University of Lorraine in the context of "Saint-Avold"

Letters patent (plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title or status to a person or corporation. Letters patent can be used for the creation of corporations, government offices, to grant city status or coats of arms. Letters patent are issued for the appointment of representatives of the Crown, such as governors and governors-general of Commonwealth realms, as well as appointing a Royal Commission. In the United Kingdom, they are also issued for the creation of peers of the realm.

A particular form of letters patent has evolved into the modern intellectual property patent (referred to as a utility patent or design patent in United States patent law) granting exclusive rights in an invention or design. In this case, it is essential that the written grant should be in the form of a public (patent) document so other inventors can consult it both to avoid infringement (while the patent remains in force) and to understand how to put it into practical use (once the patent rights expire). In the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire, and Austria-Hungary, imperial patent was also the highest form of generally binding legal regulations, e.g. Patent of Toleration, Serfdom Patent, etc.

Nancy-Université was a French federal university which federated the three principal institutes of higher education in Nancy, Lorraine before their merger into the University of Lorraine:

• Henri Poincaré University (UHP, also known as Nancy 1): natural sciences, wrapping several faculties and engineering schools;
  • École Supérieure des Sciences et Technologies de l'Ingénieur de Nancy: general engineering
  • Telecom Nancy: Computer science and engineering
• Nancy 2 University: social sciences
• Institut national polytechnique de Lorraine (Lorraine INP): It federates 11 engineering schools.

With over 50,000 students, Nancy had the fifth largest student population in France.