Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB)

Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) is one of the largest universities in Venezuela. The Society of Jesus, a religious order of the Catholic Church, established the university in 1953.

The university’s main campus is located in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Caracas is the country’s commercial, cultural, educational, and industrial hub, set in a mountainous valley. There are also campuses situated in smaller Venezuelan cities including Cora, Guayana, and Los Teques.

Named after the Venezuelan humanist, writer, and philosopher Andrés Bello, the university aims to preserve his educational work. Between 1802-1810 Bello became a leading intellectual figure in Caracas. He was involved in political work, started writing poetry, translated classic texts, and edited a newspaper. The university hopes its students will be inspired by Bello’s work and motivated to achieve similar success.

Academic departments include economics and social sciences, humanities and education, engineering, theology, and the law school.

The university’s Social Extension is a scheme that was set up to maintain relationships with the community. Throughout the academic year students and professors volunteer to help those most vulnerable in the local community. The university relies on donations from the public to fund these programmes. There are currently 50 programmes and projects that the university is involved in as part of the Social Extension.

Notable alumni of the university include orchestra conductor, economist, political activist José Antonio Abreu, Venezuelan diplomat Milos Alcalay, author Nery Santos Gómez, journalist and actor Édgar Ramírez, Assembly member, founder of Súmate María Corina Machado, and lawyer and governor Henrique Capriles.