The University of Calabria (Unical) was founded in 1972 and is located on the Campus of Arcavacata di Rende (CS), designed by Architect Vittorio Gregotti. The population of about 24.000 students places Unical at the national level among large universities.

With its 14 departments, 13 interdepartmental centers, 5 Joint Service Centers, the most extensive library structure in Southern Italy and over 1.180 teachers, and researchers, Unical offers 80 different courses of study (31 Bachelor's degrees, 43 Master's degrees, and 6 single-cycle Master's degrees).

Unical participates in REDiRECT through several Departments: the Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DIBEST), the Department of Mechanical, Energetic and Management Engineering (DIMEG), and the Department of Economics, Statistics and Finance (DESF).