„Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacău is a regional university and one of the elements of the Romanian higher education system; it enjoys national recognition for the quality of its educational and training processes, and research activities.

The foundation and development of the University is attributable to its location in the central part of Moldavia, at the crossroads of commercial routes, in the town of Bacău (pop. approximately 134,000), capital city of the County of Bacău. The Municipality of Bacău is situated at the confluence of two important rivers (the Siret, and the Bistriţa) and is one of the oldest Romanian towns, as it was first recorded in documents in 1408, during the reign of Prince Alexander the Good.

The University has two campuses (the Mărăşeşti Campus and the Spiru Haret Campus) that are situated in the town's central area, near the central park. The two campuses are 500 metres from one another and offer accommodation and board to students, as well as a library, sports facilities, medical care, and professional counselling.

The area wherefrom the majority of the students are recruited is that of the counties of Bacău, Vrancea, Neamţ, and Vaslui, with a population of over 1.5 million inhabitants; the area is characterized by intense industrial activity in the North-eastern region, as well as by a rich socio-cultural life. Many of the educational and research activities of the University have been devised and developed at regional level in cooperation with pre-university educational institutions, local institutions, research institutes, firms, and industrial companies.