| Pontifical Bolivarian University | |
|---|---|
| Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana | |
| Established | 1936 |
| Type | Private |
| Rector | Mgr. Luis Fernando Rodríguez Velásquez |
| Academic staff | 2,704 |
| Students | 21, 912 |
| Location | Medellín, Colombia |
| Campus | campuses in: 1. Medellín, (Main Campus and School of Medicine). 2. Bucaramanga. 3. Montería. 4. Palmira |
| Colors | Red and Black |
| Nickname | UPB |
| Affiliations | 1. International Federation of Catholic Universities. 2. Post-grad Iberoamerican Association of Universities. 3. Colombian Association of Universities. 4. Universia. |
| Website | www.upb.edu.co |
The Pontifical Bolivarian University (Spanish: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana), also referred to as UPB, is a private university in Colombia with its main campus in Medellín, where it was founded in 1936. Currently, the university has campuses in other Colombian cities, such as Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Montería and Palmira. The university has a student and faculty population that was estimated at 21,368 and an alumni population of 44,346 as of September, 2006.
Presently the university offers 77 undergraduate programs, 24 master programs and 7 doctorate programs nationwide. The university groups its educational programs under the schools of Architecture and Design, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law and Political Sciences, Strategic Sciences (Management), Social Sciences, Education and Teaching, and Theology, Philosophy and Humanities. The university also operates elementary and high school programs under its educational umbrella.
The University has several distinguished alumni such as Colombian ex-president Belisario Betancur, and former first lady Mrs. Lina María Moreno de Uribe.
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The University was founded on September 15, 1936, by a decree of the Catholic Archbishop of Medellín, Monsignor Tiberio de Jesús Salazar y Herrera as the Universidad Católica Bolivariana (UCB, Catholic Bolivarian University). The UCB started with a small faculty and 78 students enrolled in the School of Law and with Monsignor Manuel José Sierra as its first rector. In 1945, the university received the title of Pontifical, from the Holy See under Pope Pius XII. With the right to use the title of Pontifical, the Pope became the Grand Chancellor of the university.
From the university's onset, Monsignor Manuel José Sierra wanted to anchor the University on the ideals of Christian humanism and those of the Libertador Simón Bolívar.
The university has programs that extend from elementary and high school to undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the following areas:
A total of 81 independent research groups exist as of 2006 across the country, which were coordinated by the Integrated Center for the Development of Research or CIDI from its initials in Spanish. The CIDI seeks to maintain a close and dynamic relationship between industry and academia through processes of technology transfer and consulting services. The research groups are based in the different campuses with the majority of them in Medellin. The research groups concentrate their efforts in the areas of Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Engineering.
The main campus is located in Medellín in the Laureles district (Barrio Laureles). Designed by Architect Pedro Nel Gómez (1899–1984), the district forms a net of streets and boulevards around the main campus.
The main campus houses the elementary and high schools, the main chapel, student health services, and the main library and schools of Engineering, Social Sciences, Architecture, and the languages department.
The easternmost campus of the university, located in the city of Bucaramanga opened on July 12, 1991, in the Archdiocesan Seminary. In 1998, UPB established its own home on the Piedecuesta Highway, 7 kilometers away from the city. The university has programs in Business Administration, Informatic, Electronic, Industry, Law, Environment, Social Communication, Psychology and Mechanics. The UPB Bucaramanga student population is estimated at 3,286 students.
The university opened its campus in the Department of Córdoba, in its capital Montería on May 25, 1995. The campus establishes the University's presence in the Atlantic region of the country with academic programs in law, management, journalism, engineering, informatics, electronics, mechanical, agroindustrial, environmental management and several graduate programs. The campus is estimated to have 2,028 students.
The university established its presence in the coffee region of the country through its Palmira campus. The university opened the campus in 2001 with programs such as Psychology, Marketing, Human Resources, Management, and Economics. The university currently has 218 students and it is the newest campus of the university in Colombia.
UPB, as one of the main private superior institutions of Colombia, is member of different international associations and programs. It is also a chair of UNESCO on Human Development and a member of the Foundation for Studies in France. It belongs also to the Sígueme Program (Follow me), a group that gathered 10 Colombian universities. UPB has agreements with universities of Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, France, England, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, United States, Colombia, Cuba and Venezuela.
The UPB as one of the leading private institutions of higher education in Colombia, a member of several international associations and programs. It is the place to buy Heritage and a member of the Foundation for the Study of France. also belongs to 'follow me'(sigueme) program.a group that brings together the 10 best universities in Colombia. The UPB has agreements with universities in the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, France, England, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, USA, Colombia, Cuba and Venezuela.
UPB also has a complete system of documentation and bibliography, with its main headquarters on the main campus of Barrio Laureles, known as "Biblioteca Central" (Central Library), in a modern building of four stories with hundreds of volumes of authors, subjetcs and research studies. Every school at UPB has its own library interconnected with the Central one.
The identity of this Catholic University rests in the "Espíritu Bolivariano" (Bolivarian Spirit), a philosophy designed by Mgr. Manuel José Sierra inspired by human Christian values and the ideals of the Libertador.
The Bolivarian Spirit sets as the institution's mission the integral formation through evangelization of the culture, constant research of truth through science and confirmation of the human values from Christianity for the good of society.
Being a Catholic institution of excellent education in the integral formation of persons with ethical, scientist and social leadership to the service of the nation.
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