Free University of Colombia ( es, Universidad Libre), also called Unilibre, is a
nonsectarian,
coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
al,
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
and
nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
university based in
Bogota, Colombia, with six
satellite campuses located in
Cali
Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...
,
Barranquilla
Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Col ...
,
Pereira Pereira (Portuguese and Galician for "pear tree") may refer to:
People
* Pereira (surname)
Places
*Brazil
**Pereira (Bahia) (est. 1534) in the present-day Barra neighborhood of Salvador in Bahia
**Pereira Barreto, municipality in São Paulo
**Pe ...
,
Cartagena,
Cúcuta, and
Socorro. It is considered one of Colombia's most comprehensive universities, receiving a high quality accreditation from the
Ministry of Education for 4 years, and offers sixty-seven degree programs at the undergraduate level and one hundred sixty-three graduate level programs.
Since the original intention of this institution of higher education was to offer the space for unbiased learning during a radical political period in the country, the proper translation would be "Freedom University," given it promotes freedom of speech and political thought.
The university is a member of the
Association of Colombian Universities (
ASCUN
The Association of Colombian Universities ( es, Asociación Colombiana de Universidades), also known as ASCUN, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, that congregates the public and private Colombian universities. Its primary objecti ...
)
and the Iberoamerican University Network
Universia.
History
The Universidad Libre was established in 1890 as Universidad Republicana (Republican University of Colombia) by the Colegio Académico. In 1910, Universidad Republicana went through terrible economic mishaps. A group of investors determined to save the institution led by Don Eugenio Lopez, proceeded to try to amass the necessary funds to keep the institution alive. On April 13, 1912, Universidad Republicana S.A. was constituted as a society but its commercial name was
Universidad libre. In 1913 after many legal battles, Universidad Libre became an independent entity from Universidad Republicana.
Now constituted as a separate entity, Universidad Libre once again faced economic issues with many of the contributors withdrawing their funds. Cesar J. Rodriguez was in charge of the daunting task of yet again raising capital for the institution. Mr. Rodriguez hired the seasoned and charismatic leader
Benjamin Herrera as head of the project.
Mr. Herrera was in charge of Universidad Libre until 1921, when he ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign against Pedro Nel Ospina. The defeated Mr. Herrera finally raised the desired amount of capital in 1922 and Julio Cesar Rodriguez announced on March 29, 1922, the beginning of activities.
It was not until February 13, 1923, that Universidad Libre actually started classes, in the first faculty dedicated to Law and Science.
Alumni
Libre's alumni include a vast range of prominent individuals in the history of the country and the region, with the following list representative:
*
Alejandro Galvis Galvis (1891-1981), founder the newspaper ''
Vanguardia Liberal'' and Minister of War.
*
Dilian Francisca Toro, physician and politician.
*
Domingo Esguerra Plata (1875-1965), lawyer and politician.
*
Enrique Olaya Herrera (1880–1937), journalist and President of Colombia.
*
German Zea (1905-1989), lawyer, politician and occupied the Ministries of
Government, Justice, and
Foreign Affairs
''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and ...
.
*
Gloria Stella Díaz
Gloria Stella Díaz (born 9 April 1964) is a Colombian lawyer and politician. In 2015 she was elected Councillor of Bogotá D.C. for the 2016-2019 term. She was a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia for Bogotá from 2006 to 20 ...
, lawyer and politician.
*
Gonzalo Correal Urrego, lawyer and scientist.
*
José Fernando Bautista Quintero
José Fernando Bautista Quintero (1963 – 8 August 2024) was a Colombian lawyer and politician. Bautista was appointed Ambassador of Colombia to Venezuela by President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón to mend relations with the administration of ...
, lawyer and politician.
*
Manuel Enríquez Rosero, lawyer and politician.
*
Mauricio Pimiento
Mauricio Pimiento Barrera (born March 17, 1961) is a Colombian politician, former Senator of Colombia. Pimiento was arrested on February 16, 2007 after being involved in the Para-political scandal. On May 16, 2008 Colombian justice condemned Pim ...
, lawyer and politician.
*
Rodrigo Rivera Salazar
Rodrigo Rivera Salazar (born 20 April 1963) is a Colombian politician. A lawyer, diplomat, professor and journalist, Rivera served in the Congress first as a Member of the Chamber of Representatives for two terms from 1990 to 1998, and then as S ...
, lawyer, diplomat, professor and journalist.
*
Ruth Stella Correa Palacio
Ruth Stella Correa Palacio (born 13 November 1959) served as the 8th Minister of Justice and Law of Colombia.
Career
A Law and Political Sciences graduate of the Free University of Colombia at Pereira in 1982, she pursued postgraduate studies ...
, lawyer and Minister of Justice and Law of Colombia.
References
External links
Official Website
1923 establishments in Colombia
Educational institutions established in 1923
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