La Universidad Nacional de Rosario It commemorated its 57th anniversary by highlighting its historic process of academic and territorial expansion, and recognizing its "pride" members: 57 members of its community for their contribution to the scientific, educational and social development of the region.
La Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) celebrated its 57th anniversary with more students, more careers, with an unwavering commitment to public education and an institution in full transformation that sustains its strong drive towards academic innovation and the expansion of its educational proposal.
At the National Flag Monument, prominent members of the university community were recognized for their valuable contributions to strengthening public education and their impact on society. Present were Rector Franco Bartolacci, Mayor Pablo Javkin, and City Council President María Eugenia Schmuck, along with other distinguished figures from the university community and the municipal government.
This new anniversary celebrates not only the past - the powerful history of the UNR - but also a present that, despite the difficulties, is consolidating itself with record enrollments and graduates, moving towards the modernization of its curricular structure with the application of the credit system, with the creation of a new faculty, with six careers that will be added to the academic offer in 2026, with more investment for scientific research and with the recovery of its historical and building heritage.
“The National University of Rosario (UNR) is undergoing the most significant expansion in its history. Never before have so many new degree programs been created in such a short time, never before have so many schools been established, and never before has the UNR's presence been as strong as it is now throughout the south-central region of the province. Today we have a school in El Trebol, another in General Lagos, another in Puerto San Martín, plus the School of Social Sciences, plus the online high school, plus programs for senior citizens, plus the School of Trades, and more than 80 locations in municipalities and communes offering some of these programs. And next year we will add a new Faculty, something that hasn't happened since 1987, and we will begin offering Agronomy in Venado Tuerto. I am very proud, not personally, but on behalf of the community. All of this has been achieved in a context of great difficulties, and yet the UNR community, aware of the transformative value of education and the challenges that still lie ahead, does not rest in its commitment to expanding the limits of what is possible, making things happen, and thereby making the UNR even greater.” "Our University. Celebrating these 57 years is to proudly recognize that collective effort," said Rector Franco Bartolacci.
He also stated that of the large universities, UNR is one of the youngest, and yet it is also one of the fastest growing and strongest in the system. “If Rosario can be largely defined as a city of science, knowledge, and education, it is thanks to the contributions this University and its community have made throughout its history. Today, we gather, above all, to thank and acknowledge all those who built it. Those of us with institutional responsibilities know that the life of an institution depends on the commitment of the people who gave it meaning. This ceremony is a tribute to those individuals who, throughout the rich, and still young, history of the University of Rosario, made what we are possible,” he explained, adding: “A few years ago, we sought to transform this formal ceremony into a recognition of the efforts of our community, and we hope this practice will continue year after year. We believe it is a valuable way to highlight the University's contribution and potential. And this year, we took it a step further: also recognizing prominent figures and institutions in the city with whom we have built relationships and shared projects.”
This year's "UNR Pride" awards recognized 57 graduates, faculty members, and students who have distinguished themselves through their achievements and contributions. Among them were Néstor Carrillo, a graduate and professor at the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, recognized by the National Academy of Sciences and the first director of the Biotechnology degree program; Anabella Busso, from the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations, who received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Córdoba; and Joaquín Carvalho, a student at the same Faculty and president of the Argentine University Federation. Also recognized were Sofía López, who received a scholarship to visit the European Union headquarters in Belgium; Liz Morandini, a graduate in Social Communication and the 100th graduate of the Regresar program; and Sofía López King, for her book "Artes de hacer" (The Arts of Doing).
The Law School team, comprised of Franco del Popolo, Lucia Caldani, Lola Rodríguez, Clara Harte, Josefina Talamonti, and Joaquín Ortiz, along with coaches Ignacio Amatriain Torrens, María Carrara, Sofía Polizzi González, Joaquín Micaz, Bautista Ramírez, and Miguel Colquicocha, was also recognized for their performance in the International Arbitration Competition. Additionally, the Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology—the first of its kind in the country and in Latin America, with a 36-year history—was recognized, represented by the current Dean of the Faculty of Biochemical Sciences, Andrés Sciara.
