European by nature and international by design, the University's strengths and assets stem from its active involvement in virtually every discipline comprising the current body of knowledge. As a young university founded on an age-old tradition, it strives to attain cross-disciplinarity so that this mixing fosters new research opportunities and produces courses that meet society's need. The international dimension is fundamental for the University of Strasbourg and thanks to the worldwide reputation of its research teams, built on excellence and efficiency, it emerges among Europe's foremost research universities. Each of the University's main academic fields of instruction is based upon research sections that are the driving force of the institution, with over 2,600 professors and staff. Solidly anchored in the European Higher Education Area, the University of Strasbourg, a beating heart of the Alsatian metropolis with its 42,000 students, has the potential to face the challenging international competition.