Ionian University builds on the traditions of Greece’s first modern university, the Ionian Academy which was founded under British rule in 1824 but was subsequently closed. The university was then reopened in its current state in 1984.
The university's base is in Corfu. It expanded in 2018 with new campuses and faculties on three other islands.
Corfu continues to accommodate the central administration and the faculties of history, audio-visual arts, archival and museum studies, music, tourism, information, and foreign languages, translation and interpretation.
There are two campuses on Kefalonia, with digital media and communications and food science and technology at Argostoli and ethnomusicology at Lixouri. Environment studies are based on Zakynthos and regional development at Lefkada.
There is a strong connection with UNESCO. Since 2013 students have performed an annual simulation of the agency.
The university works in partnership with the Ionian Film Office, specifically in the audio-visual department assisting with technical and human resources.
