Stanford University

Stanford University, formally Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Founded in 1885 by Leland and Jane Lathrop Stanford as a memorial to their son, who died in 1884, it opened in 1891 with the stated mission to "promote the public welfare by exercising an influence in behalf of humanity and civilization." It has since produced 36 Nobel Prize winners.

Its academic portfolio spans seven schools - business, education, engineering, humanities, law, medicine and sustainability - all located on a single campus. Research activity covers fields including artificial intelligence, medicine, climate science, engineering and sustainability, alongside the humanities, law, business and education. The university describes its approach as blending theory and practice, moving ideas and discoveries from labs and classrooms into the world.

Stanford's culture is entrepreneurial, with strong ties to the surrounding Silicon Valley technology ecosystem, and it serves as an engine of innovation in the region. The institution sits within the higher education and scientific research sectors and is organised as a community of scholars.