The University of Cantabria (UC) is one of the three universities that has been in the Top 10 list of the main Spanish
rankings both in education as well as in research quality.

It is a modern public institution whose main purpose is to contribute to social progress through a firm commitment
to teaching and scientific excellence.

The UC confers a wide range of official degrees within graduate, postgraduate and doctorate programs. Since its creation in 1972, it has provided university education for more than 40,000 students.

The UC provides students with a wide range of resources, enabling them to acquire an allround Education. Within this
context, its study programs seek the right balance between practice and theory, and which students can choose to supplement with complementary services such as internship programs, access to new technologies, exchange programs with foreign universities, guidance and tutorial activities, etc.

The UC gives special importance to students’ command of foreign languages, which is why it offers them courses in various languages. UC stipulates that all graduates must have an English level which will allow them to communicate fluently.

The scientific work developed in the UC is high-quality and some of its research groups are to be found amongst the leaders at an international level in their area of knowledge.

The UC is also a social, cultural and economic energizer in the autonomous region of Cantabria. This activity produces
innovation for the business environment, development of cultural activities, social participation and knowledge
generation. With this objective in mind, the UC collaborates with the main public and private agents within the social and economic environment of Cantabria, through the strategic project Cantabria International Campus.

Vision & Mission

UC & Cantabria International Campus is based on the Knowledge Society Paradigm. The main idea of this concept is to create a state where rational messages are communicated and applied3. Consequently, a global network of human interactions, based on scientific culture4, will contribute to the development of communities.
This paradigm inspired the EU Lisbon Strategy Its main objective: is to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge‐based economy in the world, with the ability to grow in a sustainable manner and with social cohesion.
In 2008, the European Council renewed its commitment by stressing the need to invest on people, on knowledge and on innovation. It is thus of crucial importance to promote the free circulation of knowledge by improving our education system. In other words, education must serve to consolidate a truly productive economy that also fosters civic and cultural development as well as individual creativity.

In this respect, universities are important agents of change and progress in their regional environments.
Their concentric or radial models of cooperation and institutional aggregation become relevant instruments to achieve this goal.​On the conceptual basis provided by the paradigm of the Knowledge Society and the model Campus Integral,

Vision

The following makes reference to Vision statement:

To transform the Autonomous Community of Cantabria into a ' region of knowledge ', internationally recognized by:

-Its levels of social, economic and cultural well‐being.
-The excellence of its formative, research processes and of transfer.
-Its ability to cultivate and attract talent.
-Its level of institutional and managerial aggregation.
-The competitive projection of its areas of educational and research excellence.
-The quality of the spaces and knowledge environments.

Mission

The mission statements are established:

"To coordinate and to organize the integrated efforts of all the private and public sectors of the Community, as well as of the university groups (academic staff, students, administrative staff), to stimulate areas of international excellence capable of contributing regional value across processes of training, research and transfer."