The University of La Laguna (Universidad de La Laguna, or ULL) is one of the leading public higher education institutions in Spain. Located in Tenerife, it is the oldest university on the Canary Islands, and is mainly located in the third largest city part of the San Cristóbal de La Laguna archipelago.
La Laguna was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999,
The history of ULL dates back to 1701 when Augustinians, members of a Catholic religious order, built the first educational centre in the town of La Laguna.
After more than century of uncertainty and closures, Fernando VII of Spain issued an order for its official launch demanding rights of education for the local community. The newly established university welcomed its first students in January 1817, but was mpt given an official accreditation by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport until 1927.
Today the college operates on six different campuses spread across the La Laguna municipality and the capital of the Canary Islands, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is home to university’s headquarters.
The college focuses its efforts into providing courses in traditional areas of study including humanities and social sciences. More recently, the university has launched various short courses in technical subjects.
In 2010, ULL joined with the Universitiy of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also in the Canary Islands, to launch the "Campus Atlántico Tricontinental" project (the Tri-continental Atlantic Campus), which was recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education. It is designed to grow the reputation of the universities in South America, North Africa and Europe, with a particular focus on astrophysics, alternative energies and sea studies.
Famous alumni of the university include Spanish politician Alejandro Lerrox y Garcia, the architect Cesar Manrique and Canarian filmmaker Manuel Mora Morales.
