Simón Bolívar University

Coordinates: 10°24′37″N 66°52′52″W / 10.4104°N 66.8812°W

Simón Bolívar University
Universidad Simón Bolívar
Motto "La Universidad del Futuro"
Motto in English
 "The University of the Future"
Established 1967
Type Public
Rector Enrique Planchart
Academic staff
 850(approx.)(2011)
Students 7.011 (approx.) (USB 2011)
Undergraduates 5.365 (5 yr) y 1.646 (3 yr) (approx.) (2011)
Postgraduates 1.282 (approx.) (2011)
Location Sartenejas, Miranda State, Venezuela
10°24′38.09″N 66°52′52.33″W / 10.4105806°N 66.8812028°W
Colors Yellow     
Website www.usb.ve
Laberinto Cromovegetal (1995) by Carlos Cruz-Diez, an iconic work of gardening art

Simón Bolívar University (Universidad Simón Bolívar in Spanish) or USB, is a public institution located in Miranda State, Venezuela with scientific and technological orientation.

History

On May 1967 the government created a commission composed by Luis Manuel Peñalver, Luis Carbonell, Mercedes Fermín, Miguel Angel Pérez and Héctor Isava to study the possibility of creating a new university that would offer studies to directly promote the economic and social development of the country. On July 18, 1967 the President of Venezuela Raúl Leoni signed a decree which officially founded the University as an Instituto Experimental de Educación Superior focused mainly on scientific and technological research. The original name given to the university was Universidad de Caracas; however, the first name of the Central University of Venezuela was also "Universidad de Caracas" and it was still known by that name. Members of The National Academy of History, the Bolivarian Society of Venezuela and other important institutions expressed their wish to relate the name of El Libertador Simón Bolívar to the name of the recently created university, which resulted in the change to the name of Universidad Experimental Simón Bolívar in 1969. Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla was the rector when president Rafael Caldera inaugurated the University on January 19, 1970.

From the confluence between the name "Universidad Simón Bolívar" and its slogan "The University of the Future", the Venezuelan designer, Gerd Leufert developed the design inspired by the photographic reproduction of an electrical circuit. The figure includes eight semicircular lines and a small rectangle in the center of them, forming a structure similar to a rounded pyramid, whose meaning is that of a gateway, which represent the unity of various knowledges and their projections into the future.

As 2010, the Simón Bolívar University has over 38,000 alumni[1]

Campus

Location

Espejo Solar by Alejandro Otero, located at the laguna de los espejos

The closed-campus-style grounds are located in the Sartenejas valley, in the municipality of Baruta, Miranda State. Its total surface is approximately of 3,489,000 m².

Degrees

Library of the USB

It offers the following undergraduate programs (B.Sc.):

It offers the following graduate programs (M.Sc., Ph.D. and Specializations):

Extracurricular activities

USB entry on the Formula SAE

Traditions

Estructura Hidrocinética was designed in 1975 by Gabriel Martín Landrove
Simón Bolívar statue by the Peruvian artist Joaquín Roca Rey
Owl located at the Dean's office

Several myths and legends are part of the student's culture:

La Cebolla: The logo of the university is called "La Cebolla" or "the onion" in Spanish in contrast to its technological symbolism (it was inspired by the photograph of an electric circuit). It was designed to represent a group of doors one into another, a metaphor for the hard work and effort students have to do in order to walk from the big door that leads them in, to the little one that leads them out (see ).

A brief history and description: The sculpture creation starts at 1975 when Gabriel Martin Landrove, a young USB's architect student, won an institutional contest. A long time of constructions took place until July 5 of 1991 when PHD Professor Stefan Zarea conducted the final works an inaugurated it.[2] The artistic concept was inspired on the morning dew condensed over a tree sleeve falling down into another one. The sleeves are represented with 576 metal trowel arranged as a matrix 48x12 in a conical truncated structure that allow the water to create multiple and smalls waterfalls. This huge structure can rotate over its own vertical axis and the movement is produced by a Pelton wheel dispose at the lower level of the conical structure. The rise of the water to the top and its rotational momentum is produced by hydroulic force drive by an electrical pump. There is also a tree level shallow pool, a top circular viewer and an intricate circular walk sides that complements the design.

The University turns it on during special occasions, like graduations, and since 2008 is under heavy maintenance program. On January 19, 2010, the Maintenance Department finished the second stage of its restoration with the restart of the conical structure including their rotational movement. It is left for the close future, the restoration of the mirror pools, water filtration systems and night illumination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhnGmfkFh3Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNevGd0pTYQ

For more history information see

  1. ↑ http://www.usb.ve/pdf/dip_nov_2010.pdf
  2. ↑ La Universidad Simón Bolívar a través de sus símbolos. 2005. Maria Teresa Jurado de Baruch. Editorial Equinoccio. Sartenejas, Baruta.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Universidad Simón Bolívar.

Aerial Photos