University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - Bucharest The University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest is the oldest and the largest institution of agricultural higher education in Romania. Barbu Stirbei, Prince of Vallachia, signed the foundation document in 1852 and the Agricultural Institute in Pantelimon started its courses in 1853. Two years later, in 1855, the Veterinary Instruction School was also founded. Both the agricultural and the veterinary education advanced simultaneously towards more complex forms, connected with the increasing demand for specialists in plant and animal breeding and with the progress of basic and applied sciences in the respective fields.
In 1867, after including the forestry subjects in the curriculum, the Agricultural Institute became the Central School of Agriculture and Silviculture, which, in 1867, changed its location in Herăstrău, the present site of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest. The first Romanian teaching and experiment farm was founded here in 1873, followed, in 1886, by the Agronomic Station of Bucharest, the first agricultural research institution in Romania. In 1893, as the silvicultural department became independent, the establishment got a new name: The Agricultural School of Herăstrău. The agricultural higher education continued its development in the years that followed snd the successive names were: The Agricultural Higher School of Herăstrău (1915), The Academy of Higher Agronomic Studies (1929), The Faculty of Agronomyas a department of The Polytechnic School of Bucharest (1938), The Agricultural Institute of Bucharest (1948). In 1952 commemorating the death centenary of the great Romanian patriot Nicolae Bălcescu, the Institute was given his name. In 1992 the university name changed into the University of Agricultural Sciences and, since 1995 it has been known as the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest.
At present the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine has seven faculties and it organises undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses. Scientific research plays an important role in the activity of the University. The topics of basic and applied research are numerous and varied due to the specific nature of the faculties and of the research teams working in faculties or departments.
