| University of Antioquia | |
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| Universidad de Antioquia | |
Seal of the University of Antioquia |
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| Established | 1803 |
| Type | Public |
| Rector | Alberto Uribe Correa[1] |
| Academic staff | 1,386 FTE[2] |
| Admin. staff | 1,589[2] |
| Students | 30,844[2] |
| Undergraduates | 29,175[2] |
| Postgraduates | 1,669[2] |
| Location | Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia |
| Campus | Urban |
| Former names | Franciscan College[3] |
| Colours | White and Green |
| Sports | Track, Football |
| Nickname | UdeA |
| Affiliations | ASCUN, AUIP, Universia |
| Website | www.udea.edu.co |
The University of Antioquia (Spanish: Universidad de Antioquia), also called UdeA, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia with regional campuses in Amalfi, Andes, Caucasia, Carmen de Viboral, Envigado, Puerto Berrío, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Segovia, Sonsón, Turbo and Yarumal.[4] It's the oldest departmental university in Colombia, founded in 1803 by a Royal Decree issued by the King Charles IV of Spain under the name Franciscan College (Spanish: Colegio de Franciscanos).[3][5] It's considered one of the best universities in the country, receiving a high quality accreditation from the Ministry of Education for 9 years, being along the University of the Andes, the two universities with the second longest term, only behind the National University of Colombia.[6]
The university is a member of the Association of Colombian Universities (ASCUN),[7] the Iberoamerican Association of Postgraduate Universities (AUIP), [8] and the network Universia.[9].
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The University of Antioquia was preceded by the Franciscan College Spanish: Colegio de Franciscanos which was founded in 1803 after the King Charles IV of Spain issued the Royal Decree of Febraury 9, 1801, allowing the establishment of a college-convent in Villa de la Candelaria, present day Medellín.[3]
The first classes were held on March of 1803. The classes consisted of Latin and philosophy. In June 20, 1803 the cabildo of Medellín bought a land to build the main building of the institution. The construction was started in August of the same year. Right now the structure is called Building San Ignacio (Spanish: Edificio San Ignacio)[5]
In 1822, once the independence in the region from Spain was consolidated, the Vice President of the Republic of Colombia Francisco de Paula Santander promoted the establishment of a new educational plan in the institution and, five years later, the president Simón Bolívar allowed the instruction in law.[3]
During great part of the 19th century the country faced a lot of political and armed struggles and the university was closed and even occupied by some of the belligerents preventing the impeding the development of the institution.[3]
Once the Thousand Days' War was over, the country experienced a time of big stability and the university experienced a big institutional growth.[5] In the first thirty years the university started a reorganization of the courses, redesigned some of the buildings and acquired bibliographic material and contracted renowned professors.[3][5]
The University City (Spanish: Ciudad Universitaria) was built in the 1960s with some credits and international aids. This allowed the increase in the numbers of both students and professors and the creation of new faculties and academic programs.[3]
Understanding its mission as a departmental university, the UdeA started at the mid of the 1990s a regionalization program to offer higher education in all the department of Antioquia. Right now it has regional campuses in 11 different municipalities other than Medellín.[4]
In 2004 the university established the University Research Headquarters (Spanish: Sede de Investigación Universitaria (SIU)) which is an advanced project created by the University of Antioquia to promote a qualitative and quantitative transformation of its research system. Through the SIU, the University plans to contribute to the knowledge society by making research, innovation and technological development pillars for the construction of a fairer and more competitive Colombia.[10]
The university is scattered all over the city of Medellín, being the University City the main campus. The other campuses located in the city are the Citadel Robledo and the Health Area. The San Ignacio Building is also located in the city, specifically in the downtown.
Apart from the campuses located in the capital, there are several regional campuses across the department.
Built in the 1960s and with an area of 237,498 m²[2], it's considered the main campus of the university. The campus contains eight faculties, three schools and three institutes and the Administrative Building (Spanish: Edificio Administrativo).[11][12] It also hosts the Universitary Museum (Spanish: Museo Universitario), the University Theater(Spanish: Teatro Universitario), the Central Library (Spanish: Biblioteca Central) and the Sport Unit (Spanish: Unidad Deportiva)[13].
With an area of 89,050 m²,[2] Citadel Robledo hosts the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, the School of Nutrition and the Institute of Physical Education[11]. The library located in the campus is widely known for its collection in veterinary medicine and zootechnics and for its Veterinary Clinic.
