The Central University of Venezuela (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Universidad Central de Venezuela''; UCV) is a public

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

located in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

. It is widely held to be the highest ranking institution in the country, and it also ranks 18th in Latin America. Founded in 1721, it is the oldest university in Venezuela and one of the oldest in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the term We ...

. The main university campus,

Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas The University City of Caracas (Spanish: ''Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas''), also known by the acronym CUC, is the main campus of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), located in central Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. It was designed by ...

, was designed by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Carlos Raúl Villanueva Carlos Raúl Villanueva Astoul (May 30, 1900 – August 16, 1975) was a Venezuelan modernist architect. Villanueva went for the first time to Venezuela when he was 28 years old. He was involved in the development and modernization of Caracas, ...

and it is considered a masterpiece of

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

and was declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 2000.

History

Origins

The origin of the university goes back to

Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...

Antonio González de Acuña (1620–1682), a Spanish

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

born in present day Peru who studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at the Universidad de San Marcos and founded in 1673 the

Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

Saint Rose of Lima Rose of Lima (born Isabel Flores de Oliva; 20 April 1586 24 August 1617) was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, Peru, who became known for both her life of severe penance and her care of the poverty stricken of the city throu ...

in Caracas named after the first

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

born in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. In the following years, Friar Diego de Baños y Sotomayor broadened the scope of the seminary by creating the School and Seminary of Saint Rose of Lima in 1696. Yet, in spite of the creation of the seminar, students who wished to obtain a university degree had to travel great distances to attend universities located in

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. Given such harsh circumstances, the

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the Seminary, Francisco Martínez de Porras and the people of Caracas requested the royal court in Madrid the creation of a university in Venezuela (then part of the

Viceroyalty of New Granada The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...

). As a result, on 22 December 1721

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

signed in Lerma a Royal Decree that transformed the School-Seminary into the ''Universidad Real y Pontificia de Caracas''. The Royal Decree was concurred by

Pope Innocent XIII Pope Innocent XIII ( la, Innocentius XIII; it, Innocenzo XIII; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He is ...

with a Papal bull in 1722. The university offered degrees in

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

, Theology,

Canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

and

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

. Until 1810, when the Seminary of Saint

Bonaventura Bonaventura may refer to: * Bonaventura (given name), given name * Bonaventura (surname), surname * Bonaventura (VTA), light-rail station in San Jose, United States of America * ''Signor Bonaventura'', an Italian comic strip * Bonaventura Heinz Hou ...

located in Mérida became the Universidad de Los Andes, the ''Universidad Real y Pontificia de Caracas'' was the only university existing in the country.

Republican years

Until the end of the 18th century, the official papal and royal censorship on books was largely ignored in Venezuela, a situation which allowed the smuggling of the works by

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominen ...

Montesquieu Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (; ; 18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher. He is the principa ...

, Locke, Helvetius,

Grotius Hugo Grotius (; 10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645), also known as Huig de Groot () and Hugo de Groot (), was a Dutch humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian, jurist, poet and playwright. A teenage intellectual prodigy, he was born in Delft ...

in the ships belonging to the Guipuzcoana Company. The Royal constitution was displaced by the Republican Statutes proclaimed by

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

on 24 June 1827. The new statutes gave the institution a secular character and transferred the main authority to the

20th century

In December 1908,

Juan Vicente Gómez Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón (24 July 1857 – 17 December 1935) was a Venezuelan military general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air ...

came into power with a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

against the government of Cipriano Castro. Gómez stayed in power until his death in 1935, and during this time the

Dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...

, having ambivalent feelings about the purpose of educating free minds when he could hire foreigners to exercise any technical requirements for the nation, decided to close the university from 1912 to 1922. When it reopened, the Rector Felipe Guevara Rojas had reorganized the traditional division of only a few schools, separating them into departments. 1928 became a very important year for the university when a group of students, known as the

Generation of 1928 The Generation of 1928 (Spanish: ''Generación del 28'') was a group of Venezuelan students who led protests in Caracas in 1928 against the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez. Members and exile Many politicians prominent in Venezuela's transi ...

