University of Chile facts for kids
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Universidad de Chile
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| Type | Public |
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| Established | July 28, 1738 (as the Royal University of San Felipe) November 19, 1842 (re-establishment) |
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Academic affiliation
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McDonnell International Scholars Academy |
| President | Rosa Devés Alessandri |
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Academic staff
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3,675 |
| Students | 43,779 |
| Undergraduates | 33,910 |
| Postgraduates | 9,869 |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Campus Andrés Bello Campus Beauchef Campus Juan Gómez Millas Campus Norte Campus Sur |
| Mascot | Chuncho (Austral pygmy owl) |
The University of Chile (Spanish: Universidad de Chile) is a big public research university in Santiago, Chile. It opened its doors on September 17, 1843. It is the oldest university in Chile.
This university took over from the older Royal University of San Felipe (founded in 1738). It has a long history of helping with learning, science, and community work. The University of Chile aims to solve problems in Chile and help the country grow. It is known as one of the best universities in Latin America. This is because it leads the way in science, technology, social studies, and arts. It is seen as the most important and respected university in Chile.
Its five campuses cover more than 3.1 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) of land. Here you can find research buildings, health centers, museums, theaters, and sports areas. The university has over 40,000 students. They offer more than 60 different bachelor's and professional degrees. There are also 38 doctoral programs and 116 master's programs.
Many famous people have studied here. These include Nobel Prize winners Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral. Twenty-one Chilean presidents, including the current president Gabriel Boric, also studied at this university. Two presidents from other countries (Mexico and Ecuador) are also alumni.
Contents
How the University Ranks
| University rankings | |
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| Global – Overall | |
| ARWU World | 401-500 (2022) |
| CWUR World | 438 (2023) |
| CWTS World | 482 (2023) |
| QS World | =159 (2024) |
| THE World | 1001–1200 (2023) |
| USNWR Global | 400 (2022-23) |
| Regional – Overall | |
| QS Latin America | 3 (2023) |
| THE Latin America | 9 (2020) |
| USNWR Latin America | 4 (2022-23) |
The QS University Ranking placed the University of Chile as fourth in Latin America. It was ranked 180th in the world for the year 2021. The university scored 100 points in both Academic and Employer Reputation. This means it is highly respected by other academics and by companies looking to hire graduates.
The world ranking from Shanghai JiaoTong University in China also ranks it highly. This ranking looks at how much research a university does. It places the University of Chile among the top 400 universities globally.
Another study, the Ranking Web of Universities, looks at a university's online presence. It named the University of Chile as the leader in Chile. It was sixth in Latin America and 371st worldwide.
In 2016, a ranking by AméricaEconomía placed the University of Chile first in Chile. It got top scores for research quality, accreditation, and facilities.
University Accreditation
On December 21, 2011, the University of Chile received a great review. The National Accreditation Commission (CNA) gave it a positive evaluation in all areas. This included how the university is managed and how it teaches students. It also looked at research, graduate studies, and community links.
The university was given accreditation for seven years. This is the longest period the agency can give. This means the university meets very high quality standards.
The University of Chile is one of only a few universities in the country with the highest accreditation. Others include the Catholic University and the University of Santiago.
History of the University
In 1841, a government minister named Manuel Montt had an idea. He wanted to create a group to help science and humanities grow. Andrés Bello, a poet and thinker from Venezuela, designed the plan. This plan became a law on November 19, 1842. This law officially created the Universidad de Chile.
The university was founded to help Chile become a modern country. Chile had become independent from Spain just over 20 years before. The new university took the place of the old Real Universidad de San Felipe.
The university officially opened on September 17, 1843. At first, it had five main study areas called faculties:
- Humanities & Philosophy
- Physical & Mathematical Sciences
- Law & Political Sciences
- Medicine
- Theology
In its early years, the university helped a lot with education. It also helped organize the country, like creating the "Civil Code." This code became a model for other countries in America. The university also helped build roads and energy systems.
By 1931, the number of faculties grew to six. These included Philosophy & Education Sciences and Legal & Social Sciences. The university has also helped train many smart leaders for the country. Most Chilean presidents have studied here. Many people important in politics, business, and culture also attended.
Big Changes During the Military Government (1973–1989)
During Augusto Pinochet's military rule from 1973 to 1989, the university changed a lot. On October 2, 1973, a new rule said that the military government would choose the university's leaders.
Another big change happened on January 3, 1981. A new rule completely reorganized the university. All its campuses outside Santiago were separated. They joined with other universities to become new, separate universities. For example, the Universidad de Talca and Universidad de Valparaiso were created. Some parts of the university were even sold to private owners.
These changes were made to reduce the university's influence. The military government thought the university had too much power. They believed it was too involved in politics and intellectual movements.
Even after these big changes, the University of Chile is still very important. It remains Chile's most respected university for research. Many students want to study there, and it has a big impact on society.
How the University is Organized
The university works with teachers, students, and staff. They all work together to achieve its goals and mission.
Leadership
- President (Rector): This is the highest leader and legal representative. The president is chosen by the most experienced teachers. Since 2022, Rosa Devés Alessandri is the president.
