Pontifical Xavierian University

Javeriana University
Motto	Sapientia AEdificavit sibi Domum (Wisdom Built its own House)
Established	1623
Type	Private
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic(Jesuit)
Principal	Joaquín Emilio Sánchez, S.J.
Admin. staff	3,040
Undergraduates	18,059
Postgraduates	3,470
Location	Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Campus	Urban, 3,937 acres (15.93 km2)
Colors	Blue, White, Yellow
Website	www.javeriana.edu.co(Bogotá) www.javerianacali.edu.co(Cali)

The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its main facilities in Bogotá and a second campus in Cali. It is one of the 28 universities entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America and one of 114 around the world.

The Javeriana University in Bogotá has 18 schools comprising 61 departments and 181 academic programs catering to areas of knowledge, giving the university its multidisciplinary nature. It has 45 buildings in 445 acres (1.80 km²). The Javeriana University in Cali offers 18 schools in four faculties. It is located in Pance in southern Cali and it is one of the most remarkable educational institution in the city. Its Law School recently got its high quality accreditation granted to it by Resolution 6808 August 6, 2010, of the Ministry of National Education. The campus in Cali has sectional divisions of the Bolsa de Valores de Colombia (BVC), Temple University's Fox School of Business, and others.

The Javeriana University is one of the twelve universities in Colombia having a high quality institutional accreditation, granted to it for eight years by Resolution 1320 June 12, 2003, of the Ministry of National Education. The university has 21 undergraduate programs with high quality accreditation; other eight programs are in the more advanced accreditation process stages.

In graduate programs, quality is acknowledged through the Qualified Registries. The university has 87 graduate programs with Qualified Registries and has presented other 29 to these processes.

History

Old University gate, today Museum of Colonial Art

The College of the Society of Jesus was established in Santafé de Bogotá in 1604 as part of the San Bartolome School and Cloister. In 1623, the Audience and the Archbishop recognized the academic degrees conferred by the college. The students at that time received their degree, including Pedro Claver. That is the origin of what was known as the University and Academy of Saint Francis Xavier.

In 1767, the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish colonies, which closed the first stage of the existence of the Universidad Javeriana.

Modern day

163 years after the university closed, an act of restoration was signed. A communication of the Sacred Congregation of Seminars and Universities congratulated the priesthood for the initiative.

In 1937, the university initiated a second stage with the School of Economics and Legal Sciences. Gradually, more colleges were created, until what is currently the heart of the university was established. In 1970, after multiple petitions from the community of Cali, the university started a programme in that city. The extension of the Universidad Javeriana in Cali took the name of "Seccional Cali," teaching students pursuing their degree in business, engineering, psychology.

Academics

The university offers 40 undergraduate programs, 69 professional specializations, 45 medical and surgical specializations, 8 dentistry specializations, 22 masters, and 4 Ph.D.s.

Based on its prestige and the quality of its academic offerings, Pontifical Xavierian University selects those students with the highest academic credentials. Its graduates are known for their professional quality, their skills for teamwork and value-centered human leadership.

Schools and Departments

• School of Engineering: Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Systems Engineering
• School of Medicine
• School of Law
• School of Sciences: biology, physics, mathematics, microbiology, nutrition and biochemistry, chemistry
• School of Social Sciences: anthropology, history, geography, literature, sociology
• School of Economics and Management Sciences: management, accounting, economics
• School of Political Science and International Relations
• School of Philosophy
• School of Education
• School of Theology
• School of Communication and Language: communication, information science, languages
• School of Dentistry[1]
• School of Nursing
• School of Psychology

• School of Arts: Drama, Department of Visual Arts, Music
• School of Design and Architecture: Architecture, industrial design, aesthetics
• School of Environmental and Rural Studies: Ecology and, Rural and regional development

Research

The University has 61 departments and 14 institutes. Departments are academic units aimed at developing an area of knowledge through research, teaching, and the implementation of services such as continuing education, counseling and advisory activities. Institutes are academic units responsible for research and consulting in areas requiring a special interdisciplinary approach.