, organized events during the "Students Week" protesting the dictatorship which culminated in an attempt to overthrow Gómez on 7 April of that year. This group, which shared a common front against Gómez, was conformed by people like

Rómulo Betancourt Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello (22 February 1908 – 28 September 1981; ), known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was the president of Venezuela, serving from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1959 to 1964, as well as leader of Acción De ...

Miguel Otero Silva Miguel Otero Silva (October 26, 1908 – August 28, 1985), was a Venezuelan writer, journalist, humorist and politician. A figure of great relevance in Venezuelan literature, his literary and journalistic works related strictly to the socio-politi ...

Juan Oropeza Juan Oropeza Riera (24 April 1906 – 29 November 1971) was a Venezuelan lawyer, diplomat, writer, educator and political scientist. He was born in Carora in the state of Lara, and was the younger brother of pediatrics pioneer, Pastor Oropeza Ri ...

, Isaac Pardo and Rodolfo Quintero. Most of them were jailed after the events or went into exile without being able to finish their studies. The university continued to be at the forefront of the democratization of the country when in 1936, then President

Eleazar López Contreras José Eleazar López Contreras (5 May 1883 – 2 January 1973) was the president of Venezuela between 1935 and 1941. He was an army general and one of Juan Vicente Gómez's collaborators, serving as his War Minister from 1931. In 1939, López C ...

, ordered a decree suspending the Constitutional rights and declaring a general censorship of the press because the oil workers decided to start a strike (an unprecedented deed at the time). The rector of the university, Francisco Antonio Rísquez, led the protest that followed through the streets of Caracas against the policies of López Contreras. By 1942, the student population had been growing steadily for decades without any significant expansion of the university. Instead several schools, like Medicine, were moved to other buildings around the city. The

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...

of President

Isaías Medina Angarita Isaías Medina Angarita (6 July 1897 – 15 September 1953) was a Venezuelan military and political leader, the president of Venezuela from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. He followed the path of his predecessor Eleazar López Contreras ...

felt the need to move the university to a larger and more modern location where it could function as coherent whole. The government bought the Hacienda Ibarra and the responsibility of the main design was given to the architect

after a visit to the

University City of Bogotá The University City of Bogotá ( es, Ciudad Universitaria de Bogotá, ''CUB''), also known as the White City ( es, Ciudad Blanca), is the Flagship university, flagship campus of the National University of Colombia, located near Teusaquillo, in Bo ...

convinced the authorities of the Ministry of Public Works that, in order to avoid constructing a group of heterogeneous buildings, the design should be under one architect. The new campus was going to become a vast urban complex of about 200 hectares and included 40 buildings. Villanueva worked with 28 avant-garde artists of the time, from Venezuela and the rest of the world, to build what continues to be one of the most successful applications of

Modern Architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...

in Latin America. Villanueva's guiding principle was the creation of a space where art and architecture cohabited in harmony in a "Synthesis of Arts". Among some of the most important pieces present in the university are the 1953 ''

Floating Clouds is a 1955 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. It is based on the novel of the same name by Japanese writer Fumiko Hayashi, published just before her death in 1951. The film received numerous national awards upon its release and remai ...

'' by

Alexander Calder Alexander Calder (; July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) was an American sculptor known both for his innovative mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) that embrace chance in their aesthetic, his static "stabiles", and his ...

, murals by

Victor Vasarely Victor Vasarely (; born Győző Vásárhelyi, ; 9 April 1906 – 15 March 1997) was a Hungarian-French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the Op art movement. His work entitled ''Zebra'', created in 1937, is consi ...

Wifredo Lam Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla (; December 8, 1902 – September 11, 1982), better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. Inspired by and in conta ...

Fernand Léger Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...

and sculptures by

Jean Arp Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp (16 September 1886 – 7 June 1966), better known as Jean Arp in English, was a German-French sculptor, painter, and poet. He was known as a Dadaist and an abstract artist. Early life Arp was born in Straßburg (now Stras ...

and

Henri Laurens Henri Laurens (February 18, 1885 – May 5, 1954) was a French sculptor and illustrator. Early life and education Born in Paris, Henri Laurens worked as a stonemason before he became a sculptor. From 1899 to 1902, he attended drawing class ...

