The University of Pau and the Adour Region (French: L'Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, often known by the initialism UPPA) is a multi-site, public university located in southwestern France. Founded in 1972, it is based in Pau (département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques) but also in Anglet, Bayonne, Tarbes and Mont-de-Marsan in the Adour river basin. Coming administratively under the Academy of Bordeaux, it is the third largest university in southwestern France (after Bordeaux and Toulouse), with almost 14,000 students.

Organisation

History

The university was formally established in 1970. However, it can trace its origins back to 1549 when the Collège des Arts, an institute for the study of the humanities, was established in the royal town of Pau. More recently, the University of Bordeaux opened a branch in Pau in 1946 to teach legal subjects. This branch known as the Institut d’études juridiques et économiques was directed by Robert Poplawski. It was then located in Villa Lawrence in Pau town centre.

Presidents

The university has been led by the following presidents: 2021- : Laurent Bordes - mathematician 2012-2020 : Mohamed Amara - mathematician 2008-2012 : Jean-Louis Gout - mathematician 2004-2008 : Jean-Michel Uhaldeborde - economist 1998-2004 : Jean-Louis Gout - mathematician 1993-1998 : Claude Laugénie (1938–2008) - geographer; created the IRSAM and directed the Centre d’Initiation à l’Enseignement Supérieur Aquitaine-Outremer 1988-1993 : Jean-Louis Gout - mathematician 1982-1988: Franck Métras - chemist 1976-1982 : Daniel Levier - English studies 1973-1976 : Jean Deschamps (professeur) (1925-1998) - chemist 1970-1973 : Maurice Descotes (1923-2000) - novelist and literature specialist

Academics

As the university has grown it has added more courses and reorganised its academic units. In 2018, the academic units were organised into three colleges:

Research

Research in the university is promoted in five thematic areas: For the period 2021–2026, research has been organised into a number of interdisciplinary centres located in each of the three Colleges:

Facilities

Pau campus

The main campus of the university is located in a large park in the north of the city of Pau, about twenty minutes ride from the town centre, but within the urban limits. The President's office is located there in the Présidence (Presidency) semicircular building. The campus is bounded by Avenue de l'Université-Cours Léon Bérard-Boulevard Tourasse to the South, Avenue du Doyen Poplawski to the West, rue Audrey Benghozi and Boulevard Lucien Favre to the North and Allées Condorcet to the East. There are facilities for all three colleges on the campus. the Ecole Nationale Supérieure en Génie de Technologies Industrielles (ENSGTI) and a School for Business Administration (Institut d'Administration des Entreprises) There are two specialised university libraries, one for the Sciences Department, the other common to the Law and Arts Departments. The College of Social Sciences and Humanities is located in the north-western part of the Pau campus. To the south is a large lawn much appreciated by students during summer months. The department is lodged in an elaborate three storey building with amphitheatre-like classrooms grouped at the eastern corner of the complex. The inner infrastructure is made of unpainted supporting concrete walls with lighter separation painted plaster walls. The exterior roofing is made of small clay tiles. Brick is used for sculptural elements such as the well-like artificial space in the centre of the inner patio, as well as pebbles for floor decoration. Large glass bays are also used as separation elements. Certain features of the building have been given names. The pillar-shape archives room near the student secretary is called 'the lighthouse', the sculpture-like structure in the patio is called 'the well', and the underground part of the building is referred to as 'the cellar'. The coffee-machines place and the eaves of the building are popular meeting points. The concrete sign Faculté de Droit, d'Economie et Gestion serves as a bench in the shade of the trees. There is a nearby cafeteria called "L'Arlequin".

Campus life

A total of 8,700 students are located on the Pau campus. This amounts to 63% of the UPPA student body. All matters regarding student life are handled in the Centre Local des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaire (CLOUS) ( see : Bordeaux CROUS internet site). There are a number of dormitories (résidences universitaires) situated on the campus (résidence Gaston Phoebus) or near the campus or in town. Accommodation ranges from single rooms to small apartments. The main restaurant is called Cap Sud. It is situated to the South-West of the campus, which is where the maison de l'étudiant is located. There are many student societies on the campus. Staff issues are handled by the Direction des ressouces humaines (DRH) services situated on the second floor in the Présidence building. There is an eatery at Cap Sud dedicated to University personnel (L'oasis). Staff belonging to IATOSS or ITRF personnel categories can also eat at the nearby Cité administrative's restaurant inter-administratif (RIA). There are a number of Unions present on the campus. Sport at UPPA is organised by SUAPS service. There are a number of sporting facilities including André Lavie Stadium close to Pau's Léo Lagrange COSEC, UPPA sport hall (Halle des sports) close to Plein Ciel swimming pool and tennis courts, a football (soccer) field, an outdoor climbing wall on BU Droit-Lettres.

Nearby facilities

Located near Pau's university campus are a number of facilities: Also located nearby are the Lycée Saint-John Perse, the Helioparc site, a police station, an administrative centre, a Maison de l'agriculture, a church, several banks and a variety of stores.

Bayonne Campus

The UPPA Bayonne campus is located between the rivers Adour and Nive near the centre of Bayonne. There are facilities for the College of European and International Studies and the College of Sciences and Technologies for Energy and the Environment (STEE). Almost 2,500 students are enrolled at this campus amounting to 17% of the UPPA student population.

Anglet Campus

The UPPA Anglet campus is located at Allée du Parc Montaury, Anglet. It has almost 1,500 students (11% of UPPA students) in the College of Sciences and Technologies for Energy and the Environment (STEE). It is composed of:

Tarbes Campus

The College of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) has facilities on the campus in Tarbes. A total of over 800 students (6% of UPPA students) are enrolled at this campus.

Mont-de-Marsan Campus

The UPPA campus at Mont de Marsan has facilities for the College of Sciences and Technologies for Energy and the Environment (STEE) with 400 students (4% UPPA students).

Reputation

The university was ranked in the 1200+ band of world universities and in the 601-800 band for research in Life Sciences and in Engineering & Technology by Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. In the 2022 QS World University Rankings (QS) subject tables, it was ranked in the 301-400 band for Energy Science and Engineering.

Notable people

Faculty

Alumni

Recipients of honorary degree