From a simple annex to a modern and a multidisciplinary university with remarkable accomplishments. 

It was on March 29th, 1968 that was laid, by the President Houari BOUMEDIENE, the first cornerstone of the University of Constantine whose official “birth certificate” was the ordinance n°69.56 of June 17th, 1969. As a reminder, the Center of the University of Constantine was established by the Decree of 1961, which was signed by the President of the French Republic, and which acted to create two university centers in Algeria: one in Oran and the other in Constantine. 

However, it should be noted that the sector of Higher Education in Constantine started in 1958, before the creation of the university center, and simultaneously with the creation of an annex of the Faculty of Law at the University of Algiers. This structure, which was established at the Popular University (nowadays, known as Abdelhamid BENBADIS, and situated behind the Grand Post Office at the city center), granted the students of Constantine, who were registered at the University of Constantine, with theoretical education to the two first years of the Bachlor Degree in Law, as well as the preparation of the Competency Certificate in Law.

In 1961, the university center expanded and included, then, four (04) pedagogical units.

The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy was formally established within the hospital.

The Literary Institution was established in the Médersa. 

The Scientific Institution was established in the Professional Training Center at Belle Vue.

The Institute of Legal Studies was established within the popular university. 

Following independence, at the start of the Academic Year 1962, the University of Constantine provided advanced training to some specific specialties, such as Arts and Languages, Exact Sciences, and Medicine and Pharmacy. The advanced training has always remained assured under the pedagogical supervision of the faculties pertinent to the University of Algiers. Students, who were very few at the time, were supervised by teachers mostly recruited under the status of technical advisers, and benefited of very little teaching materials, such as the documentation and the scientific material of experimentation, of demonstration, and of research. 

The will of public powers and the commitment of certain persons, namely the Minister of Higher Education Mohamed Seddik BENYAHIA, on top, have quickly contributed to change this situation that was marked by the launching of a gigantic construction site of the University of Constantine according to plans elaborated by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar NIEMEYER. On 140.000 Square meters, 4000 pedagogical seats and 4 amphitheaters were quickly provided, engulfing 11.400 cubic meters of concrete. It was at that point that began the full expansion of the University of Constantine, with at its top, Amar BENDALI, First Rector. It should be noted that the project was assigned to the public company ECOTEC, and Slimane ZOUAGHI was the chief of the construction site. 

It is important to note that it was also the golden age of the reform of Higher Education in view of a modern university, and of a progressive Algerianization of mentorship.

The Academic Year 1969-1970 was characterized by the occupation of the Letters’ Block. However, in April 1973, the administration shifted the location; from the Médersa to the Administrative Tour. During this period, the university witnessed a very quick growth; that growth was marked by different stages, notably: 

1969-1972: That period was marked by the birth of five Faculties, namely:  Arts and Humanities, Law, Administrative Sciences and Economics, Medicine, Exact Sciences, and Biology.

1973-1978: that period knew a forthwith entrance to the Higher Education reform and the creation of 12 institutes, namely: 

Law and Administrative Sciences

Economics 

Social sciences

Arts and Arabic Culture

Modern Foreign Languages 

Biology

Medicine

Mathematics 

Physics

Chemistry

Earth Sciences 

Architecture, Urbanism, and Construction

It was during that important stage that the University of Constantine was perceived to be provided with important pedagogical means and scientific material. It should be stated, here, that at that stage, the Arabization of certain streams was in a rapid progress.

1979-1985: That period witnessed the development of other university campuses, such as the one of Slimane ZOUAGHI, which received, at the beginning, the institutes of Earth Sciences, and the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INATAA). Also, that very period witnessed the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine at the campus of “Chalet des Pins”. 

1985-1990: During that period, the light was spot on other campuses, such as the campus of Ahmed HAMANI (which receives the Institute of Architecture). This period also witnessed the launching of other specialties, and the creation of the Institute of Civil Engineering and Electronics. 

1990-1995: During that period, other campuses and institutes knew a noticeable improvement; notably, the Campus Lakhdar KOUHIL, which was established within the former Administrative Training Center, and the institutes of Social Sciences, Library Sciences, and Psychology and Educational Sciences. It was also during that period that was established the campus of Chaabet Erssas, which is a genuine technological pole with the institutes of Technology and Exact Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, and Industrial Chemistry. The institute of Veterinary Sciences was established at El Khroub.