. The ''

'' was declared

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, and it is the only modern university campus designed by a single architect to receive such high honor. In 1958, after the fall of dictator

Marcos Pérez Jiménez Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 195 ...

, a government commission established a new law for the universities. The new law came into place on 5 December, guaranteeing that faculty and students could work in an environment of freedom and tolerance. This very important legal foundation was however abused during the 1960s when guerrilla rebels, supported by

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

took refuge inside the university campus to escape prosecution from the government. This tense situation came to a stalemate in 1969 when students asking for a reform took over the university. On 3 October 1970, the administration of President

Rafael Caldera Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez ( (); 24 January 1916 – 24 December 2009), twice elected the president of Venezuela, served for two five-year terms (1969–1974 and 1994–1999), becoming the longest serving democratically elected leade ...

ordered the university to be raided by the military and Rector Jesús María Bianco was forced to resign. The university reopened in 1971 with a new Rector and a new plan for renovation. In terms of the academic development of the modern university, the second half of the 20th century was a time when the Central University's faculty body benefited greatly from the influx of European immigrants. Many intellectuals settled in Venezuela after the end of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and found jobs at the university. Those scientists and humanists helped develop lines of research and teaching at the university and educated many of the present generation of faculty members.

Organization and degrees

The university is organized into 11 schools ( Facultades) which are subdivided into 40 departments (Escuelas). All schools offer undergraduate degrees at the level of

Licenciatura A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin Ame ...

(5 years) and graduate degrees at the level of

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

(2 years) and PhD (3–4 years) from the Graduate School. The Graduate School, founded in 1941, offers 222 different specializations, 109 Master's degrees and 40 PhDs. * Architecture and Urban planning * Agronomy * Dentistry * Engineering * Humanities and Education * Law and Government * Medicine * Social Sciences and Economy * Pharmacy * Sciences * Veterinary

Research ranking

The ''Ranking Iberoamericano de Instituciones de Investigacion'' based on the

Institute for Scientific Information The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) was an academic publishing service, founded by Eugene Garfield in Philadelphia in 1956. ISI offered scientometric and bibliographic database services. Its specialty was citation indexing and analysis, ...

ranked the Central University of Venezuela as the most productive research institution in the country and as the 20th most productive in Latin America. Other top 25 positions were reached in the following areas: *8th in Law *10th in Social Sciences *12th in Psychology and Education *15th in Physiology and Pharmacology *16th in Philology and Philosophy *16th in Food technology *18th in Mathematics *18th in Medicine *21st in Plant and Animal Biology *21st in History and Art *22nd in Architecture and Civil Engineering *22nd Molecular Biology The 2010

University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) The University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) is a university ranking developed by the Informatics Institute of Middle East Technical University. Since 2010, it has been publishing annual national and global college and university ranki ...

, ranked the UCV as the best university in Venezuela and 805th university in the world. The 2016

QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...

placed the UCV as 18th overall in their Latin American Universities Ranking.

Notable alumni

Humanists

Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spani ...

(1750–1816) General, political thinker; fought in the main three revolutionary wars of the 18th century,

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, French and

South American South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. *

Andrés Bello Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López (; November 29, 1781 – October 15, 1865) was a Venezuelan- Chilean humanist, diplomat, poet, legislator, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute an ...

(1781–1865) Poet, lawmaker, philosopher, educator and philologist. *

Sylvia Constantinidis Sylvia Constantinidis (born December 3, 1962) is a Venezuelan-American pianist, composer, and conductor. Early life and education Sylvia Constantinidis was born in Venezuela and began her study of music at an early age in Caracas. Her musi ...

