New Granada Military University

Latin: Universidad Militar Nueva Granada
Motto	Scientiae, patriae et familiae
Motto in English	Science, Country, Family
Type	Public, National
Established	1982
Rector	BG (R) Hugo Rodríguez Durán
Students	22.850 (2012)
Location	Bogotá , Cundinamarca , Colombia
Campus	Urban and Campus of Cajicá 75.5 hectare
Colors	Yellow, Blue and Red
Nickname	UMNG
Website	http://www.umng.edu.co

The New Granada Military University (Spanish: Universidad Militar Nueva Granada), is a public, national, coeducational and research university based in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. It is composed of 8 distinct faculties and offers a wide range of academic programs: 29 undergraduate degrees, and 47 graduate degrees (27 specializations, 17 masters, and 3 doctorates).

The university is recognized as one of the flagship public research universities in the country and it has been awarded an Institutional Accreditation for a period of 8 years by the National Council of Accreditation of the Ministry of Education, reflecting its commitment to excellence in education.^[1]

The university boasts a sprawling campus of 80 hectares in Cajicá, a town nestled in the northern part of Bogotá’s Metropolitan Area. This campus is among the largest in Latin America. It is designed to accommodate over 30,000 students and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities: modern buildings, classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums, cafeterias, sports courts, and a swimming pool. To ensure easy access to these facilities, the university provides free transportation for its students via the Savannah train.

Campuses

The university operates from three locations. The main headquarters is situated in Bogotá at Street 100. The Faculty of Medicine is conveniently located adjacent to the Central Military Hospital, also in Bogotá. Additionally, a new campus was built in Cajicá, at the northern of the city of Bogotá.

Campus at Cajicá

In 2005, the New Granada Military University acquired a plot of land adjacent to the Hacienda Riogrande. This land, earmarked for the construction of a new campus, is set to serve future generations of Colombians. Spanning 80 hectares, the campus is one of the largest in Latin America.

The campus will house administrative buildings and schools, each equipped with their own auditoriums, internet rooms, classrooms, and cafeterias. In addition to these, the university plans to construct special buildings tailored to the educational needs of the university and the preferences of its students. These include a church, a sports center, a library, a main auditorium, a headquarters building, an aquatics center, a gym, the Military Aeronautical Institute (IMA), an acoustic shell, an athletic stadium, a softball pitch, and a power plant.

Furthermore, the university is committed to environmental sustainability, as evidenced by the planned construction of a sewage treatment plant, a groundwater treatment facility, a solid waste treatment plant, and a water treatment plant for the Bogotá River.

History

The New Granada Military University has a rich history that dates back to 1962. It originated from the Military School of Officers “José María Cordova”, which offered Civil Engineering, Economics, and Law programs to second lieutenants as a supplement to their professional education. In 1978, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences was established, thanks to the visionary efforts of the medical staff at the Central Military Hospital. The school began its operations in the first semester of 1979.

The university’s growth accelerated in 1980 when it was granted the status of a university center by decree-law 84/80. This special administrative unit was ascribed to the Ministry of Defense. Its directorate was established on the grounds of the Military School, with academic direction housed in an old building opposite the Patria High School, and administrative direction located at the Military School of Medicine.

On July 23, 1982, Resolution 12975 recognized the center as a university, christening it as the Universidad Militar “Nueva Granada”. Act 30 of 1992 further clarified the university’s role, stating that it would continue to be ascribed to the Ministry of National Defense and operate as a Special Administrative Unit.

In January 1984, the university relocated to its current location in Bogotá, Colombia (Carrera 11 No. 101-80), a strategic area of the city that is home to a significant financial center and other defense sector entities.

The university underwent another significant change in March 2003 with Act 805, which reconstituted it as an autonomous university entity of national order with a special organic regime. Its primary goal is to provide higher education to support the Military Forces, the National Police, the Defense Sector, and all its active or retired members, their families, and civilians in general.

Faculties and academic programs

Publications and media

In its mission to broaden and diversify the accessibility of knowledge, the New Granada Military University (UMNG) has established various platforms for information dissemination. These include the Neogranadine newspaper, as well as a collection of books and indexed journals that are made available to the public.

In addition to print media, the university also operates its own internet radio station "UMNG Radio", providing another avenue for knowledge sharing. This station broadcasts a variety of content and can be accessed at any time via the website .

See also

• List of universities in Colombia

Notes

External links

• Universidad Militar Nueva Granada official site (in Spanish)
• The University official site (English)

4°40′59″N 74°02′31″W / 4.68307°N 74.0419°W / 4.68307; -74.0419