Also recognized were Delia Gelin, a 75-year-old graduate in Social Communication through the Regresar Program; Ezequiel Falletti and Lina Sosa Guerci, law graduates accompanied by the Directorate of Inclusion and Accessibility; Polytechnic students Ariel Grillo and Alejandro Ferreyra, selected for the 2025 International Chemistry Olympiad in Dubai; Avril Guzmán, bronze medalist in the Latin American Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad; Virginia Huhn, a medical graduate selected for the prestigious clinical case competition in Poland; and the young people Julián Cabrera, Matías Raimundez, and Francesco Mozzatti, silver medalists in the 2025 Americas Programmers Cup and award winners at the World Programming Championship, along with their coaches Franco De Rico, Sebastián Mestre, and Mariano Crosetti.
In addition, Marcela Salvai, head of the first Chair of Child Psychiatry at the National University of Rosario (UNR) in the world, was recognized; as were playwrights Juan Carlos Abdo and Liliana Gioia for “Cuqui en Terapia,” a production nominated for the Martín Fierro Federal Award; and the team behind “Mujeres con historia, temporada 2” (Women with History, Season 2), comprised of Belén Bertero, Florencia Lattuada, Dana Tameron, Camilo Postiglione, Lucio García, Francisco Zini, Fabián Gallego, and Mario Armas, winner of the Juana Manso Award. Finally, Francisco Cappone, Martina Gualco, and Paulina Alonso, winners of the Emprende U competition, received recognition, as did Santiago Trifiró, selected for the 2025 International Olympiad in Informatics; Fran Cassinese, who achieved the highest overall GPA at UNR in 2024; and Miguel Simioni, former President of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, for the institution's commitment to the UNR School of Trades. Also recognized were Virginia Pacini, director of the Center for Sanitary Engineering, for her project providing access to safe water in low-income neighborhoods; and Guillermo Bass and Eduardo Bressan for their work on the comprehensive restoration of the historic Law School building. Finally, Emiliano Yamil Espadas, Elisabet Torres, and Mariana Lionela Benítez, the students with the highest grade point averages in the Otra Vuelta Program, were honored, as was Paulina Guerscovich, a student at the Superior School of Commerce who received a scholarship from the Balseiro Institute.
new races
The courses that will begin in 2026 not only expand the UNR's offerings, but also respond to growing social demands such as the care of the elderly population, community health, and comprehensive well-being.
These are the University Technical Degree in Therapeutic Accompaniment, in the Faculty of Psychology, which provides theoretical and practical training (lasting three years) to accompany community mental health processes, and Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, a historic commitment to professionalize a discipline with a profound social impact.
In addition, a new academic unit is opening: the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences and Care. It will house the Physical Education Teacher Training Program, the Bachelor's Degree in Sports, the Bachelor's Degree in Integrated Care Systems, and the Technical Degree in Elderly Care.
The academic expansion of the National University of Rosario (UNR) has been so powerful in recent years that it required the creation of a new Faculty to accommodate it, something that hadn't happened since the 80s. This is yet another sign of the unprecedented growth of the city's public university. Bartolacci emphasized that "there is a great deal of creativity and immense effort from many people behind each objective." This effort is all the more remarkable considering the many difficulties it has allowed the university to overcome in recent years: two years of pandemic, lockdowns, and unprecedented challenges; two years of rising inflation that severely hampered its capacity to operate; and two years of severe underfunding of the national university and scientific system. "However, here, more than anywhere else, we never stopped working, never stopped moving forward toward the goals we set for ourselves. Perhaps this healthy persistence allowed us to sustain everything despite the precariousness and continue adding new things. We dream of an ever-greater UNR, and that dream drives us every day to strive for more," the Rector stated.
Academic innovation: quality and institutional commitment
In addition, the UNR has launched an ambitious agenda to modernize its academic structure, which will reach a definitive stage in the first semester of 2027 with the adoption of the credit system. This curriculum modernization has driven reforms in recent years that emphasize the value of educational excellence, updated content, and shorter, more aligned training pathways that better meet the demands of today.