(1962) Pianist, composer, conductor, music educator, author, writer. (Original name: Maria Silvia Castillo Casanova Arismendi de Constantinidis). *

Juan Germán Roscio Juan Germán Roscio (27 May 1763 – 10 March 1821) was a Venezuelan lawyer and politician of Italian background. He served as the secretary of foreign affairs for the Supreme Junta, Junta of Caracas, as Venezuela's first foreign minister, ...

(1763–1821) Lawyer, main redactor of the

Venezuelan Declaration of Independence The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence () is a statement adopted by a congress of Venezuelan provinces on July 5, 1811, through which Venezuelans made the decision to separate from the Spanish Crown in order to establish a new nation based ...

. * Andrés Eloy Blanco (1896–1955) Poet. *

(1908–1985) Writer, journalist and co-founder of the newspaper El Nacional. * María Teresa Castillo (1908–2012) Journalist, activist, politician and founder of

Caracas Athenaeum The Caracas Athenaeum (known in Spanish as the ''Ateneo de Caracas'') is a cultural institution centred on the arts. It is currently located in Macaracuay, at the Southeast corner of Caracas, after having been expelled by the Bolivarian Revolutio ...

. *

Alberto Barrera Tyszka Alberto José Barrera Tyszka (born 18 February 1960) is a Venezuelan writer. In 2006, he received the Herralde Prize for his novel ''La enfermedad'' ("The Sickness"). Life and career Barrera Tyszka was born in Caracas, and grew up in Venezuela. ...

(1960) Writer.

Scientists

Marisol Aguilera Marisol Aguilera Meneses (La Asunción, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan biologist whose research involves the ecology of vertebrates. She is the president of the Venezuelan Association for the Advancement of Science (AsoVAC) and the In ...

(1971) researcher, professor. *

José Gregorio Hernández José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros OFS (; 26 October 1864 – 29 June 1919) was a Venezuelan physician. Born in Isnotú, Trujillo State, he became a highly renowned doctor, more so after his death.Fernández Juárez, Gerardo (2004)''Salud e i ...

(1864–1919) physician. *

José González-Lander Jose Gonzalez-Lander (November 13, 1933 – January 18, 2000) was a Caracas, Venezuela born engineer credited for leading the planning, design and construction of the Caracas Metro during an uninterrupted period of more than thirty years, ...

(1933–2000) engineer, chief designer of the

Caracas Metro The Caracas Metro ( es, Metro de Caracas) is a mass rapid transit system serving Caracas, Venezuela. It was constructed and is operated by Compañía Anónima Metro de Caracas, a government-owned company that was founded in 1977 by José Gonz� ...

. * Alfredo Jahn (1867–1940) engineer, anthropologist. * Manuel Núñez Tovar (1878–1925) naturalist, researcher, parasitologist and entomologist. *

Luis Razetti Luis Razetti (Caracas, Venezuela, September 10, 1862 - May 14, 1932) was a surgeon, who supported and managed a number of advances in the progress of Venezuelan medicine. He gained his Doctorate in Medicine from the Central University of Venezuela ...

(1862–1932) physician. * Rafael Villavicencio (1832–1920) physician.

Politicians

* Carlos Benito Figueredo (1857–1935) journalist, politician and diplomat. * Alexis Navarro (1946–2016), Governor of

Nueva Esparta The Nueva Esparta State (in Spanish: ''Estado Nueva Esparta'', ), is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It comprises Margarita Island, Coche, and the largely uninhabited Cubagua. The state has the smallest area, and is located off the northe ...

(2000–2004) *

Alfredo Peña Alfredo Antonio Peña (13 April 1944 – 6 September 2016) was a Venezuelan journalist and politician. Journalism career He studied journalism at the Central University of Venezuela and became well known after he was hired as the director of th ...

(born 1944) journalist, member of the constituent assembly which drafted the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution and mayor of

(2000). *

Teodoro Petkoff Teodoro Petkoff Malec (; 3 January 1932 – 31 October 2018) was a Venezuelan politician, guerrilla, economist and journalist. One of Venezuela's most prominent politicians on the left, Petkoff began as a communist but founded the democratic s ...