That spatial division did not remain static; a spatial redeployment of trainings was preceded due to the existing needs related to the reception of new infrastructures. That was how the institutes of Mathematics, and Physical Education and Sports were established at the campus Ahmed HAMANI. Furthermore, The INATAA regained the institute of Technology of Agricultural Equipment (ITMA) in Route de Setif.

A part of the Institute of Law, particularly the Department of Political Sciences, was established at the Campus ZOUAGHI, whereas the Institute of Economics relocated its activities to the Regional Training Center on the plateau of El Mansourah, which was reassigned by the National Education. Finally, the former National Institute of Executive Training, which was formerly under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, hosted the Department of Library Sciences. Simultaneously, a legislative and regulatory documentation was promulgated in order to specify the organization and functioning of the University of Constantine. It would be tedious to list them again, however, the most important ones are listed below:

The Decree n° 94.213 of August 18th, 1984, sets the number and the vocation of the institutes composing the University of Constantine, which are: 

The institute of Electronics

The institute of Civil Engineering 

The institute of Architecture 

The institute of Computer Sciences

The institute of Economics

The institute of Legal and Administrative Sciences 

The institute of Sociology

The institute of Psychology and Educational Sciences 

The institute of Arts and Arabic Language 

The institute of Foreign Languages 

The institute of Library Sciences 

The institute of Veterinary Sciences

The institute of Natural Sciences

The institute of Earth Sciences 

By the Ministerial Decree n° 136 of December 12th, 1997, the University of Constantine was named the University Mentouri Constantine and the inauguration ceremony took place on April 16th, 1998. The year 1998 highlighted the research development with the creation of the laboratories.

The executive Decree n° 136 of Shaaban 13th, 1419, corresponding to December 12th, 1998, modifies the Decree of August 12th, 1984, related to the functioning of the University of Constantine. Eight faculties were created within the University of Mentouri, and are as follows:

The Faculty of Engineering Sciences

The Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Faculty of Arts and Languages

The Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Spatial Planning

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life

It should be noted that the Faculty of Law, and the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences were established at the start of the Academic Year 2000-2001 in the new pedagogical structure of the Campus Tidjani HEDDEM.

The year 2000 witnessed the laying of the first cornerstone of the Academic Pole of Nouvelle Ville Ali MENDJELI. The establishment of that new Academic Pole resulted in the creation of two (02) new campuses. In 2003, the construction works of the National Center of Research in Biotechnology were launched on the same site. Within the scope of the restructuring proposed by the Rectorship, the Executive Decree n° 06.111 of Safar 11th, 1427, corresponding to March 11th, 2006, modifies and completes the Decree n°84-213 of August 18th, 1984, related to the organization and functioning of the University of Constantine, and determines the number of the present vocation of the Faculties and Institutes making up the University of Constantine. They are:

The Faculty of Exact Sciences 

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life

The Faculty of Engineering Sciences

The Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Faculty of Arts and Languages

The Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Spatial Planning

The Institute of Nutrition and Food and of Agri-Food Technologies

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life

Finally, receiving new infrastructures in the Academic Pole of Novelle Ville Ali MENDJELI gave the opportunity to the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences to join its new campus with the start of the Academic year 2004-2005, whereas the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences took its place in September 2006. 

Then again, the achievements were perceived to evolve. Consistent with that objective, the first cornerstone of the Academic Pole Nouvelle Ville at the Southern West of the airport Mohamed BOUDIAF, which was established on April 16th, 2007, was destined to receive 52 000 pedagogical seats as organized in major schools.

In parallel with these achievements, the University of Mentouri launched the reforms of Higher Education with the implementation of the new system (Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate) starting from the Academic Year 2004-2005, and proceeded with the implementation of Master trainings starting from the current academic year. 

This momentum, which was supported by important financial means and granted by public powers, allowed the University of Mentouri to respond to the challenges of rapid development and evolution of Sciences and Technologies, and to assume with its partners, its leading role within the development of an economy founded on knowledge.

In December 2012, the University of Constantine 1 was created.