The Unseen University

A university gatehouse of ancient stone on a cobbled street at golden hour, its arch deep enough to be dark at the back. Carved above the arch, one gilded word: UNSEEN. Notice boards flank the gate, thick with overlapping bills in small print too fine to read, several of them announcing lectures in a room numbered 3b. Through the arch the buildings recede further than the frontage should allow, corridor behind corridor in the low sun. A student crosses the cobbles carrying a stack of books taller than his head. A dog lies in the gateway watching the street rather than the university.

Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides. Now you see it, now you don’t.

The Unseen University is the premiere school of wizardry in Ankh-Morpork, founded in the year 1282 AM (1 UC) by Alberto Malich the Wise. The official motto is the one above. The unofficial one is “η β π”, or Eta Beta Pi, which is to say Eat A Better Pie.

Its buildings are of ancient stone and contain many dark, winding corridors and small rooms, far more of both than the size of the grounds should allow. Wizards study magic for years, and the hard way: an uncountable number of books read, hard tests passed, one or several of the many degrees taken, and practice all day long. Few faculty members like to teach. Lectures are held in Room 3b, which does not exist, under an arrangement mutually understood and respected by faculty and students alike.

Register me with the UU

Last updated: 16 September 2026