(born 1932) congressman, co-founder of the political party MAS and current chief editor of the newspaper "Tal Cual". * Ali Rodriguez (born 1937) secretary-general of

OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...

(2000) and chairman of Petroleos de Venezuela

PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA, ) (English: Petroleum of Venezuela) is the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company. It has activities in exploration, production, refining and exporting oil as well as exploration and production ...

. * Hermann Escarrá (born 1952) member of the 2017 Constituent National Assembly. *

Irene Sáez Irene Lailin Sáez Conde (born 13 December 1961 in Chacao, Miranda, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan politician and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1981. She has been a model, was the mayor of Chacao (a municipality of Caracas), Governor ...

(born 1961) mayor of Chacao, Governor of

and

Miss Universe 1981 Miss Universe 1981, the 30th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant, was held on 20 July 1981 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City, United States. Irene Sáez of Venezuela was crowned by Shawn Weatherly of the United States. There were 77 ...

. *

Henrique Capriles Henrique Capriles Radonski (; born 11 July 1972) is a Venezuelan politician and lawyer, who served as the 36th Governor of Miranda from 2008 to 2017. Born in Caracas, he received a degree in law from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, ...

(born 1972) former presidential candidate who has held many high offices *

Juan Requesens Juan Requesens is a Deputy of the Venezuelan National Assembly, elected in 2015 and sworn in on 5 January 2016. He was a student leader at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), and a leader of student opposition protesters during the 2014 ...

(born 1989) National Assembly deputy for the State of Táchira, Primero Justicia leader

Businessmen

Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

(1897–1969) founder of

Empresas Polar Empresas Polar is a Venezuelan corporation that started as a brewery, founded in 1941 by Lorenzo Alejandro Mendoza Fleury, Juan Simon Mendoza, Rafael Lujan and Karl Eggers in Antímano "La Planta de Antimano", Caracas. It is the largest and best ...

, a prize in his name honors scientific research. *

Carlos Eduardo Stolk Carlos Eduardo Stolk Mendoza (4 April 1912 – 9 November 1995) was a lawyer, diplomat and business magnate who is well-known for his role as a delegate during World War II, as a founding representative of the United Nations and as chairman to v ...

(1912–1995) founding member and representative of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

for Venezuela as well as president and chairman of the board of

. *

Eladio Lárez Eladio José Lárez Villamizar (born 8 June 1941) is a Venezuelan businessperson and TV Presenter. He is the President of Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), which until its removal from the public airwaves on 27 May 2007, was the most watched telev ...

(born 1941) ex-president of

Radio Caracas Television Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) was a Venezuelan free-to-air television network headquartered in the Caracas neighborhood of Quinta Crespo. It was sometimes referred to as the Canal de Bárcenas. Owned by Empresas 1BC, Radio Caracas Televisi� ...

. * Miguel Enrique Otero (born 1950) mathematician, (also faculty for five years) chairman and owner of the newspaper El Nacional.

Presidents of Venezuela

* José María Vargas, (also rector, faculty and alumnus) scientist (1835–36). * Andrés Narvarte, lawyer (1836–37). * Pedro Gual Escandon, lawyer (1859, 1861). * Guillermo Tell Villegas, lawyer (1868–69, 1870, 1892). * Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido, lawyer (1892). * Antonio Guzmán Blanco, lawyer (1879–1884). * Raimundo Andueza Palacio, lawyer (1890–1892). * José Gil Fortoul, political scientist (1913–1914). * Juan Bautista Pérez, lawyer (1929–1931). *

, (did not finish) (1945–1948). * Rómulo Gallegos, (did not finish) writer (1948). * Germán Suárez Flamerich, (also Faculty) lawyer (1950–52). * Edgar Sanabria, (also Faculty) lawyer (1959). * Raúl Leoni, (did not finish) (1964–1969). *

, (also Faculty) political scientist (1969–1974), (1994–1999). * Carlos Andrés Pérez, (did not finish) (1974–1979), (1989–1993). * Luis Herrera Campins, (did not finish) (1979–1984). * Jaime Lusinchi, physician (1984–1989). * Ramón José Velásquez,(also Faculty) historian (1993–94).