- Adjunct President (Prorrector): This person advises the President on many topics. These include school matters, money, and student issues. They help coordinate the work of the five Vice Presidencies.
- University Council (Consejo Universitario): This group approves important decisions. It includes the president, vice deans, and two representatives from the country's president.
- Evaluation Council (Consejo de Evaluación): This council checks how well the university and its programs are doing.
- University Senate (Senado Universitario): The president leads this group. It has 36 members: 27 teachers, 7 students, and 2 staff members.
Vice Presidencies
The University of Chile has six main departments called Vice Presidencies (Vicerrectorías):
- Academic Affairs (for teaching and learning)
- Financial and Institutional Management Affairs (for money and running the university)
- Information Technologies (for computers and tech)
- Public Engagement and Communication (for connecting with the public)
- Research and Development (for new discoveries)
- Student and Community Affairs (for student life and community)
Faculties and Institutes
The university has 19 faculties and four special institutes. These groups handle teaching, research, and community outreach.
Some of the faculties include:
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
- Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Communications and Image
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Economy and Business
- Faculty of Forestry Sciences
- Faculty of Government
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities
- Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
There are also institutes like:
- Institute of Advanced Studies in Education
- Institute of International Studies
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology
What Students Learn
The University of Chile offers many study programs. These programs cover all kinds of subjects. The quality of these programs is very high. The National Accreditation Commission gave them top scores.
Undergraduate Studies
The university has 69 study programs for undergraduate students. Most of these lead to professional degrees. Students get into these programs through a special test. The university also has ways for special students to get in. This includes talented athletes or students with studies from other countries.
In 2012, the university started a program called SIPEE. This helps students from public schools get into programs. In 2014, the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences started PEG. This program helps more women get into engineering and science fields.
Graduate Studies
The University of Chile has the largest and most complex system for graduate students. It offers 36 doctoral programs. There are also 116 master's programs. Plus, it has 38 graduate programs and 69 specialized courses.
Research at the University
The University of Chile is a leader in science and technology research in Chile. It produces one-third of all scientific papers in the country. It also leads many research projects in various fields. These include basic sciences, technology, humanities, and arts.
- Publications: From 2010 to 2016, the university published 12,037 scientific papers. These were in international journals.
- Basic Research Projects: In 2016, 105 projects received funding. This funding came from the National Fund for Science & Technology Development.
- Millennium Institutes: The university was awarded 4 Millennium Institutes. These focus on areas like ecology and biotechnology.
- Millennium Nuclei: There are 5 Nuclei focusing on different science areas.
- Research Rings: The university leads 6 "Research Rings." These are groups of three or more research teams.
Applied Research Projects
The university also works on applied research. This means research that solves real-world problems.
- FONDEF Projects: There are 30 ongoing projects funded by FONDEF. These projects are in areas like Education, Health, and Engineering.
- Innova Projects: In 2016, there were 34 ongoing projects funded by CORFO. These projects focus on agriculture, tourism, and biotechnology.
Campuses and Buildings
The university has a lot of land and buildings. It has over 3 million square meters of urban land. It also has over 648,502 square meters of built space.
Campuses
The university has five campuses. All of them are located in the Santiago area.
- Juan Gómez Millas Campus: This campus is in Ñuñoa. It houses the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, and Social Sciences. It also has the Institute of Communication and Image. New buildings and parks are being added to this campus.
- Beauchef Campus: The Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences has been here since 1922. A new building opened in 2014. It has many floors, offices, and sports areas.
- South Campus: This campus became a campus in 1999. It covers over 3 million square meters. It includes the Faculties of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and Agricultural Sciences. The Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology is also part of this campus.
- Andrés Bello Campus: This campus is in downtown Santiago. It has some of the university's oldest buildings. These include the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism.
- North Campus: This campus is in Independence. It is a very important center for health research and training. The Faculties of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, Medicine, and Dentistry are here. The University of Chile Clinic Hospital is also on this campus.
Main House
This famous building opened in 1872. It has a beautiful front that faces Alameda Bernardo O'Higgins in downtown Santiago. Lucien Ambroise Hénault designed it, and Fermín Vivaceta built it.
Libraries and Digital Resources
The university's libraries have over 3 million books, journals, and other items. These are available in 48 libraries across the university. The libraries have over 27,536 square meters of space. There are also many computers for students and staff to use.
The Digital Library offers access to over 50 million documents. These include books, theses, and articles. It also has digitized historical items like maps and photographs. The university's online publications are free to access.
Culture at the University
The university shares culture through its art groups. These include the Extension Center Arts and Culture "Domingo Santa Cruz" (CEAC). It also has museums, art galleries, and theaters.
