La Universidad Nacional de Rosario birthday and celebrates it by recreating its history, with the commitment to more education, more careers and middle schools.

On November 29, 1968, the Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) through Law 17.987 that determined the autonomy of the powers established in the city that since 1919 and until then depended on the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL).

But university life in the city began much earlier, the first antecedents dating back to 1910 when a commission was created with the purpose of building a teaching hospital, promoting science and education. In those years, with the donation by the Municipality of the land located between Vera Mujica, Santa Fe, Urquiza and Francia and private contributions, the buildings that began to function in 1920 began to be built.

At that time, in addition to the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Pharmacies and minor branches, the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical-Chemical, and Natural Sciences applied to Industry were established in Rosario; and the Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences. In the following years, others were incorporated: Philosophy; Politic science; Odontology; Agricultural Sciences, Architecture, Veterinary Sciences and Psychology. In addition to the teaching hospitals, two secondary schools, the Superior Institute of Music of Rosario and the Superior Institute of Fine Arts.

There were several occasions in which projects were presented to formalize the University in Rosario, but they did not prosper. Already in 1968, due to negotiations for the creation of the School of Law, progress was finally made in the grouping of the academic and administrative units that gave rise to the UNR.

With the recovery of democracy in 1983, the university recovered its autonomy, its freedoms, the fullness of student life, the legality of its statutes. When President Raúl Alfonsín took office, he determined to begin the normalization of the universities that were directed towards institutional reconstruction following the paths of the reformist tradition.

The UNR first adopted the statute of the UNL while retracing the normalization that concluded with the statute of 1986 where the co-government with teachers, graduate students and non-teachers was ratified. For the first time since its creation, the UNR had its governing bodies fully operational and began a period of transformations and continuous actions, which have not been interrupted until today.

The UNR has become one of the most prestigious public institutions in the country. The current structure includes 12 faculties, 5 secondary schools, 1 interdisciplinary study center and 13 double-dependency research institutes in conjunction with the Conicet. In 2023, a new Social and Human Sciences middle school will begin. It also has 5 sports facilities, 6 university canteens, 3 health centers to assist students without medical coverage and 1 university residence.

The academic offer is wide with 121 undergraduate courses, 119 specialization, 60 master's degrees, 40 doctorates, 17 between high school and secondary level technical degrees, 22 undergraduate degrees, 34 curricular complementation cycles and undergraduate cycles, 20 technical degrees, 29 postgraduate degrees , undergraduate diplomas, advanced studies diplomas and a post-doctorate body. The proposal also includes trade courses for young people and routes for older adults. Undergraduate courses are free and it is a condition to have completed the previous cycle of the educational system.

UNR is the fourth university with the most undergraduate students nationwide and the first in Santa Fe. It has 86.849 undergraduate and graduate students and 14.845 postgraduate students. In a trend that is consolidating, the number of women in the university environment continues to increase with 55.987 of the total of 86.849, which represents 64 percent of the student population. A noteworthy fact is that 57% of the entrants in the year 2021 are considered the first generation of university students, with a mother and father who did not complete higher education. Around 7.000 teachers walk through the classrooms, and more than 3500 researchers dedicate their daily work to innovating, improving, and consolidating contributions that help advance the frontier of knowledge and democratic access to its benefits.

Journalist: Micaela Pereyra/Photographer: Camila Casero.