The University of Alcalá (UAH) is a public institution founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499. One of Europe’s oldest universities, its influence has been felt both near - it is one of the earliest examples of a planned university town - and far (its articles of constitution have served as a model for various Latin American universities). Its alumni include some of the most famous names of Spanish culture, such as Lope de Vega, Francisco de Quevedo and Tirso de Molina. Alcalá de Henares was also the birthplace of Cervantes, the creator of the greatest figure in Spanish literature, Don Quixote de la Mancha. In recognition both of its cultural importance and its impressive architectural inheritance, in 1998 the University was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the center of Spain, the university is 30 kilometres east of Madrid and is easily accessible (20 kilometres) from Madrid’s Barajas airport. Today, the University of Alcalá is a modern institution which offers a wide range of degrees in all fields of knowledge. It is also one of the first universities in Spain to be fully adapted to the European Higher Education Area. The university has 16 libraries seating 2,700 readers and a large digital collection which includes over 16,000 different e-journals. The university’s teaching and research staff also enjoy access from their work centres to the more than 10 million volumes held in the National Library Repository located on the university’s Science and Technology Campus. The quality of the university’s library service has earned it the European Excellence Seal 400+. As well as possessing a rich architectural and artistic patrimony, the legacy of more than five centuries of history, the University of Alcalá is also firmly committed to technological innovation, collaboration with the worlds of business and industry, and the internationalisation of its studies and research as proven by the more than 5000 international students currently reading for our degrees.