Miguel Hernández University of Elche

Super Miguel Hernandez University of Elche
Universitat Miguel Hernández d'Elx
Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
Established 1996
Type Public University
Rector Jesús Tadeo Pastor Ciurana
Location Elche, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Altea and Orihuela, Spain
Campus 5 campuses: Elche, Sant Joan, Altea, Orihuela-Salesas, Orihuela-Desamparados
Website http://www.umh.es
Rectorado Building, Campus of Elche, UMH.
Campus of Elche, UMH.
Campus of Sant Joan, UMH.
Campus of Orihuela, UMH.
Campus of Altea, UMH.

The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH, Spanish: Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Valencian: Universitat Miguel Hernández d'Elx, Latin: Universitas Miguel Hernández illicitana), is a Spanish Public University, open to the world, offering prestigious education, excellent research, and quality services facilitating the comprehensive development of its students and their insertion into the labor market. It is located in the province of Alicante and was established in 1996. Its name commemorates the Spanish poet Miguel Hernández.

The UMH offers Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s and PhD programs adapted to the European Higher Education Area in the fields of the arts, experimental and technical sciences, engineering, and health and social sciences at its four university campuses (Elche -main administration offices-, Altea, Orihuela and Sant Joan d'Alacant).

The UMH is particularly concerned about its students entering the labor market. Here, the University has excelled, achieving excellent results thanks to 6,000 businesses maintaining collaboration agreements with the University. Moreover, the UMH has been confirmed to be an academic institution committed to quality, as it was recently renewed with the European Seal of Excellence Gold level for the third time. The UMH is the only Spanish university to obtain this on three occasions.

The UMH has also fostered partnerships with other national and international institutions to promote student mobility and attract foreign students. In its bid for its internationalization, the UMH has set in motion a complete program of activities to facilitate foreign academic stays and to receive students who wish to further their education within our classrooms.

Quality research characterizes the UMH, as a study done by the Observatory of Research Activities in Spanish Universities (IUNE) on research productivity by Spanish universities shows. Their study places the UMH in the third position for 2011 in terms of annual scientific production per faculty member and accredited 6-year research periods per faculty member. UMH research activities are strongly related to their socioeconomic surroundings, but many of its laboratories possess levels of excellence recognized nationally as well as internationally.

Campuses

Elche Campus

The Office of the Rector and the University’s central services, as well as four schools, four research institutes and twelve departments are located in the city of Elche. In particular, the degree programs taught here include law, journalism, business administration, labor relations and human resources, sports science, psychology, biotechnology, business statistics, environmental science, electrical engineering, electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, telecommunication technologies engineering and computer engineering in information technology, in addition to various masters and postgraduate courses. This campus also contains sporting facilities including a golf course, paddle tennis courts, a pool, and a sports hall.

Sant Joan d'Alacant Campus

In Sant Joan d'Alacant, beside the university hospital, the UMH campus is dedicated to the health sciences. Housed here are two schools, two research institutes, six departments and several laboratories for training students. Degrees in medicine, physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, pharmacy and various postgraduate courses are taught on this campus. The Institute of Neuroscience and the Drug Dependence Research Institute have their headquarters at the Sant Joan d'Alacant Campus.

Orihuela Campus

In Orihuela, there are two schools and five UMH departments distributed between two university locations (Desamparados and Salesas), where technical and social science education, respectively, are offered. The courses taught at Desamparados, in addition to various masters, include food science and technology, agri-food and agri-environmental engineering. At Salesas, the degrees offered include business administration, political science and public management.

Altea Campus

In Altea, the UMH boasts an educational center dedicated entirely to the arts. Offered here is the degree in fine arts, and the campus contains a multi-sport court as well. This campus has workshops and studios for painting, sculpture, illustration, design, drawing, modeling, dance, etc., for students in a fine arts curriculum. The master’s degree of planning and landscape research is also taught here.

