The University of Limoges (Université de Limoges) is a French public university, based in Limoges. The semiotician Jacques Fontanille, a member of the "Institut Universitaire de France", is the president. Its chancellor is the rector of the Academy of Limoges (an administrative district in France for education and research). It counts more than 14,000 students and near 1,000 scholars and researchers. It offers complete curricula up to the doctorates and beyond in the traditional areas of knowledge and continues to develop new courses in line with the evolution of the postmodern and postcolonial society. It inherits of a long tradition of research, innovation and teaching from the famed Abbaye Saint-Martial de Limoges fr:Abbaye Saint-Martial de Limoges founded in 848 and suppressed by the French Revolution in 1891, which was a major intellectual center in Medieval Europe (technology of materials, enamel, manuscripts, scholarship, liturgy, theater, etc.). The modern School of Medicine and Pharmacy was created in 1626. In 1968, different schools of higher learning were consolidated into the present Université de Limoges. It is now a member of the Center Atlantic University PRES.