The Sapienza University of Rome (Italian: Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, is a research university that is located in Rome, Italy. Formally known as Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", it is one of the largest European universities by enrollments and one of the oldest in history, founded in 1303. The University is one of the most prestigious Italian universities and in the world, commonly ranking first in national rankings and in Southern Europe. In 2018, 2019 and 2021 it ranked first in the world for classics and ancient history.Most of the Italian ruling class studied at Sapienza. Sapienza educated numerous notable alumni, including many Nobel laureates, Presidents of the European Parliament and European Commissioners, heads of several nations, notable religious figures, scientists and astronauts. In September 2018, it was included in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings Graduate Employability Ranking.An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics. An institute can also be a professional body, or an educational unit imparting vocational training—see Mechanics' Institutes. The word "institute" comes from a Latin word institutum meaning "facility" or "habit"; from instituere meaning "build", "create", "raise" or "educate".
In some countries, institutes can be part of a university or other institutions of higher education, either as a group of departments or an autonomous educational institution without a traditional university status such as a "university Institute" (see Institute of Technology). Also, private schools are sometimes referred to as institutes—rather than schools—in some other countries, such as South Korea and India. In Spain, secondary schools are referred to as institutes.