Facts and Figures

Campuses


Personnel


Research


Students


Employability


Internationalization


Annual budget

Organizational Structure

Campus of Altea, UMH (aerial view)

Faculties

Departments

Research

Research has an essential function at the UMH, which has adopted as fundamental missions encouraging and developing scientific, technical and artistic research of excellence, and training its researchers with postgraduate studies and doctoral programs in addition to specialized programs.

A study by the IUNE Observatory on research productivity at Spanish universities endorses the strong research profile of the UMH. This study positions the UMH in 3rd place in terms of annual scientific production per faculty member, and also in 3rd place in terms of accredited 6-year research periods per faculty member for 2002-2010. This new ranking confirms the UMH's leading research productivity profile already highlighted in a 2010 study by the University of Granada.

UMH research activities are closely related to the socioeconomic surroundings of its campuses but additionally possess a relevance and level of excellence recognized nationally and internationally, made evident by the high number of collaborations maintained with other prestigious centers and institutions through R&D agreements and projects. In particular, notable UMH research activities include neuroscience, biotechnology, health, statistics and operations research, engineering, information and communications technology, industrial technology, materials, production planning and agri-food systems, among others.

The UMH is interested in strengthening relationships with companies and its socioeconomic environment further through the transfer and licensing of its research results. To accomplish this, the University constantly participates in joint research projects with national and international companies, using its state of the art research facilities and capabilities.

The UMH, along with the other four Valencian public universities, has been awarded International Campus of Excellence recognition for their CAMPUSHABITAT5U project that specializes in habitat and territory. The goal of CAMPUS HABITAT5U is to promote and revitalize a process of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth based on knowledge, innovation, creativity, efficient use of resources, employability, and social and territorial cohesion.

Rankings published by IUNE (Observatory of Research Activities in Spanish Universities) for 2002-2010 identify the Miguel Hernandez University of Elche as one of the most productive research universities in Spain, further confirming the rankings produced by a 2010 University of Granada study. Presented next are some of the main metrics and UMH rankings among Spanish universities:


Research Institutes

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology

The Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC) aims for a multidisciplinary approach of excellence on a molecular and cellular level in the areas of biotechnology and health. Research at the IBMC is developed through two main lines of research: Molecular and Cellular Design and Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy. The Institute carries out intense translational and transferable technology research programs that have led to more than 20 registered patents and the creation of spin-off companies.

Institute "Center of Operations Research"

The University Research Institute "Center of Operations Research" (CIO) was established to support R&D activities in statistics, optimization and information technologies. The CIO comprises researchers from different fields (statistics, mathematics, computer engineering and marketing), forming a qualified interdisciplinary group capable of solving problems currently found in the business environment. The CIO continually searches for ways to improve the quality, efficiency and productivity in both public institutions and private companies.

Institute of Neurosciences

The Institute of Neurosciences (IN) is a joint UMH and CSIC research center devoted to the study of the structure, function and development of the nervous system under normal and pathological conditions. The IN is organized into three research units that include Developmental Neurobiology, Molecular Neurobiology and Cellular and Systems Neurobiology. Research groups at the IN use a wide variety of techniques covering the fields of molecular and cell biology, genetics and physiology.

Institute of Bioengineering

The Institute of Bioengineering (IB) aims to promote high quality and multidisciplinary research, focusing its efforts on the following areas: cell regenerative therapy, genetics of plant development, cell physiology, biomaterials, biomedical instrumentation, telemedicine, structural and functional genomics, toxicology and chemical safety, neurotoxicity and embryotoxicity, synthesis and design of organic molecules and polymers with biological and electronic applications, cell banks, clinical trials and drug monitoring.

Drug Addiction Research Institute

The Drug Addiction Research Institute (INID) is fundamentally oriented towards the development of research, education and application of programs and resources, through the provision of services and technical assessment for public and/or private entities that may require them in relation to all problems related to drug addiction. The INID approaches the problems of drug addiction through three research blocks: prevention, assistance, and reinsertion.

The Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies

The Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies (CEAM) is an institute of applied research created with the aim of undertaking R&D projects in environmental issues of special relevance for the Valencia Autono- mous Community and the Mediterranean region. The CEAM houses the European Photoreactor (EUROPHORE), one of the largest simulation chambers for studying atmospheric chemistry processes. Other areas include evaluation of plant injuries caused by air pollution, study and forecasting of extre- me weather phenomena, study of climate change and the carbon cycle, the fight against desertification and the restoration of ecosystems affected by forest fires.

Scientific and Business Park, UMH


Scientific and Business Park

The Scientific and Business Park at the UMH is managed by the Fundación Quórum. Its mission is to offer a setting for businesses and university research groups and to foster their collaboration by sharing scientific and technical interests and concerns. The Park has four areas of specialization: the Biotechnological Business Innovation Centre (CIEB); ILINOVA, ICTs and Consulting; ILITEK, Engineering; and AGROTEC, focusing on the field of agriculture and horticulture.

Residing at the Park are an extensive number of innovative businesses from sectors including biotechnology and health sciences, ICTs and industrial technologies, aeronautics, agro food, socioeconomics, etc. The businesses installed at the park have a series of value-added services at their disposal, like the search for technological partners, assistance in the search for public and private financing, administrative area outsourcing, assistance in business strategy and management, access to the UMH library and databases, etc.

The Park is a member of the Association of Scien- ce and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE), the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), and a member of the Network of Valencian Science Parks (rePCV). It actively collaborates with the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), being a node in the Network of R&D Information Points, as well as with the High Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Spain. The Park actively participates in the Assistance Program for the Creation and Growth of Innovative Companies of the Institute for Small and Medium Industry of the Generalitat Valenciana (IMPIVA), and along with the UMH, jointly promotes an entrepreneurial culture.

Academic Offerings

Altabix Building, Campus of Elche, UMH.

Undergraduate Degrees

Nationally Accredited Master’s Programs

PhD Programs

Other Postgraduate Courses

Internationalization

One of the primary objectives of the UMH is its internationalization. To accomplish this, the University has increased the number of agreements it has with foreign universities in recent years, which in turn has resulted in an increment of incoming and outgoing students and exchanges of faculty and researchers. The UMH is continuously interested in fostering its international relations and expanding its number of foreign partners.

To support linguistic preparation for our incoming and outgoing students, the UMH organizes language courses in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish as a foreign language. In fact, interested students can take the DELE examination, the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language), at the UMH, which is a certification from the Cervantes Institute with international recognition.

Student Life

The Office for University Culture and Extension organizes multiple showings, organized visits, recitals, literary, painting and photography contests, and more. Some of these activities include the UMH Choir, theatre groups Celda 1009 and Urbá, and the University Tuna singing groups.

Radio UMH broadcasts several programs about science, debate, current affairs, sports, music, etc., produced entirely by University community members (students, faculty and administrative personnel).

The UMH offers many sports to participate in, as well as sporting installations, training courses and open-air activities. Most UMH sporting installations are located on the Elche Campus. Here, there are paddle tennis courts, a pool, multi-sport courts, and a golf course. The UMH Sport Pavilion is a multi-disciplinary facility where you can practice dance, wrestling, football, basketball, spinning, fitness, aerobics, boxing, gymnastics, Pilates, or give your cardiovascular system a workout to help keep fit. In Orihuela, there are paddle tennis courts, a rugby pitch and multi-sport courts.

The International Relations Office offers the BUDDY Program to mentor foreign students. They are assigned a UMH student tutor whose job is to assist in their integration into the UMH and show them all our University can offer. Furthermore, foreign students willing to improve their Spanish and meet local students who are interested in learning their language can participate in the TANDEM Program for linguistic exchange.

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External links

Coordinates: 38°16′30″N 0°41′03″W / 38.27500°N 0.68417°W