It also contains a sport unit. It includes two football pitchs, a pool, two basketball/futsal courts and a handball court[13].
It's the area that covered by the faculties of the healthcare sciences, that is, the faculies of Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine and Public Health. They're located around the St Vincent de Paul University Hospital (Spanish: Hospital Universitario San Vicente Paúl).[13]
Historical campus of the university and declared national monument of Colombia in 1982,[14] it contains seven exhibition halls, ten lecture rooms, one movie theater, two computer labs, one restaurant, one multipurpose room and one auditorium.[15]
Since its foundation, the university concentrated all its efforts in Medellín, the capital of Antioquia. However, in the 1990s the university started a regionalization plan to increase its coverage in higher education in all regions of the department.[16] As a result, the university opened regional campuses in Amalfi, Andes, Caucasia, Carmen de Viboral, Envigado, Puerto Berrío, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Segovia, Sonsón, Turbo and Yarumal,[4] covering all of the subregions of Antioquia.
In 2011, the Ministry of Education gave to the UdeA the award for the best regionalization experience in higher education.[17]
The Superior University Council (Spanish: Consejo Superior Universitario) is the highest government body of the university. It's formed by the Governor of Antioquia who's the president of the SUC, the Minister of Education of his delegate, a representative of the President of Colombia, a dean elected as the representative of the Academic Council, a representative of the professors, a representative of the students, an alumnus, a representative of the industry, an ex-rector of the university and the rector who can't vote.[18]
The Academic Council (Spanish: Consejo Académico) is the highest academic body of the university. It's formed by the rector, who's the president of the AC; vice-rectors of Investigation, Teaching, Extension and Administration; deans of each faculty; a representative of the professors and a representative of the students.[1]
The rector is the legal representative and top executive authority of the university. He's responsible of the academic and administrative management of the institution. He can't take any other job in the private or public sector. He takes possession before the President of the Superior University Council.[19]
The university has 25 academic divisions in the flagship campus:[11]
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Faculties
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Schools
Institutes
Corporations
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Altogether, they offer 87 undergraduate degrees, 48 specializations, 41 medical specializations and 53 master degrees and 22 doctoral degrees in Medellín.[2] In the regional campuses, they offer 126 undergraduate degrees and two master degrees.[2] The UdeA has also a number of international partnerships, offering student exchange programs and some double degrees with foreign institutions, among them: Politecnico di Torino, Universidade de São Paulo, and Politecnico di Milano.[20]
The University has a wide and big research activity with 228 research groups in each of the categories established by Colciencias (A1, A, B, C and D).[2] In 2006, the university provided an investment of about $145 billions COP for research.[21]
The majority of the excellence groups (A1, A and B) are concentrate at the University Research Headquarters (Spanish: Sede de Investigación Universitaria -SIU-) which is an advanced project created by the University of Antioquia to promote a qualitative and quantitative transformation of its research system. Through the SIU, the University plans to contribute to the knowledge society by making research, innovation and technological development pillars for the construction of a fairer and more competitive Colombia.
Within the SIU there are currently 36 research groups of excellence, classified by Colciencias as categories A and B, working in diverse areas such as biotechnology, chemistry, materials science, genetics, environment, immunology, infectious and tropical diseases, among others. All of these groups carry out high quality research that contributes to the status of the University of Antioquia as a research university.[10]
Along with providing facilities for the development of scientific and technological projects, the purpose of the SIU is to encourage interdisciplinary work, promote synergy between the member groups, and cooperation between the local and national research community and researchers in other countries.[10]
The university competes in the West division of ASCUN-Deportes, along with 24 institutions from Antioquia. [22] The games at the division phase are the qualifiers for the national competition.[22] The university offers training and has varsity teams in aikido, chess, track and field, basketball, cycling, climbing, football, futsal, gymnastics, judo, karate, olympic weightlifting, swimming, rugby union, softball, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, triathlon, ultimate, volleyball and underwater rugby.[23]
The university has a great number of student groups and organizations involved in academic, art, ecological, social and sports activities. Three of the cultural groups are administrated by the university (however, the academic divisions can administrate their own groups). They are the Folk Dances Group, the Traditional Student Music Group and the Club of Singers.[15]
Former students of the university include former presidents Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Mariano Ospina Pérez, Carlos E. Restrepo, Liborio Mejía and Mariano Ospina Rodríguez; writers Tomás Carrasquilla, Fernando González and Gonzalo Arango; and politicians Carlos Gaviria Díaz and Fabio Valencia Cossio.
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