The University of Bologna prides itself as the oldest academic establishment in the Western world, founded in 1088AD by its own students. In 1988 the rectors of 430 universities from all over the continent gathered in Bologna to sign the Magna Charta Universitatum Europaeum,by which they marked the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna and formally acknowledged it as the alma mater of all universities.
The University has also four campuses throughout the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, at Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, Rimini and a campus abroad in Buenos Aires. The Cesena campus has a predominantly scientific orientation, while Ravenna focuses on subjects such as cultural heritage, archaeology, regional planning and urban design. Forlì is about political science (international relations) and translation studies, while Rimini is for fashion and tourism.
The campus of Buenos Aires was established with the objective of training a managerial class capable of recognising, foreseeing, interpreting and taking the right decisions in companies, organisations and institutions that operate at an international level and, in particular, in the sector concerning relations between the European Union and Latin America.