With the implementation of the credit system in 2027, the National University of Rosario (UNR) will not only be more aligned with international standards, but will also be able to promote greater student mobility with a curriculum that places special emphasis on and gives central importance to the student experience. “We have said many times that the world is changing rapidly, that Argentina no longer has the same character as before, and that in this context, the University cannot continue doing the same things it did three or four decades ago. Building on its strengths, it is necessary to create and innovate, to promote profound reforms, a kind of second university reform that must have a central chapter promoting an academic, pedagogical, and curricular revolution. The UNR has been on this path for the last five years, and the implementation in 2027 of the already approved credit system will be a substantial step toward consolidating it,” Bartolacci stated.
More students admitted and more graduates
In 2025, the number of incoming students exceeded 30.000, the highest number in the history of the UNR. This surge reflects a growing interest from the student community and a strategic plan to sustain and support that growth.
The number is expected to rise by 2026, with six new degree programs. These are in addition to those created during this administration, which—like all new undergraduate programs—last four years.
-Bachelor's Degree in Data Science, which started this year with 800 students enrolled.
-University Technical Degree in Artificial Intelligence, which is at the top of the requirements among technical degrees, due to the current nature of its proposal and being a short three-year course.
-Graphic Design and Clothing Design, both with current and technological plans.
-Real Estate Brokerage.
-Citizen Security.
-Bachelor's Degree in Tourism.
-Bachelor's Degree in Cultural Management
In these new degree programs, there is also a growing combination of hybrid modalities: some subjects are entirely virtual, which facilitates accessibility and modernizes the study experience.
At the same time, the National University of Rosario (UNR) had a record number of graduates in 2024, reaching 3494 in a single year, a growth of around 20% compared to the previous year—a number never before achieved in its history. The "Regresar" (Return) program, which encourages students who only had a few courses left to complete their studies to return, finish, and graduate, has already seen nearly 200 graduates since its implementation two years ago and is one of the reasons for this growth.
The UNR's educational offering also extends to short courses at the School of Trades - with over 10 graduates in three years - online assistance courses on the Virtual Campus, a virtual high school called Otra Vuelta for those seeking to complete their secondary education with over 200 graduates in two years, and courses for adults at the Open University for Older Adults, an initiative that is consolidating year after year and offering multiple options.
“It is very encouraging to begin to see reflected in statistics the aspirations that motivated many of the changes we implemented, the new things we put into practice. Being able to count on such an increase in enrollments and graduates confirms that the chosen path is the right one,” university authorities stated.
New Faculty of Human Movement and Care Sciences and Pre-University Schools, a synthesis of growth.
The creation of the Faculty of Human Movement and Care Sciences is part of a plan to incorporate disciplines that have been underrepresented in public universities until now.
These new degree programs not only respond to socio-economic changes but also to demographic needs, such as providing care for the elderly population through the Technical Degree in Senior Care. This represents a significant commitment by the National University of Rosario (UNR) to continue its growth and accommodate new aspirations, and it will be launched in April of next year. Another key aspect of this expansion is its network of pre-university secondary schools, which integrate high school education with a public focus, high quality, and strong ties to the local community.
In addition to the already traditional Higher Polytechnic Institute, Higher School of Commerce and Agricultural School, the School of Social Sciences and Humanities was added to the university network three years ago, offering secondary education with a focus on social, environmental, political and cultural issues.
To maintain its connection with the region and its expansion in the south of the provincial territory, the UNR added the Educational Hubs of Puerto General San Martín and General Lagos:
-In Puerto San Martín, the technical school offers specializations in administration, computer science and agricultural production, designed for local development.
-In General Lagos, the Sara Bartfeld Rietti School, with a technological focus, already operates, as in the case of Puerto San Martin, in its own building with modern classrooms, laboratories and green spaces.
Meanwhile, in El Trébol, the UNR established an extension of the Agricultural Technical School, guaranteeing a public university school of excellence in the heart of the province's agricultural production.
Standing at 57 years old, with a history that includes antecedents from the beginning of the last century, the UNR is taking on new and ambitious challenges today.
Journalist: Micaela Pereyra – Gonzalo J. García / Photographer: Camila Casero.