National University of San Marcos

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 This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the Spanish Wikipedia. (December 2010)
National University of San Marcos
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
National University of San Marcos seal
Latin: Academia S. Marci Vrbis Regvm in Perv
Motto Universidad del Perú,
Decana de América
Motto in English University of Peru,
Dean of the Americas
Established May 12, 1551
Type Public
Rector Pedro Cotillo Zegarra
Academic staff 2559 (full time)
674 (part time)
Undergraduates 29,710
Postgraduates 3,549
Location Lima, Peru
Coordinates: 12°03′30″S 77°05′00″W / 12.05833°S 77.0833333°W / -12.05833; -77.0833333
Campus Urban
170 acres (69 ha) (Main campus)
Colors      Magenta
     White
     Steel blue
Mascot Lion
Website www.unmsm.edu.pe
San Marcos National University logo

The National University of San Marcos (Spanish: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, UNMSM) is the most important and respected higher-education institution in Peru.[1][2] Its main campus, the University City, is located in Lima. It was chartered on May 12, 1551 by a royal decree signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, which makes it the oldest officially established university in the Americas and, as such, one of the oldest universities in the world.[3] Academically, the University of San Marcos ranks first in Peru.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

San Marcos has 60 academic-professional schools,[11] organized into 20 faculties, and these, in turn, into 6 academic areas. All the faculties offer undergraduate and graduate degrees. The student body consists of over 30,000 undergraduate and 4,000 graduate students from all the country as well as some international students. The university has also a number of public institutions under its government such as the San Marcos Cultural Center and the Museum of Natural History of Lima.

San Marcos' prestige in Latin America mainly arises from its renowned faculty and alumni. It is the only university in Peru with a Nobel Prize laureate among its alumni: Mario Vargas Llosa (Literature). San Marcos is also recognized for the quality of its curricular contents, its very competitive admission process, as well as for being a leading center of scientific research.[12] Several Peruvian and Latin American influential thinkers, researchers, scientists, politicians and writers have studied there, which underscores San Marcos' leading role as an educational institution in the history of Peru and the world.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Oldest University of the Americas

San Marcos was officially established by a royal decree (signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) on May 12, 1551, and since then it has operated without interruption. Hence, it is known as the Dean of America ("dean" in the sense of "oldest member"). San Marcos also claims that according to the Archivo General de Indias, a famous Spanish repository of documents on the former colonies in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, there were no official records authorizing any other university or higher-education institution before 1551. [1] The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) was chartered the same year as San Marcos (by a royal decree of September 21, 1551), as the Royal University of the New Spain, which makes it the second oldest in the Americas (but was closed from 1867–1910).

On the other hand, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo was founded in 1538, but was not officially recognized by Royal Decree until 1558, and, as many other universities in the Americas that closed during independence wars and other political conflicts, it was closed due to the occupations of the Dominican Republic by Haiti and then the United States.

[edit] Organisation

[edit] Government

The university was originally headed by members of the clergy. During the Enlightenment, Bourbon reforms transformed it into a secular institution. Nowadays, the university is governed by:

  • The University Council
  • The University Assembly (composed of professors and students, with the latter holding a third of the seats).
  • The Rector (president)
  • Two Vice-Rectors:
    • Academic Vice-Rector
    • Vice-Rector of investigation.

[edit] Academic areas and faculties

The original faculties at San Marcos were Theology, Arts and Law; Jurisprudence, and Medicine were added later in the colonial period. The Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Commerce were created in the mid-19th century. The Faculty of Science was subdivided by specialities in the 20th century. The Faculty of Theology was closed in 1935.

In the mid-1990s San Marcos' departments were grouped into four academic blocks. Nowadays, San Marcos' falculties are grouped into 6 academic areas, as shown below.

[edit] Health sciences

Academic area I: Health sciences

  1. Faculty of Human Medicine:
  2. Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry:
  3. Faculty of Dentistry:
  4. Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine:
  5. Faculty of Psychology:

[edit] Humanities

Academic area II: Humanities

  1. Faculty of Letters and Human sciences:
  2. Faculty of Education:

[edit] Social sciences

Academic area III: Social sciences

  1. Faculty of Law and Political science:
  2. Faculty of Social sciences:

[edit] Basic sciences

Department of Chemistry at San Marcos.