To provide technological support to research, education, service and administrative processes, the University has last generation services.

Mention can be made of the technological components available in the following units: The SIU (University Information System, acronym in Spanish) with its "People Soft" platform for Academic Management; the New Technologies-Aided Education Center (CEANTIC) that offers virtual courses support through its Blackboard platform; the Centro Audiovisual Javeriano, with front edge technology in this field in Latin America, internationally accredited like Autodesk Training Center-ATC; the Computer-Aided Architecture and Design Project, CAAD; the Technological Industrial Automation Center; the Geo-referenced Information Center, GIC, the Javeriana Center of Oncology; the San Ignacio University Hospital, and the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center. It also has 130 laboratories and workshops.

Libraries

A hall in the second floor of the library.

The Javeriana University has two libraries: the General Library and the Mario Valenzuela, S.J. Library. The latter library specializes in philosophy and theology, and is rated as the best in these disciplines in Latin America. It has seven document and resource centers in the following fields of knowledge: bio-ethics, political sciences, architecture, law, insurance, social communication, and clinical epidemiology.

The library stock numbers 313,540 titles among books, magazines, journals, thesis and dissertation papers, music scores, maps, VHS and DVD film recordings, slides, sound videos and sound recordings. The system has about 90 subscriptions to databases and has access to complete text contents for online consultation of journals, books, thesis and dissertation papers, and digital format slides.

It offers services such as the drafting of bibliographic references on specialized subjects and bibliographic exchange allowing data gathering that includes journal articles and other documents from libraries in Colombia and around the world. It serves the Javeriana community throughout a 24-hour schedule, Monday through Friday.

Headmasters and Authorities

Main article: List of Pontifical Xavierian University headmasters

Alumni

Javeriana's alumni include a vast range of prominent individuals in the history of the country and the region, including former national presidents, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists, journalists, sportsmen and thinkers. An exhaustive and comprehensive list would be nearly impossible; an illustrative list would include:

• Fernando Araújo Perdomo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia (2007–2008)
• Peter Claver, saint
• Jorge Franco, writer
• Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento, politician
• Santiago Gamboa, writer
• Alejandro R. Jadad Bechara, professor in the Departments of Health Policy, University of Toronto
• Rodolfo Llinás, neuroscientist, dean of Neuroscience, New York University
• Riyad al-Maliki, minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestinian Authority
• Ignacio Martín-Baró, Spanish philosopher and psychologist
• Crístobal de Araque Ponce de León, Perpetual chancellor of Our Lady of the Rosary University
• Claudia Palacios, weekend anchor for CNN en Español
• Misael Pastrana, president of Colombia (1970–1974)
• Carlos Pizarro Leongómez, politician, commander of M-19 (dropped out)
• Ernesto Samper, president of Colombia (1994–1998)
• Catalina Sandino Moreno, Academy Award-nominated actress
• Noemí Sanín, former minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, former ambassador to the United Kingdom and Spain
• Fernando Vallejo, writer
• Juan Camilo Restrepo, Minister of Agriculture and former Minister of Finance
• Jackeline Rentería,Olympic medallist
• Alejandro Jadad, anesthesiologist and important promoter of evidence-based medicine via the Jadad Scale.
• Kristina Lilley, American born-Colombian actress (She studied Biology before she become an actress).
• Catalina Robayo, Miss Colombia 2010, placed Top 16 at Miss Universe 2011.
• Paulina Vega, Miss Colombia 2013.
• Edgar Ricardo Vasquez, Father, Doctor, Role Model (1949–2012)

See also

• List of colonial universities in Latin America

External links

• Link to Pontificia Universidad Javeriana at Bogotá
• Link to Pontificia Universidad Javeriana at Cali
• University site in English
• Postgraduate information (in Spanish)