District University of Bogotá

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Francisco José de Caldas District University Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas

Latin: Universitas Distritalis
Motto	“UBI VERITAS IBI LIBERTAS” (“Where there is truth there is freedom”)
Established	1948
Type	Public
Students	24,000 (2004)
Location	Bogotá, Colombia
Website	http://www.udistrital.edu.co/

The Francisco José de Caldas District University (Spanish: Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas) is a public educational institution located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is in 2006 the most important public University to District Level. It is constituted by buildings and campus around the Bogotá city:

Science and Education Campus Formerly named 'La Macarena'
Faculty of Engineering - Sabio Caldas Building
Alejandro Suárez Copete Building
Technological Faculty Campus
Faculty of Art - ASAB Campus
Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources campus.

[edit] History

The Francisco José de Caldas District University was founded in 1948, on initiative of the priest Daniel de Caicedo, who was its first principal. The foundation act of the "Universidad Municipal de Bogotá" (as it was originally named) stated that it was a university created by the Bogotá City Council to give education to the poorest young men of the city.^{[citation needed]}

Another fundamental characteristic of the University is that its programs were chosen so that they could bring solutions to the problems of the city. Hence, the first program to be created was Radiotechnology, which in time became the Electronics Engineering program. The other program was Topography which still exists and in time gave birth to the Cadastral Engineering program. Another program was dedicated to the care and conservation of the environment, later named Forest Engineering.

The first University building was located where today stands the Museo de Desarrollo Urbano (Urban Development Museum) in the Calle 10th with Carrera 8th, in front of the Palacio Liévano (Liévano Palace) and the Capitolio Nacional (National Capitol).

In the year 1957, the city of Bogotá became the "Distrito Especial" (Special District) and the University was then named "Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas" after the first Colombian scientist Francisco José de Caldas.

In the 1970s the departments of Physics and Chemistry were created, and the University increased its student population. In 1979 due to political and organizational difficulties, the University was closed for two years and reopened, totally renewed with a newly constructed campus, in the neighborhood La Macarena.

Between the years 1993 and 1994, technological programs arose, The Engineering programs gained strength and the Environment and Natural Resources programs were created, which have opened the University towards society and rest of the academic world.

Nowadays the University sees itself as the higher education institution serving the Capital District and the Central Region of the country.