| University of the Republic | |
|---|---|
| Universidad de la República | |
| Established | July 18, 1849 |
| Type | Public |
| Rector | Dr. Rodrigo Arocena |
| Students | about 80,000 |
| Location | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.universidad.edu.uy |
The University of the Republic (Spanish: Universidad de la República, sometimes UdeLaR) is Uruguay's public university. It is the most important and country's largest university, with a student body of more than 80,000 students. It was founded on July 18, 1849 in Montevideo, where most of its buildings and facilities are still located. Its current Rector is Dr. Rodrigo Arocena. The university houses 14 faculties and various institutes and schools.
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The process of founding the country's public university began on June 11, 1833 when a law proposed by then-Senator Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga was passed. It called for the creation of nine academic departments; the President of the Republic would pass a decree formally creating the departments once the majority of them were in operation. In 1836 the House of General Studies was formed, housing the departments of Latin, philosophy, mathematics, theology and jurisprudence.
On May 27, 1838, Manuel Oribe passed a decree through which created the Greater University of the Republic. That decree had few practical effects, given the institutional instability of the Oriental Republic of the Uruguay at that time.
In 2010, according to University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP),[1] it is the best university in Uruguay and 734th university in the world.
The university has its own hospital in Montevideo, Hospital de Clínicas “Dr. Manuel Quintela”.
In an effort to decentralize higher education, the University has opened schools in cities other than Montevideo. Its Regional Norte in Salto offers degrees in Architecture, Law and Nursing. Fragments of other degrees, which can be completed in Montevideo, are also offered there. At the Casa Universitaria in Rivera, the Faculty of Sciences offers the Technicature in Management of Environmental Resources, which has a duration of two and a half years.