Notable faculty

18th century

* Lorenzo Campins y Ballester (1726–1785) Spanish born scientist, founder of the studies of medicine. * Fr. Baltasar de los Reyes Marrero (1752–1809) (also alumnus) began the teaching of modern science and philosophy based on the theories of Isaac Newton, Newton, Johannes Kepler, Kepler, Copernicus, Georg Stahl, Stahl, Antoine Lavoisier, Lavoisier, Locke, Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, Condillac, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Leibniz and Christian Wolff (philosopher), Wolff. In 1789 he was convicted by the Crown as an infidel for teaching doctrines forbidden by the King.

19th century

* :es:Juan Manuel Cagigal y Odoardo, Juan Manuel Cagigal (1803–1856) mathematician. * :es:Alejandro Chataing, Alejandro Chataing (1873–1928) (also alumnus) mathematician, architect. * Agustin Codazzi (1793–1859) Italian military, scientist and geographer * :es:Domenico Milano, Domenico Milano (1810–1880) Italian agronomist engineer, started in 1843 the Faculty of Agronomy ("Escuela Normal de Agricultura"). * Fermín Toro (1806–1865) politician and linguist.
Alejandro Ibarra
(1813–1880) scientist. * :es:José Gregorio Hernández, José Gregorio Hernández (1864–1919) (also alumnus) physician, began the teaching of Microbiology in Venezuela. * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) Prussian born scientist, started the teaching of natural history based on Charles Darwin and Lamarck. *

(1862–1932) (also alumnus) physician, began the teaching of modern surgery in Venezuela and wrote an influential code of ethics for the practice of medicine.

20th century

Humanities

* Abraham Abreu (born 1939) pianist and harpsichordist. * Mario Briceño Iragorry (1897–1958) writer. * José Balza (born 1939) novelist, critic. * Rafael Cadenas (born 1930) poet. * Manuel Caballero (1931–2010) (also alumnus) historian, journalist. * Alejo Carpentier (1904–1980) writer, musicologist, journalist. * Isaac Chocrón (1930–2011) economist and theater writer. Director of the School of Arts. * Nicolas Curiel (born 1931) writer and director of theater. * Gustavo Herrera (1890–1953) lawyer and diplomat. * Gaston Diehl (1912–1999) French art historian, recipient of the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 1950. * Juan David García Bacca (1901–1992) Spanish born philosopher; translator of the complete works of Plato. * Gertrude Goldschmidt (1912–1994) German born artist. * :es:Joaquín Gabaldón Márquez, Joaquín Gabaldón Márquez (1906–1984) lawyer and diplomat. * Ezra Heymann (born 1928) Romanian born philosopher. * Martha Hildebrandt (born 1925) Peruvian linguist. * Chibly Abouhamad Hobaica (1929–2005) lawyer, professor and writer * Eugenio Imaz (1900–1951) Spanish born philosopher. * Pedro Itriago Chacín (1875–1936), lawyer, historian. * Margarita López Maya, historian, humanist. * Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla (1925–2015) (also alumnus) philosopher, rector of the Simón Bolívar University (Venezuela), Universidad Simón Bolívar. * Juan Nuño (1927–1995) (also alumnus) Spanish born philosopher. * Luis Enrique Oberto (1928–2022) (also alumnus) Venezuelan banker and politician. * Manuel García Pelayo (1909–1991) Spanish born political Scientist, elected president of the Constitutional Tribunal of Spain in 1980. * Manuel Pérez Vila (1922–1991) Spanish born historian. * Pedro Antonio Ríos Reyna (1905–1971) classical musician. * Federico Riu (1925–1985) (also alumnus) Spanish born philosopher. * Angel Rosenblat (1902–1984) Polish born philologist. * Levy Rossell (born 1945) writer and director of theater. * Mariano Picón Salas (1901–1965) writer, cultural critic. * José Antonio Ramos Sucre (1890–1930) (also alumnus) poet, writer. * Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta (1929–2011) writer, essayist and literary critic. * Guillermo Sucre (1933–2021) (also alumnus) literary critic. * Arturo Uslar Pietri (1906–2001) (also alumnus) writer and historian, winner of the Prince of Asturias Awards, Prince of Asturias Award (1990) and Rómulo Gallegos Prize for Best Novel (1991). *

(1900–1975) architect, one of the great Modern Architecture, Modernists. * Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido (also alumnus), politician, writer and historian. * Pedro León Zapata (1929–2015) artist and humorist.