Academic area IV: Basic sciences

  1. Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical engineering:
  2. Faculty of Biological sciences:
  3. Faculty of Physical sciences:
  4. Faculty of Mathematical sciences:

[edit] Engineering

Academic Block V: Engineering

  1. Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical engineering:
  2. Faculty of Physical Sciences:
  3. Faculty of Geology, Mining, Metallurgy and Geography engineering:
  4. Faculty of Industrial engineering:
  5. Faculty of Electronics and Electrical engineering:
  6. Faculty of Systems engineering:

[edit] Business sciences

Academic Block VI: Business sciences

  1. Faculty of Administrative sciences:
  2. Faculty of Accountancy Sciences:
  3. Faculty of Economic sciences:

[edit] Notable alumni and academics

Class of Jurisprudence and Law of 1896 posing in front of department's water fountain.

[edit] Gallery

  • Oil painting commemorating the foundation of the University of Lima (later named San Marcos), officially the first university in Peru and America, and his manager Friar Tomas of San Martin.

  • The historic chapter house at the Convent of the Rosary of the Dominicans, where the University of San Marcos began its operations.

  • Engraving showing the old facade of the premises where the University of San Marcos functioned throughout the Peruvian viceroyalty. Later this place would be transferred to the nascent Congress of Peru.

  • thumb|The First Constitutional Congress of PeruWas chaired by Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza and held in the chapel of the University of San Marcos September 20 of 1822.

  • Local University of San Marcos in 1920, the famous "Casona de San Marcos is currently the Centro Cultural de San Marcos.

  • Welcome Mural Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, as he mentioned the official date of its foundation: May 12 of 1551.

  • "Casona" of San Marcos, used as the Cultural center

  • Jorge Basadre building, used for administrative functions

  • Main library

  • San Marcos University Press

  • San Marcos University Gym

  • San Marcos University Stadium

  • Metallica concert at University of San Marcos

  • Monument of Fray Tomas de San Martín

  • Main auditorium

  • San Marcos University Clinic

  • Institute Tropical Medicine

  • Museum of Natural History

[edit] See also

Portal icon Peru portal
Portal icon University portal


[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "UNMSM recibe acreditación internacional". Peru21. Accessed April 26, 2011. (Spanish)
  2. ^ "San Marcos, luz de la inteligencia del Perú y América". San Marcos al día. Accessed April 26, 2011. (Spanish)
  3. ^ "Foundation of the University of Lima". San Marcos National University. Accessed August 22, 2009. (Spanish)
  4. ^ "Ranking universitario en el Perú". Asamblea Nacional de Rectores (ANR) and UNESCO. http://www.cgci.udg.mx/boletines/biblioVirtual/pdf/rankinguniv-peru.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-24. 
  5. ^ "University Ranking by Academic Performance (2010): Top Perú". URAP Center. http://www.urapcenter.org/2010/country.php?ccode=PE. Retrieved 2011-07-24. 
  6. ^ "University Ranking by Academic Performance (2011): Top Perú". URAP Center. http://www.urapcenter.org/2011/country.php?ccode=PE. Retrieved 2012-01-09. 
  7. ^ "Ranking pone a UNMSM como la mejor del Perú". Diario La República. http://www.larepublica.pe/13-02-2011/ranking-pone-unmsm-como-la-mejor-del-peru. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  8. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2011/12: Top universities (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos)". QS World University Rankings. http://www.topuniversities.com/institution/universidad-nacional-mayor-de-san-marcos/wur. Retrieved 2012-01-09. 
  9. ^ Top Colleges and Best Universities of Peru
  10. ^ Top 200 Latin American Universities
  11. ^ http://www.unmsm.edu.pe/sanmarcosaldia/semanarios/165.pdf
  12. ^ Ranking and research supported by: UNESCO and Asamblea Nacional de Rectores, 2007

[edit] External links

Peruvian Public Universities:

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