| University of the Americas Puebla | |
|---|---|
| Universidad de las Américas Puebla | |
Coat of Arms |
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| Motto | SAPIENTIAE DILECTIONE AUGEBITUR NOS |
| Motto in English | The love for wisdom will enlarge us |
| Established | 1940 |
| Type | Private university |
| President | Luis Ernesto Derbez |
| Academic staff | 763 |
| Undergraduates | 7,500 |
| Location | San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico |
| Campus | Urban, 728,000 m2 |
| Colors |
Dark Green & Dark Orange |
| Athletics | 12 varsity teams |
| Mascot | Aztecas (Aztecs) |
| Website | udlap.mx |
Universidad de las Américas Puebla (commonly known as UDLAP, English: University of the Americas), is a private university in Mexico. It is located in San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, a suburb of Puebla. The university is known for its programs in Arts and Humanities, Social sciences, Science and Engineering, and Business and Economics. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America, as well as being one of the only seven universities in Latin America accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The UDLAP has also been very successful in Mexican collegiate sports; their teams are the Aztecas.
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The Universidad de las Américas was founded in 1940 by Dr. Henry L. Cain and Dr. Paul V. Murray. Its original name was Mexico City College. The institution initially offered Associate degrees in Arts and Sciences. In 1946 the Veterans Administration added the university to its list of "approved universities" which allowed veterans to study in the institution with financing from the United States' government. The Graduate School was created in 1947.
The university was accepted by the Texas Association of Colleges, as an overseas institution in 1951. In 1959 the university became a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
In 1963 the university changed its name to "University of the Americas". The institution was divided into three schools: Mexico City College, School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School. In 1967 the Mary Street Jenkins Foundation along with the International Development Agency provided the financial resources to build a new campus in the municipality of San Andres Cholula, Puebla. In 1968 the university decided to change its name to its Spanish translation "Universidad de las Américas".
The Universidad de las Américas moved to its new campus in the city of Puebla, Puebla. Two more schools were created: the Institute of Technology (now the School of Engineering) in 1971 and the School of Economics and Business Sciences in 1978.
UDLAP's campus is actually in Cholula, near Puebla city but not within it. I graduated from it in June '64.
The Institute of Advanced Studies was created in 1986 and in 1988 the School of Humanities and Social Sciences became two separate entities. In 1989 the School of Sciences was created.
New Science Laboratories were built, as well as a new building for the School of Humanities. In 1994 the school became connected with a network of voice and data. In 1997 the Library was remodeled and allowed students to "digitally access" it.
New Chemical Engineering Laboratories were built. Two Doctoral programs (PhD) were created, one in Economics and the other in Computer Science. In 2002 the Institute of Public Politics was created as well as the Center of Regional Development. A new laboratory of Optical Communications was built for the Information and Automatization Technology Research Center. The CAIL, Language Learning and Research Complex (Conjunto para el Aprendizaje e Investigación en Lenguas) was finished in 2005. And the Football soccer school of the Real Madrid was established.
In 2006, 11 new Bachelors degrees and 9 Master Programs opened, including the innovative programs at the undergraduate degree on Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering, and Culinary Arts. Launching was announced (for 2007) of academic programs in Health Sciences: Medicine, Odontology and Nursing. In 2011, the threatment plant of residual waters was inaugurated.[1]
The campus is made up of 38 buildings on 180 acres (728,000 m²), located 12 miles (19 km) west of Puebla's downtown, and less than 2 miles south of Cholula's downtown. The 38 buildings include 6 classroom buildings, 2 laboratory buildings, 3 on-campus dormitories, 1 off-campus dormitory, 2 soccer fields, 1 football field, 1 baseball field, 2 gymnasiums, tennis courts, 2 cafeterias, 1 library, 1 Student Center, 1 Auditorium, Offices and Professors' Housing. The campus was built on what was originally known as the Hacienda de Sta. Catarina Mártir.
Unique to Mexico, the University of the Americas Puebla has a housing system very similar to those in the United States. Their antecedents being the Yale and the Harvard housing systems. The University has 4 residential colleges, named after some of the most important people in the history of the UDLAP. The name of the four colleges are: The Cain Murray, the Ray Lindley, the Ignacio Bernal and the José Gaos colleges.[2]
As of December 2005, the School of Social Sciences and the School of Art and Humanities combined, as did the School of Engineering and the School of Sciences, to form two new schools as part of an institutional plan to offer the students a broader education. Also, the Economics Department joined the Business School, which changed its name to School of Economic and Management Sciences. On March, 2006, the school changed again its name to its current form.
In Mexico, the Research in Universities is generally done at Public Universities or at research-specific institutions. However the UDLAP is noted for being one of the few Private Universities in the country to invest a reasonable amount of resources in investigation. Approximately 25% of the professors at the UDLAP are members of the National System of Investigators. These teachers impart several subjects at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, facilitating the students' involvement in research projects beginning in the first semesters.
The researchers' work is reflected in scientific production. On average, during the last two years there were 364 works produced and to date there have been 330 publications, which include media articles, refereed articles, conference papers, book chapters and theses.[4]
As seen at the Annual study presented by the Mexican newspaper El Universal, the UDLAP was given the best grade of the universities in the Metropolitan area of Puebla, above universities such as UPAEP, BUAP or the Ibero Puebla. It is also the fourth best private University in the country, and the ninth overall. The same study also shows that Employers placed the University in second place, only after Mexico's National University, the UNAM, and that in the Teacher's evaluation, the Puebla University was placed in third place, after the UNAM and the ITAM.[5]
Universidad de las Américas' football team ("fútbol americano" as it is called in Mexico, and should not be confused with the soccer team), is called "Aztecas". They have won 3 championships in the National League called ONEFA. They currently play in the Premier League of the CONADEIP The University also hosts the third Spanish Real Madrid youth soccer school overseas, and started activities on 7 February 2005. The UDLAP Men's basketball team is the 2006 Puebla state champions.
Current school teams with participation in national tournaments include:
The Universidad de las Américas is affiliated to:
Besides being accredited by the Secretaría de Educación Pública (federal Secretariat of Education), the Universidad de las Américas is also accredited by:
The following is a list of some of the Honoris Causa Degrees awarded by the Universidad de las Américas:
UDLAP offers a wide range of on-campus events such as academic, cultural and sporting events, which are open to both students and the local community. The UDLAP Nobel Conference is held two times a year. In this conference Nobel Prize Winners are invited to talk about their work and also their experience of being a Nobel Prize Winner. On the cultural side the UDLAP offers a wide range of activities in different locations. La Casa del Caballero Águila and La Capilla del Arte UDLAP are two museums of the university offering concerts, art exhibitions and lectures. Starting in the summer of 2007, the UDLAP hosts a summer program for rising 8th graders to 10th graders through CTY, the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
For more than 20 years in a row, the UDLAP has been the organizer and host of the Latin American Model United Nations (LAMUN); one of the most known United Nation's Models in Latin America. Many students from all over Mexico and countries from Central and South America Universities take part annually at LAMUN. The XXIII edition was the last one held, on March 2010.
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