The University of Bari Aldo Moro is Puglia's principal university and the largest in southern Italy after Naples. Its Faculty of Medicine trains physicians at the Policlinico di Bari — a major academic hospital serving southeastern Italy — and at Ospedale Giovanni XXIII, the regional paediatric referral centre. The medical school has developed particular expertise in Mediterranean-relevant conditions including thalassaemia, familial Mediterranean fever, and cardiovascular disease in the southern Italian population.

Research strengths include genetics, immunology, oncology, and clinical pharmacology. Bari is the capital of Puglia — Italy's 'heel' — offering exceptional Adriatic coastline, Romanesque architecture, outstanding seafood cuisine, and some of Italy's most affordable living costs. The city is increasingly recognised as a hidden gem among Italian destinations, with easy connections to the Trulli towns, Matera (European Capital of Culture 2019), and Lecce (the 'Florence of the South').

For UK students, Bari offers clinical training in an authentic, affordable southern Italian setting, though English-taught options are limited.