Higher University of San Andrés

Higher University of San Andrés Overview

The Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) stands as Bolivia's premier state university within the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Established in 1830 in the city of La Paz, UMSA holds the distinction of being the nation's second oldest university, following the Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (founded in 1624), and represents the pinnacle of the Bolivian University System.

UMSA, with its origins dating back to 1830 through a Supreme Decree during Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz's tenure, has a rich history divided into three distinct periods. The institution's journey began with its official university phase, continuing until the June 1930 revolution. Subsequently, the semi-autonomous or autarchic university era was ushered in during the 1930 revolution and persisted until the administration of Rector Héctor Ormachea Zalles in June 1936. From 1936 onwards, UMSA entered an entirely autonomous university period, which endures to this day.

Throughout its existence, UMSA has exerted a profound influence not only within La Paz but also across Bolivia's social, cultural, and political landscapes. It has been a cradle of education for numerous Bolivian presidents and distinguished figures in fields such as law, engineering, politics, medicine, and various professions, shaping the nation's development and community throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Presently, UMSA comprises thirteen faculties in the city of La Paz, along with decentralization into four Regional University Centers (CRUs) in the rural area of the La Paz department, as well as multiple Local University Sites (SULs) across provinces. As of 2019, the university accommodated over 79,000 students, with 9,083 graduating with bachelor's degrees or their equivalent.

In 2017, according to QS World University Rankings, UMSA ranked as Bolivia's top university and stood at 91st in the Latin American sphere. As per the 2021 Webometrics University Ranking, UMSA secures its position as Bolivia's premier university and ranks globally at 3857.

Following the tenure of Dr. Waldo Albarracín Sánchez, a prominent figure in the country's social arena, who concluded his term as the last elected Rector by university assembly in November 2019, UMSA entered a period of interim leadership, with the most senior acting Dean assuming the presidency every 89 days.

Since April 2021 and until 2024, Dr. Oscar Heredia Vargas serves as the elected Rector, accompanied by Vice-Rector María García Moreno.

UMSA boasts a substantial media presence across social networks, national print supplements, radio, and broadcast television, notably featuring Televisión Universitaria de La Paz.

Main Campus: Entrance to the Monoblock The structure that now houses the administrative hub of this esteemed institution, known as the Central Monoblock, graces the Bicentennial Plaza along Villazón Avenue in La Paz. Designed by architect Emilio Villanueva Peñaranda in 1942, a luminary in Bolivian architecture, the building is part of a university complex inspired by pre-Columbian Tiwanaku architecture. Its completion in 2018 marked the inauguration of the Faculty of Social Sciences block. Initiated in 1942 and officially opened on July 4, 1947, the building's construction stirred attention due to being La Paz's first high-rise.

The Monoblock spans 13 floors, including four floors of classrooms, a library, and an auditorium, the Universitary Paraninfo, open to the public for various events. The design also incorporates a semi-subterranean garden with access to the central atrium.

Several pavilions and two buildings, created to meet the high demand for classrooms, surround the Monoblock, separated by open spaces and remnants of the old Colegio Militar building, also conceived by Villanueva.

Notably, the Central Monoblock serves as a focal point for social protests, as various social movements often assemble in its atrium following demonstrations across the city.

UMSA's administrative and academic structure encompasses thirteen faculties, including the Faculty of Agronomy, Faculty of Architecture, Arts, Design, and Urbanism, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Pure and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition, and Medical Technology, Faculty of Dentistry, and Faculty of Technology.

Furthermore, UMSA has a tradition of conferring the title of DOCTOR OR PROFESSOR HONORIS CAUSA upon eminent national or international figures, as mandated by Article 3 of the Chapter I "Composition and Aims of the University" in UMSA's Organic Statute.

Some distinguished recipients of this honor include Walter Solón Romero in 1989 for his mural work "El retrato de un pueblo," Fidel Castro Ruz in 1993 for his juridical plea "La Historia me absolverá," Emilio Villanueva Peñaranda (posthumously) in 2006 for designing and executing the Central Monoblock, Joseph E. Stiglitz in 2006 for "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel" received in 2001, and various other notable individuals recognized for their significant contributions to academia and society in the subsequent years. This list includes Cástulo Martínez Hernández (2007), Oscar Saavedra San Martín (2008), Pedro Godoy Perrín (2009), Samir Amin and Jaime Escalante Gutiérrez (2010), René Zavaleta Mercado (posthumous), Domitila Barrios de Chungara, and Eduardo Bayro Corrochano (2011), Ezio Palizzetti (2012), Fernando Julio Cajias De La Vega, Hugo Celso Felipe Mansilla Ferret, Philip Hanawalt, and Xavier Albo Corronis (2015), Takaaki Kajita (2016), Matilde Casazola (2017), Ruben Carrasco De La Vega and Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui (2018), Josef T. Prchal and Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor Poisot (2019), and Erwin Galoppo von Borries (2020).