Performing Arts
- National Chilean Ballet – BANCH
- Chile Symphony Orchestra
- Chile Symphony Choir
- Vocal Camerata
- Antumapu Folkloric Ballet
- Chilean National Theater
Museums and Galleries
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Museum of American Popular Art
- Juan Egenau Exhibit Hall
- National Museum of Medicina
- Pharmacy Museum
- Dentistry Museum
Theaters
- University of Chile Theater
- Antonio Varas Theater
- Agustín Siré Hall
- Sergio Aguirre Hall
- Isidora Zegers Concert Hall
- Master Study Hall
- Cineteca
Important Facts About the University
- Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in Chile.
- The first woman to attend university in South America studied here. Eloísa Díaz Insunza became a doctor in 1887.
- Many other "first women" in different fields graduated from this university. This includes the first woman lawyer (Matilde Throup, 1892) and the first woman engineer (Justicia Espada, 1919).
- In 1906, the University of Chile Student Federation (FECH) was founded. It is the first and oldest student organization in Chile.
- Amanda Labarca was named the first woman academician here in 1922.
- Chile's two Nobel Prize winners are connected to this university. Gabriela Mistral received an honorary title in 1923. Pablo Neruda studied here and later received an academic honor. He also donated his library and shell collection to the university.
- The first renal transplantation (kidney transplant) in Chile happened at its Clinical Hospital in 1966.
- The first weather satellite image of Chile was received at the university in 1966.
- The first email from Chile was sent from the university in 1985.
- In 1987, the university registered the first internet domain in Chile: www.uchile.cl.
- It was the first university in Chile to have a senate, starting in 2006.
- In 2007, students built the Eolian. This was the first Chilean solar car.
- Research on supernovae from the Astronomy Department helped a scientist win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011.
- Many National Award winners in Chile have been connected to the university.
- The university has the highest possible accreditation in Chile.
- It is responsible for 37% of Chilean scientific journals.
Related Institutions and Services
The University of Chile manages many important services and institutions across the country. These include:
- The National Astronomical Observatory, which has been working since 1852.
- The Contemporary Art Museum (MAC).
- Research efforts in Antarctica, since 1940.
- Official seismological service and volcanic activity watch, since 1908.
- Chile's Symphonic Orchestra, since 1941.
- Chile's National Ballet, since 1945.
- Symphonic Chorus, since 1945.
- Centers for Greek, Arabic, and Judaic Culture Studies.
- The largest Clinical Hospital in the country.
- Institute for Easter Island Studies.
- Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM).
- Centre for Space-related Studies, working with NASA.
- Universidad de Chile Theatre.
- Institute of Public Affairs (INAP).
- Nutrition and Food technology Institute (INTA).
- Museum of Popular American Art, since 1947.
- Experimental Theatre (1944) (later National Theatre of Chile).
- Chile's NIC (manages internet domains).
- The Institute for Experimentation and Research of Materials (IDIEM).
There are more than twenty other important centers.
Notable Alumni
Many smart and important Chilean leaders have studied or worked at this university. These include 21 presidents of Chile. Also, 3 presidents of other Latin American countries. Two Nobel Prize winners and 172 Chilean National Award recipients are also alumni.
Nobel laureates
- Federico Errázuriz Zañartu
- Aníbal Pinto Garmendia
- Domingo Santa María
- Federico Errázuriz Echaurren
- Germán Riesco Errázuriz
- Pedro Montt Montt
- Ramón Barros Luco
- Juan Luis Sanfuentes
- Arturo Alessandri Palma
- Luis Barros Borgoño
- Emiliano Figueroa Larraín
- Juan Esteban Montero
- Pedro Aguirre Cerda
- Gabriel González Videla
- Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez
- Salvador Allende Gossens
- Patricio Aylwin Azócar
- Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
- Ricardo Lagos Escobar
- Michelle Bachelet Jeria
- Gabriel Boric Font
Presidents of other countries
- José López Portillo (México)
- Camilo Ponce Enríquez (Ecuador)
Notable Professors
- Arturo Arias (engineer) (Anti-earthquake engineering)
- Thomas Barthel (Study of cultures and writing)
- Andrés Bello (Laws and Humanities)
- Ignacy Domeyko (Geology)
- Celso Garrido Lecca (Music)
- Humberto Giannini (Philosophy)
- Andre Gunder Frank (Sociology and Economic History)
- Richard Gott (International Affairs)
- Lola Hoffmann (Psychiatry and Psychology)
- Louis Lliboutry (Glaciology – study of glaciers)
- Cinna Lomnitz (Seismology – study of earthquakes)
- Eugenio María de Hostos (Laws, Education and Humanities)
- Ignacio Matte Blanco (Psychiatry)
- Humberto Maturana (Biology and Philosophy)
- Aron Mosnaim (Neuroscience – study of the nervous system)
- Claudio Naranjo (Psychiatry and Psychology)
- Theotônio dos Santos (Economics)
- Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (Education and Humanities)
- Albert Schatz (scientist) (Microbiology and Science Education)
- Alain Touraine (Sociology)
- Max Westenhöfer (Pathology and Biology)
- Roberto Donoso-Barros (Biology and Herpetology – study of reptiles and amphibians)
- Jean Gustave Courcelle-Seneuil (Economics)
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Chile para niños
- Notable alumni of the University of Chile
- University of Chile Student Federation (FECH)