Sciences

* Arístides Bastidas (1924–1992) journalist and scientist winner of the Kalinga Prize, was one of the pioneers of what is termed as "science journalism" in Venezuela. * :es:German Carnevali, German Carnevali Fernandez-Concha (born 1955) botanist. * :es:Luis Eduardo Chataing, Luis Eduardo Chataing (1906–1971) (also alumnus) mathematician. * Julian Chela-Flores (born 1942) astrobiologist and physicist. * Paul Dedecker (1927–2007) Belgian mathematician. * Jacinto Convit (1913–2014) (also alumnus) nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1988 for his research on the cure of Leprosy. * :es:Francisco José Duarte, Francisco José Duarte (1883–1972) mathematician. * Humberto Fernández Morán (1924–1999) contributed to the development of the electron microscope and was the first researcher to introduce the concept of cryoultramicrotomy. * Celso Fortoul Padrón (also alumnus) civil engineer and calculist of pre-tensate infraestructures. * :es:Arnoldo Gabaldón, Arnoldo Gabaldon (1909–1990) physician, started the fight over tropical diseases as Malaria. * :es:Luis Alfredo Herrera Cometta, Luis Alfredo Herrera Cometta, relativistic physicist. Professor Emeritus. * :es:Andres Kalnay, Andras Kalnay, physicist. *Werner Jaffé (1914–2009) founder of the National Institute of Nutrition. Studied under Nobel prize winner Paul Karrer. * Tobías Lasser (1911–2006) (also alumnus) botanist, founder of the Botanical Garden of Caracas, the modern School of Sciences and the Department of Biology. * Fuad Lechín (born 1928) physician, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2001 for the development of new treatments of bronchial asthma and Myasthenia gravis, myasthenia.
Antonio Machado-Allison
(b. 1945) ichthyologist. * Francisco Mago Leccia (1931–2004) ichthyologist. * :es:Rafael Martínez Escarbassiere, Rafael Martínez Escarbassiere (born 1929) biologist * :m:w:it:Ettore Mazzarri, Ettore Mazzarri (1919–2009) chemist specialist of Maracay Agronomy faculty * Angel Palacio Gros (1903–1965) Spanish mathematician. * :es:August Pi i Sunyer, August Pi i Sunyer (1879–1961) Physiologist Spanish born. Winner of the Kalinga Prize 1956. * :es:Carles Pi i Sunyer, Carles Pi i Sunyer (1888–1971) Spanish born industrial engineer and literate * :es:Janis Rácenis, Janis Rácenis (1915–1980) Latvia born entomologist. * :es: Ivón Mercedes Ramírez Morillo, Ivón Mercedes Ramírez Morillo (born 1965) botanist. * :es:Gustavo Adolfo Romero, Gustavo Adolfo Romero-Gonzales (born 1955) botanist. * :de:Eckbert Schulz-Schomburgk, Eckbert Schulz-Schomburgk (born 1921) chemist. * Humberto Rivas Mijares, Gustavo Rivas Mijares, sanitarist engineer. * Marcel Roche (1920–2003) physician, winner of the Kalinga Prize, governor of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1958–1960) and founding member Third World Academy of Sciences. * José Royo Gómez (1895–1961) Spanish geologist. * :es: Carlos Toro Manrique, Carlos Toro Manrique (1868–1937) (also alumnus) engineer, mathematician. * :es: Elías Toro, Elías Toro (1871–1918) physician, anthropologist. * Andre Zavrosky (1904–1995) Russian mathematician.

