Université Côte d'Azur has been an experimental university since 1 January 2020 replacing both the Université Nice Sophia Antipolis created in 1965 and the Communauté d'Universités et d'Etablissements Université Côte d'Azur created in 2015.
Université Côte d'Azur won the prestigious Initiative d'Excellence (Idex) label in 2016. This distinction, awarded by an international jury, positions the university among the 10 best French research-intensive universities, provides it with additional resources to further accelerate its development, and marks the recognition of a university capable of standing tall in the face of global competition.
Its UCAJEDI project proposes a strategy targeting the three major challenges of this century, resilience & sustainability of local authorities, economic & social transformation through Digital, well-being & ageing, through tools and programs promoting the development of research, training and innovation.