University of Antioquia

Colombia’s oldest public university, the University of Antioquia (UdeA), was founded in 1803 under the Constitution of the State of Antioquia, and is one of the country’s largest higher education institutions, with a total of 13 campuses situated all over the region.

The main campus is in Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, and there are also other university buildings spread across the city. Along with eight faculties, three institutes and the main administrative building, the main campus also hosts the University Museum, the University Theatre, the Central Library and a large sports centre.

The University Research Headquarters supports nearly 40 research groups working in a diverse variety of fields.

There are 14 autonomous schools, four colleges and four institutes within the University of Antioquia. The university also boasts three academic corporations in the fields of environmental studies, biomedical sciences and tropical diseases – these organisations aim to recruit some of the best researchers in their fields to advance and develop massive research projects, in collaboration with other institutions both in Colombia and the wider world.

The university boasts about 80 undergraduate courses, more than 180 master’s courses and 11 doctoral courses, and has good international relations with a number of universities, including the Polytechnic University of Turin and the University of Sao Paolo.

Five former Colombian presidents have come through the University of Antioquia, namely Alvaro Uribe Velez, Mariano Ospina Perez, Carlos Restrepo, Liborio Mejia and Mariano Ospina Rodriguez. Writer Tomas Carrasquilla and former Senator of Colombia Carlos Gaviria Diaz are also among the university’s alumni.