The Vita-Salute San Raffaele University was first established in 1996 with the Department of
Psychology stemming from the Department of
Cognitive Science founded by Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini with
Andrea Moro in 1993. The program follows the general-cognitive and the experimental-clinical lines of thought. The San Raffaele College and University was fundamentally born as the offspring of an internationally renowned research hospital structure, where students attend basic research laboratories in many research fields, including neurology, neurosurgery, diabetology, molecular biology, AIDS studies among others. It has expanded since then to include research fields in Cognitive Science and Philosophy. Among the issues that are being studied in this university, beside clinical issues, are:
philosophy of science,
perception,
biolinguistics,
generative grammar and
vision. The Faculty of
Medicine and
Surgery proposes courses in
Medicine and
Surgery and in
Biotechnology, both with strong scientific connotations, where the students go on ward rounds from their very first year. Moreover, the University Courses in
Nursing and in
Physiotherapy offer advanced teaching together with intense practical clinical training. In addition to these courses the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University also houses a number of Medical Training Programmes. From 1999 a new Department has been created: the Department of
Philosophy. A new medical course was commenced alongside the Italian medical course in 2010. The International
MD Program at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University has been designed to foster a new kind of doctor. This doctor will possess the necessary human, cultural, and professional values to provide healthcare and share ideas in today's globalized world. The course is entirely in English and offers an innovative curriculum. Half of the seats are reserved for
Italian and
EU citizens while the other half for Non-EU citizens, making it truly international. On July 18, 2011, the Italian national newspaper
Il Sole 24 Ore published a general ranking of Italian universities. Vita-Salute San Raffaele University was awarded the top placement among Italian private universities. The university has two student residences on campus; Cascina Melghera and Cassinella. ==Departments==