Rectors

References

Printed references

* ÁVILA BELLO, JOSÉ. y CONVIT, JACINTO. 1992: "El Instituto de Biomedicina. Evolución reciente". En: Ruiz Calderón, Humberto et al. "''La ciencia en Venezuela pasado, presente y futuro''". Cuadernos Lagoven. Lagoven, S.A. Caracas Venezuela pp: 92–101. * BARROETA LARA, JULIO. 1995: ""Nuestra y trascendente Universidad Central de Venezuela"". Universidad Central de Venezuela, Dirección de Cultura. Caracas – Venezuela. * CADENAS, JOSÉ MARÍA. 1994; "Relaciones universidad empresa: una aproximación a su situación en Venezuela". EN: "Agenda Académica". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas Venezuela. * CUENCA, HUMBERTO. 1967: ""La universidad colonial"". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. * HENRIQUEZ UREÑA, PEDRO. 1955: ""Historia de la cultura en la América Hispánica"". Colección Tierra Firme. Fondo de Cultura Económica. Ciudad de México – México. 243p. * HERRERA Z, HENRY. y ORTA, SOLANGE. 1995: ""Universidad Central de Venezuela"". En: ''Diccionario multimedia de Historia de Venezuela''. Fundación Polar. Caracas – Venezuela. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1963: "''Historia de la Universidad de Caracas (1721–1827) ''". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1970: "''El Claustro de la Universidad y sus Historia''". Tomo I (1756–1774) Estudio preliminar y compilación; Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. 358p. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1971: "''Universidad Central de Venezuela 1721–1971''". Ediciones del Rectorado de la Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. 152p. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1979: "''El Claustro de la Universidad y sus Historia II''". Tomo I (1721–1756) Estudio preliminar y compilación; Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. 362p. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1981: "''Historia de UCV''". Ediciones del Rectorado de la Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. 544p. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1981: "''Historia de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, 1721–1981''". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. * LEAL, ILDEFONSO. 1983: "''La Universidad de Caracas en los años de Bolívar 1783–1830''". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas -Venezuela 2 volúmenes. * MACHADO ALLISON, ANTONIO. 2005: "''Memorias 40 años del Instituto de Zoologia Tropical''". Editorial Brima Color. Caracas – Venezuela. 155p. * MÉNDEZ Y MENDOZA, JUAN DE DIOS. 1912: "''Historia de la Universidad Central de Venezuela''". Tipografía Americana. Caracas. 2 volúmenes. * PARRA LEÓN, CARACCIOLO. 1954: ""Filosofía universitaria venezolana 1782–1821"". Editorial J. B. Madrid – España. * TEXERA, YOLANDA. 1992: "La Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad Central de Venezuela". En: Ruiz Calderón, Humberto et al. "''La ciencia en Venezuela pasado, presente y futuro''". Cuadernos Lagoven. Lagoven, S.A. Caracas Venezuela pp: 50–63. * UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA. 1990: "Instituto de Zoología Tropical (IZT)". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. 16p. * UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA. 1978: "UCV prospecto de estudios Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela. 123p. * USLAR PIETRI, ARTURO. 1961: ""La universidad y el país"". Imprenta Nacional. Caracas – Venezuela.

Cartographical references

* UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA. 1981: ""Plano de Ubicación de las obras de arte de la Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas"". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas – Venezuela.

External links

Universidad Central de Venezuela-Official Site

UCV Foundation

Consejo Nacional de Universidades de Venezuela
(Spanish)

Aerial photos

Aerial Photo from GoogleMaps
* The UCV is located at {{DEFAULTSORT:Central University of Venezuela Central University of Venezuela, Universities in Venezuela Universities and colleges in Caracas, Central de Venezuela, Universidad Educational institutions established in 1721 1721 establishments in Venezuela

History

Origins

Republican years

20th century

Organization and degrees

Research ranking

Notable alumni

Humanists

Scientists

Politicians

Businessmen

Presidents of Venezuela

Notable faculty

18th century

19th century

20th century

Humanities

Sciences

Rectors

See also

References

Printed references

Cartographical references

External links

Aerial photos