Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Latin: Universitas Catholica Chilensis
Motto	In Christi lumine pro mundi vita
Established	June 21, 1888
Type	Private (Traditional)
Affiliation	Catholic Church
Chancellor	Ricardo Ezzati Andrello
Rector	Ignacio Sánchez Díaz
Administrative staff	2,732
Students	22,122
Location	Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins #340, Santiago
Website	www.uc.cl

The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC or PUC) (Spanish: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two Pontifical Universities in the country, along with the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. It is also one of Chile's oldest universities and one of the most recognized educational institutions in Latin America.^[1] It ranks 1st in South America by QS ranking.^[2]

Campuses

UC has four campuses in Santiago and one campus in Villarrica. The campuses in Santiago are:

• Casa Central (in downtown Santiago)
• San Joaquín (in Macul Commune of Greater Santiago)
• Oriente (in Providencia Commune of Greater Santiago)
• Lo Contador (also in Providencia Commune)

These four campuses have a total of 223,326.06 m² constructed in a 614,569.92 m² area. The Villarrica campus has 1,664 m² constructed in a 2,362.5 m² area.

History

UC was founded on June 21, 1888 by the Santiago Archbishop, to offer training in traditional professions (law) and in technological and practical fields such as business, accounting, chemistry, and electricity. Its first chancellor was Monsignor Joaquín Larraín Gandarillas, and at the very beginning, the university only taught two subjects, law and mathematics. Since it is a Pontifical University, it has always had a strong and very close relationship with the Vatican. On February 11, 1930, Pope Pius XI declared it a pontifical university, and in 1931 it was granted full academic autonomy by the Chilean government.

UC is a private, urban, multi-campus university. It is one of the eleven Chilean Catholic universities, and one of the twenty-five institutions within the Rectors' Council (Consejo de Rectores), the Chilean state-sponsored university system. It is part of the Universities of the Rectors' Council of Chilean Universities, and although it is not state-owned, a substantial part of its budget is given by state transferences under different concepts.

UC's 18 faculties are distributed through four campuses in Santiago and one regional campus located in southern Chile. The technical training centers affiliated with the University are: DUOC, the Rural Life Foundations, the Baviera Foundation, the Catechetical Home and the San Fidel Seminary. These centers carry out technical-academic extension activities in rural and agricultural areas. Other UC activities are a Sports Club, a nation-wide television network, and a Clinical Hospital dependent on the Faculty of Medicine.

UC 's Graduates of the School of Architecture (one of the most prominent in Latin America) have also made important contributions to the country with such work as the Central Building ("Casa Central") of UC, and the National Library.

Two of its most important alumni are the Jesuit Saint Alberto Hurtado and Eduardo Frei Montalva, a Chilean president. Both of them studied in the School of Laws. Sebastián Piñera, previous Chilean president, graduated from the university's School of Economics.

Collaborations

The Department of Industry and System Engineering is engaging Stanford Technology Venture Program of Stanford University on a collaboration on innovation and technology ventures.

In December 2011, the schools of engineering of PUC and the University of Notre Dame signed an agreement to establish a dual graduate degree in civil engineering and the geological sciences,^[3] which now extends to other departments in both schools.

In April 2013, PUC and the University of Notre Dame also signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen scholarly engagement and expand their long-standing relationships.^[4] The agreement establishes an exchange program in which faculty, doctoral students and university representatives from each institution will visit, work, study and collaborate with the other institution.

World rankings

PUC ranks among the first 10 Latin-American Universities according to the Shanghai ranking,^[5] and is 1st according to the QS ranking.^[6]

Faculties and subjects

Notable Alumni

Architecture

• Emilio Duhart
• Fernando Castillo Velasco

Art

• Egon Wolff
• Roberto Matta

Economy

• Miguel Kast
• José Piñera
• Joaquín Lavín
• Sebastián Edwards
• Sebastián Piñera

Religion

• Alberto Hurtado
• Raúl Silva Henríquez

Both studied law at the university.

Politics

• Ex-president of Chile Eduardo Frei Montalva
• Ex-president of Chile Sebastian Piñera
• Adolfo Zaldívar
• Arturo Frei Bolívar
• Ena von Baer
• Fernando Castillo Velasco
• Hernán Larraín
• Fernando Flores
• Jaime Guzmán
• Joaquín Lavín
• Osvaldo Andrade
• Radomiro Tomic
• Tomás Jocelyn-Holt

Knowledge Transfer, Service & Consultancy

• DICTUC SA (a group of 40+ consultancies leading in Engineering, Management and Innovation)
• Salud Clinica UC
• Hospital of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
• Mega UC Health Centres (maternity)

References

• puc.cl

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

• Official Web Prospectus (English)
• Official Web Site (Spanish)

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Coordinates: 33°26′28″S 70°38′27″W / 33.4411°S 70.6408°W / -33.4411; -70.6408