University of New Caledonia - History

History

UNC was initially a component of the Université Française du Pacifique (French University of the Pacific) founded in 1987 along with another center in French Polynesia. Between 1992 and 1995, the university expanded in Nouville, one of the neighborhoods of Nouméa, where the Department of Sciences and Techniques and the administrative services are located. Since then, the Department of Law, Economy and Management is located in Les Anciens Ateliers du Bagne (The Old Penal Colony Workshops) in Nouville.

In 1994, a residence was built on the UNC campus to accommodate students and it was expanded in 2003 to make lodgings available to international students. In 2006, the French Government funded an extension of the Nouville campus in a view to closing the second campus located in Magenta in Nouméa.

On May 1, 2009, the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres (University Institute for Teacher Training) of New Caledonia, which had been created in 1990, was incorporated into UNC. It also covers Wallis and Futuna Territory. The goal of the institute is to offer education including specific features found in French Overseas Departments and Territories to primary and secondary school teachers in New Caledonia.

Thanks to the support of the French Government and the Government of New Caledonia, UNC has grown considerably. Recently, several structures were built at the Nouville campus to accommodate athletes who participated in the 2011 Pacific Games:

• a gymnasium
• a new residence of 500 rooms
• an extension to host professors and students from the Magenta campus