Panamerican University
| Panamerican University Universidad Panamericana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto |
Ubi spiritus, libertas (Latin for: Where the spirit is, there is freedom) |
| Established | 1967 |
| Type | Private, Roman Catholic |
| Rector | Dr. José Antonio Lozano Díez |
| Students | 16,217 (2010)[1] |
| Undergraduates | 3,124 |
| Postgraduates | 3,917 |
| Location | Mexico City, D.F., Mexico |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.up.edu.mx |
The Panamerican University (Spanish Universidad Panamericana), commonly known as UP, is a private Catholic university located in Mexico City. It has three main campuses, two located since the summer of 2007 in Guadalajara and in Aguascalientes, the last in Santa Fe, Mexico City, since 2009. It also operates a preparatoria in Mixcoac in southern Mexico City.
History
UP was founded in 1967 as a business school. A group of wealthy businessmen and academics gave life to the Panamerican Institute for High Business Direction (Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresas), later they promoted the creation of a university. The Panamerican Institute of Humanities (Instituto Panamericano de Humanidades- IPH), founded in 1968, merged with the IPADE and created the Panamerican University. It was all done under the spiritual direction of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church.
In 1978, the IPH was given University rank and took the name Panamerican University (Universidad Panamericana), even though the IPADE and IPH conceived from their origins the universal and unitarian knowledge.
The new university began with only two programs, Pedagogy and Administration. During the 1970s new programs were added, including Law and Philosophy (1970), Economics and Business Administration (1977), and Industrial Engineering (1978). Further new programs were added in the 1980s and 1990s, including Electromechanic Engineering, Accountancy (1981), Informatics, Marketing, International Business, Finance (1993), and Medicine (1996).
Motto and Coat of Arms
Ubi spiritus, libertas (Where the spirit is, there is freedom) is the university's motto, it synthesizes the educational philosophy. Love of freedom in a space where the human spirit is cultivated: therefore, love of authentic freedom.
The University's arms is formed by two elements: The red square and the blue band on the golden left side, which represent the coat of arms used by Christopher Columbus when he discovered the Americas; they symbolize Pan-Americanism.
On the right side, on top of a golden bottom, there's an Oak, symbol of strength. Its roots are the diverse sources of integral development; the four ramifications symbolize the Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance; the leaves and acorns represent the rest of the virtues, which derive of the fundamental four.
Schools and Faculties
Currently, the university has 17 undergradutate academic programs, depending on 5 Schools and 3 Faculties. This includes Licenciaturas and Ingenierías (equivalent to BA, BSc and LLB).
- School of Institutions Administration
- School of Health Sciences
- School of Economic and Business Sciences
- School of Communication
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Pedagogy
The University is also in charge of the Preparatoria Universidad Panamericana (Panamerican University Highschool), a high school with the same educational principles. It has two distinct campi one for boys and another for girls, called Yaocalli.
International Programs
For several years, the university has offered several exchange agreements with the following universities (among others):
- Fachhochschule Schmalkalden
- University of Lethbridge
- University of Navarra
- University of Westminster
- University of Exeter
- Université de Montréal
- Bond University
- Dalhousie University
- European Business School International University Schloss Reichartshausen
Faculty
- See Category:Universidad Panamericana faculty
- Eduardo Ferrer MacGregor
- Francisco de Rosenzweig Mendialdua
- Hector Zagal
- Eduardo Charpenel
- Carlos Abascal
- Leonardo Polo
- Sergio Salvador Aguirre Anguiano
- Miguel Alessio Robles
Notable alumni
- See Category:Universidad Panamericana alumni
Politicians
- Enrique Peña Nieto (B.L.), 57th President of Mexico (2012-)
- Miguel Alonso Reyes (B.L.), Governor of Zacatecas (2010-)
- César Nava Vázquez (B.L.), President of the National Action Party (2009-2010); Representative for Mexico City (2009-2012); Personal Secretary to the President (2006-2008)
Academic
- Arturo Damm - Economist.
- Hernany Veytia - Lawyer.
- Alfredo Reyes Krafft - TIC Lawyer
- Hector Zagal - Philosopher and writer.
- José Manuel Rivera Montes de Oca
- Noé Rodríguez Castro
Honoris Causa degrees
Some of the Honoris Causa degrees awarded by the UP include:
- Kim B. Clark, American economist.