scandinavia. Now ranked among the best research universities in the world, Uppsala comprises nine faculties and over 45,000 students, 12% of which are international. It boasts strong strategic links with other global universities and runs exchange programmes with approximately 500 universities worldwide. Most undergraduate degrees at the university are taught in Swedish, although a few courses, mainly at postgraduate level, are taught in English. Uppsala is a multi-campus university with sites that include the Biomedical Centre, one of Europe’s largest for life sciences, located on an old military base, and another on the island of Gotland, a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular Swedish holiday destination with miles of pristine beaches. The university’s long history has given rise to a multitude of prominent scholars, including Carl Linnaeus, an 18th century Uppsala professor who created the system for classifying nature that’s still in use today, and Anders Celsius, an astronomy professor, who devised the Celsius temperature scale. Eight Nobel Prize winners are associated with the university in total and its alumni include the IT entrepreneur Niklas Zennström, best known for founding Skype. Uppsala is also famous for housing unique collections of cultural, artistic and scientific interest. Its various museums, including the Museum of Evolution and the Museum Gustavianum, situated in the university's oldest building, include artefacts dating back as far as the Viking period. The university’s library is the largest in Sweden and its botanical gardens, which preserve an authentic 18th century environment, are the country’s oldest. Uppsala itself is the fourth largest city in Sweden and a major cultural centre that blends tradition with modernity. As a major historical landmark, Uppsala university is commonly referenced in Swedish literature and makes an appearance in many films, including Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.