The university has PhD graduate schools which take care of the PhD students and also of habilitation. There are five schools: Cultures, regulations, institutions and territories, Genome organizations, Environmental Science in Ile de France, Science and technology of Versailles, public health. 102 PhD has been delivered in 2009.
Its main library, opened in June 2002, has an area of ​​ and 100,000 books. In 2005, the university opened the library of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines with an area of ​​ and 1,100 reading places. In September 2011, another one was opened on the sciences campus, located in Versailles. In total, the university has six academic libraries located, in addition to the campus already mentioned, on those of Velizy, Boulogne-Billancourt, Rambouillet and Mantes, consisting of about 200,000 books, 5,000 digital books and 26,000 magazines and newspapers.
The university has height campuses in total, on two departments and seven communes. In total, UVSQ has of buildings. Versailles campus welcomes the sciences college and the one of computer science. On the campus of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines are located the law and political sciences, social sciences, medical research colleges and the sciences of the universe observatory. At Le Chesnay, another part of the sciences college is located. Vélizy-Villacoublay welcomes the University Institutes of Technology of Vélizy and Rambouillet an annex of it. On the campus of Mantes-la-Jolie is located the University Institutes of Technology of Mantes-en-Yvelines. Mantes-la-ville welcomes the mechatronics college.
In 2012, the "Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines" offers 50 Bachelor's degree, 10 e-learning courses, 95 Master's degree, 1 Doctor of Medicine degree and 1 Midwifery degree.
From the beginning, the university is part of Erasmus or other programmes.
The number of partners is about 230 in 2011. The university has welcomed 330 students from a foreign country in 2010.
The university also welcomes foreign students who wants to obtain a French degree. In 2010, they are about 2,400, which is 13,3% of the students. They are much more in the PhD courses, where they are almost half of the students (45%).
Research activities at the university are done in 35 laboratories. It is grouped in six departments: chemistry, physics, materials, renewable energy, environment and sustainable development, mathematics, computer science, engineering sciences, biology and health, cultures, humanities and sciences, institutions and organizations. It have a total of nearly 950 researchers and 715 PhD students.
In September 2011, 31 associations are approved by UVSQ. They are in science, social sciences and humanities, law, medicine, humanitarian-social-environment, communication, entertainment, thought and politics. A student house will open in 2013. It will have an area of ​​1,730 m2 ; this building must accommodate cultural activities, a multipurpose room, an art room, and also a cafeteria.
14,226 students are at the university in 2004. 12.5% of students receive scholarships. Concerning the social origins, 49.2% of the students have a favored social origin, 30.6% have an average social origin and 20.2% a disadvantaged social backgrounds.
Several sociologists teach or have taught at the university like Roland Guillon, known for his work on the problem of employment and capital, Laurent Mucchielli, specialist in criminology, Philippe Robert, specialized in the study of delinquency, or also Étienne Anheim, Didier Demazière and Claude Dubar.
UVSQ also counts among its current or former teachers historians like Bernard Cottret, honorary member of the "Institut Universitaire de France", Christian Delporte, specialist of the twentieth-century of France, Bruno Laurioux, French Middle Ages historian, Jean-Yves Mollier and Loïc Vadelorge, both specialized in contemporary history.
In science, people like the creator of the ext2 file system Rémy Card, the specialist in photography Fabien Danesi, the vice director of the "École Normale Supérieure" Jean-Charles Darmon or the chemist and member of the French Academy of Sciences Gérard Férey teach or have taught at the university.
Valérie-Laure Bénabou, teacher of law, is also on the faculty.
During the honorary degree graduation ceremony the 18th of October 2011, Sylvie Faucheux awards six people: Andrew Abbott (sociology teacher at the University of Chicago), George Bermann (international law teacher at Columbia University), Amos Gitai (director and filmmaker Israeli), Robin Hartshorne (mathematics teacher at the University of California), Günther Lottes (history teacher at the University of Potsdam) and Seiji Miyashita (physics teacher at the University of Tokyo).
The university has a logo showing a white sunrise on a green earth referring to the sustainable development, major theme of the university.
It has also diary and a movie diary.
Moreover, the university is the initiator of the European project « Europolytec » which purpose is to design a website for careers in computer science and mechatronics.
Cuthbert
Saint Cuthbert (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, at that time including, in modern terms, northern England as well as south-eastern Scotland as far north as the Firth of Forth. Afterwards he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, his cult being centred at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert is regarded as the patron saint of northern England. His feast day is 20 March.
In 676 he began the life of a hermit and retired to a cave on Lindisfarne. After a time he settled on one of the Farne Islands, south of Lindisfarne, and made his life more simple.
In 684, Cuthbert was chosen to be bishop of Lindisfarne, at a synod at Twyford (believed to be present-day Alnmouth), but was unwilling to leave his retirement and take up his charge. It was only after a visit from a large group, including King Ecgfrith, that he agreed to return and take up the duties of bishop. He was consecrated at York on 26 March 685. After Christmas, 686, however, he returned to his cell on Inner Farne Island, which was where he eventually died on 20 March 687 AD. He was buried at Lindisfarne, and his remains later moved to Durham Cathedral.
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham (usually known as Durham Cathedral) is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is known as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The present cathedral replaces the 10th century "White Church" built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The treasures of Durham Cathedral include relics of St Cuthbert, the head of St Oswald of Northumbria and the remains of the Venerable Bede.
Durham Cathedral occupies a strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. The cathedral is a major tourist attraction, the central tower of 217 feet (66 m) giving views of Durham and the surrounding area.
There are many famous people who are interred (buried) in the Cathedral and in the surrounding grounds including Bishop Alfred Tucker.
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, Lofoten has one of the world's largest higher temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.
Lofoten is well known for its natural beauty within Norway. Lofoten includes the municipalities of . The main islands, running from north to south, are
whilst further to the south are the small and isolated islands of Værøy and Røst. The total land area amounts to 1,227 km², and the population totals 24,500.