“Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi (UDJG) is a public higher education institution that has been operating since 1948. In 2008, 2013, and 2018, following the evaluation made by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS), “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi received the grade “high degree of trust”, which confirms the efficiency of the academic management and the quality management system. In 2011, the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi was classified in the category of universities of education and scientific research.

In December 2018, the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați obtained the certification according to the SR EN ISO 9001: 2015 standard for the research, development and innovation activities carried out at the levels of the university, of the faculties and of the research units accredited at the institutional level.

The institution is the center of technical, scientific, cultural, and social progress with immediate or medium and long term applicability, meant to contribute first of all to the progress of Galați municipality. In this sense, the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi collaborates closely with the socio-economic environment, offering the specialists the latter needs, as well as consultancy, and technical solutions to current problems.

The foundations of academic life in Galati were laid between 1948 and 1959. The status of a higher education center of Galati was shaped, among other things, by the efforts of the economic and cultural institutions of the city and county, whose history was inextricably linked to the Danube. In the autumn of 1948, the Faculty of Land Improvements was established, the first faculty in the country with this profile, which operated on the premise of the current A. building on Carnabel Street. In 1951, 1955, and 1959 new faculties were established in the Agronomic, Polytechnic, and Pedagogical Institutes. After the transfer to Iaşi in 1959 of the Faculty of Land Improvement and Territorial Organization, the Pedagogical Institute with five faculties (Philology, Mathematics, Physics – Chemistry, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Physical Education) was established instead. The institute operated between 1959 and 1974 in parallel with the Polytechnic Institute of Galaţi.

In 1948, the Faculty of Food Science and Engineering was established, by decree no. 175 published in the Official Gazette no. 177/3 August 1948, first as the Bucharest Food Institute, and was transferred to Galaţi in 1955, by Decree of Council of Minister no. 1608/30 June 1955, with the name of the Faculty of Food Technology and Fisheries Technique, within the Technical Institute. The history of the Faculty of Mechanics begins in 1951, when, based on the Decision of the Council of Ministers no. 1375/1950, the Mechanical-Naval Institute is established in Galați, consisting of the Faculty of Naval Constructions and the Faculty of Ship and Port Operations. In 1953, the two faculties merged under the name of the Faculty of Mechanics. Teaching at the Faculty of Mechanics began in the former building of the Pension Notre Dame de Sion (now the AS building) which was set on fire in August 1944. It was rebuilt between 1950 and 1953. Between 1951 and 1955 the building was used as an education space, but also as a canteen and dormitory. In 1954, the first two dormitories near the Public Garden were put into use, with 616 accommodation places, so that, in the academic year 1955-1956, it was possible to move the dormitory inside the educational institution. Later, a canteen was built in the dormitory area.

For almost half a century, the Galaţi University Center has trained specialists with higher education in six fields of national interest, unique until 1990 in Romanian university education: Land Improvements, Land Measurements, Shipbuilding, Food Industries, Fisheries and Fishing Techniques, plans of education, the courses and the related materials being entirely conceived by the teaching staff of the University of Galaţi. By Decree no. 105/20 March 1974, the Pedagogical and Polytechnic Institutes were unified within the University of Galaţi, which, in 1991, by Order of the Minister of Education and Science, was renamed the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi (UDJG).

When established, the university had three faculties: the Faculty of Mechanics, the Faculty of Food Technology and Chemistry and Fish Technology, and the Faculty of Pedagogical Education. The main locations where the newly established university-operated were 47, 102, and 111 Domnească Street, as well as that on Carnabel Street. In 1968, through the efforts of Prof. Dr. Eng. Constantin Năstase, the basin for the testing of ship models was inaugurated. During the years 1973 and 1974, the micro-production and assembly Section with mechanical and metallurgical profile was built on Calea Prutului, which served for productive practice by the students of the Faculty of Mechanics. Later, in the ’80s, with the support of the Galati Shipyard, the building of the G pavilion was put into use.

After 1990, from the Faculty of Mechanics emerged the Faculty of Engineering and Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Metallurgy and Materials Science, and the Faculty of Engineering of Brăila, and the sections related to full-time and evening sub-engineering learning were transferred within the Technical University College. The Faculty of Ships and Electrical Engineering functioned in this form until 2003, when it split again, as a result emerging the Faculty of Ships and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Since 2009, by Government Decision, the Faculty of Ships has changed its name to the Faculty of Naval Architecture.

By Order of the Minister of Education no. 7751 was established in 1990 the Faculty of Letters and Sciences which functioned in the first year with five specializations: Romanian language and literature – Foreign language and literature (English, French, Russian), English language and literature – Romanian language and literature or Foreign language and literature (French, Russian), Chemistry – Physics, Mathematics-Computer Science, Physical Education, and Sports.

Subsequently, between 1991-2007, in a continuous process of development, new specializations were added, others were restructured, reorganizing the departments so that out of the Faculty of Letters and Sciences were established four distinct faculties: the Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology. In 2004, through GD 940, UDJG expanded its educational offer by establishing the Faculty of Medicine, which later becomes the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy.