National University of San Marcos

National University of San Marcos
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Latin: Academia S. Marci Vrbis Regvm in Perv
Motto Universidad del Perú,
Decana de América
Motto in English
 University of Peru,
Dean of America
Type Public
Established May 12, 1551
Rector Dr. Orestes Cachay Boza
Academic staff
 2005 (full time)
674 (part time)
Undergraduates 17,596
Postgraduates 2,198
Location Lima, Peru
12°03′30″S 77°05′00″W / 12.05833°S 77.08333°W / -12.05833; -77.08333Coordinates: 12°03′30″S 77°05′00″W / 12.05833°S 77.08333°W / -12.05833; -77.08333
Campus Urban
70 hectares (170 acres) (main campus)
Colors      Gold
     Magenta
     White
     Steel blue
Mascot Lion
Website www.unmsm.edu.pe

The National University of San Marcos (Spanish: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, UNMSM) is a public research university in Lima, capital of Peru. Also known as the "Dean university of the Americas", it is the first officially established (privilege by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) and the longest continuously operating university in the Americas.[1]

It is widely regarded as an influential institution of higher-education in the country. It consistently ranks among the top two universities in the country.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Its main campus, the University City, is located in Lima. It was chartered on May 12, 1551, by a royal decree signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, which makes it the oldest officially established university in the Americas.[8] San Marcos has 60 academic-professional schools,[9] organized into 20 faculties, and 6 academic areas. All of the faculties offer undergraduate and graduate degrees. The student body consists of over 30,000 undergraduate and 4,000 graduate students from all the country, as well as some international students. The university has a number of public institutions under its government such as the San Marcos Cultural Center and the Museum of Natural History of Lima.

It is also the only university in Peru with a Nobel Prize laureate among its alumni: Mario Vargas Llosa (Literature). San Marcos is also recognized for the quality of its curricular contents, a competitive admissions process, as well as for being a center of scientific research.[10] Several Peruvian and Latin American influential thinkers, researchers, scientists, politicians and writers have studied there, which underscores San Marcos' leading role as an educational institution in the history of Peru and the world.

History

Oldest university in America

Tower at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, showing (right) the emblem of Harvard University‍—‌the oldest in the United States‍—‌and (left) that of University of San Marcos‍—‌the oldest in the Americas.

San Marcos is considered the oldest university in the American continent. It was officially established by a royal decree (signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) on May 12, 1551, and since then it has operated without interruption. Hence, it is locally known as the Dean of America ("dean" in the sense of "oldest member"). San Marcos also claims that according to the Archivo General de Indias, a Spanish repository of documents on the former colonies in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, there were no official Spanish records of any other university or higher-education institution before 1551.[1]

However, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo was founded in 1538. It was not officially recognized by Royal Decree until 1558, and, as many other universities in the Americas closed during independence wars and other political conflicts, it was closed due to the occupations of the Dominican Republic by Haiti and then the United States.

Organisation

Government

The university was originally headed by members of the clergy. During the Enlightenment, Bourbon reforms transformed it into a secular institution. Nowadays, the university is governed by:

  • The University Council
  • The University Assembly (composed of professors and students, with the latter holding a third of the seats)
  • The Rector (president)
  • Two Vice-Rectors:
    • Academic Vice-Rector
    • Vice-Rector of investigation

Academic areas and faculties

The original faculties at San Marcos were Theology, Arts (the old Scholastic term for what is now known as academic Philosophy) and Law; Jurisprudence, and Medicine were added later in the colonial period. The Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Commerce were created in the mid-19th century. The Faculty of Science was subdivided by specialities in the 20th century. The Faculty of Theology was closed in 1935.

In the mid-1990s San Marcos' departments were grouped into four academic blocks. Nowadays, San Marcos' faculties are grouped into 6 academic areas.

Notable alumni and academics

See also Category:National University of San Marcos alumni and Category:National University of San Marcos faculty

Class of Jurisprudence and Law of 1896 posing in front of department's water fountain

See also

References

  • Cayo Códova, Percy (2004). Enciclopedia Temática del Perú. TOMO III: República (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Orbis Ventures, El Comercio. ISBN 9972-752-03-8.
  • Del Busto Duthurburu, José Antonio (2004). Enciclopedia Temática del Perú. TOMO II: Conquista y Virreinato (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Orbis Ventures, El Comercio. ISBN 9972-752-02-X.
  • De León Pinelo, Antonio (1631). Por la real Universidad y escuelas generales de S. Marcos de la ciudad de Lima, en las provincias del Perú (in Spanish). Madrid, España.
  • Eguiguren Escudero, Luis Antonio (1949, 1959, 1951). Diccionario histórico-cronológico de la Real y Pontifica Universidad de San Marcos y sus colegios (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM. Check date values in: |year= (help)
  • Eguiguren Escudero, Luis Antonio (1951). Historia de la Universidad. La universidad en el Siglo XVI (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM.
  • García Cáceres, Uriel (2004). Enciclopedia Temática del Perú. TOMO XII: Salud (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Orbis Ventures, El Comercio. ISBN 9972-752-12-7.
  • García Zárate, Óscar Augusto [compilador] (2003). Hacia una nueva universidad en el Perú (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM.
  • González Vigil, Ricardo (2004). Enciclopedia Temática del Perú. TOMO XIV: Literatura (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Orbis Ventures, El Comercio. ISBN 9972-752-14-3.
  • Higgins, James (2005). Lima: A cultural history. Nueva York, EEUU: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517890-4.
  • Maticorena Estrada, Miguel (2000). San Marcos de Lima, Universidad Decana de América, una argumentación histórica-jurídica y el derecho indiano (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM.
  • Porras Barrenechea, Raúl (2010). San Marcos y la cultura peruana: Mito, tradición e historia del Perú (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM.
  • Sánchez Sánchez, Luis Alberto (1961). La universidad no es una isla... Un estudio, un plan, y tres discursos (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Ediciones Perú.
  • Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (2007). Catálogo Universitario y Prospecto de Admisión 2008-II (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Centro de Producción e Imprenta de la UNMSM.
  • Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (2010). Catálogo Universitario y Prospecto de Admisión 2011-I (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Centro de Producción e Imprenta de la UNMSM.
  • Valcárcel Esparza, Carlos Daniel (1981). Historia de la Universidad de San Marcos (1551–1980) (in Spanish). Caracas: Academia Nacional de la Historia.
  • Valcárcel Esparza, Carlos Daniel (2001). San Marcos, Universidad Decana de América ([http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/bibvirtual/books/historia/san_marcos/Indice.htm digitalizado]) (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM. ISBN 9972-46-140-8. External link in |title= (help)
  • López Soria, José Ignacio; et al. (2004). Enciclopedia Temática del Perú. TOMO XI: Ciencia y Tecnología (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Orbis Ventures, El Comercio. ISBN 9972-752-11-9.
  • Peña Rodríguez, Víctor Antonio; et al. (2002). La Producción científica en San Marcos (1995-2001) (in Spanish). Lima, Perú: Fondo Editorial de la UNMSM.
  • Summerfield, Carol J.; et al. (1998). International Dictionary of University Histories. Chicago, Illinois, EEUU: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1-884964-23-0.

Notes

  1. 1 2 http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/bibvirtual/libros/historia/San_marcos/Fund_Uni_Sto_Domin.htm
  2. ↑ "Ranking universitario en el Perú" (PDF). Asamblea Nacional de Rectores (ANR) and UNESCO. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "QS Latin American University Rankings 2013". Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ "University Ranking by Academic Performance (2013): Top Perú". URAP Center. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Ranking Web of Universities: Peru". Webometrics. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ "SIR World Report 2013" (PDF). SCImago. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  7. ↑ "UNMSM recibe acreditación internacional Archived 2011-04-16 at the Wayback Machine.". Peru21. Accessed April 26, 2011. (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ "Foundation of the University of Lima". San Marcos National University. Accessed August 22, 2009. (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ http://www.unmsm.edu.pe/sanmarcosaldia/semanarios/165.pdf
  10. ↑ Ranking and research supported by: UNESCO and Asamblea Nacional de Rectores, 2007
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