The National University of the Center of the Buenos Aires Province was created in 1974 to join the already existing structures of Tandil, Olavarría, and Azul within a National University. These Academic projects had been established since 1960, and with the passing of the law, which set up the UNICEN, they were joined together into a project of regional scope.
Since then, the UNICEN has experienced a continuous evolution. Nowadays, about 12.000 students follow their studies at this University. Apart from its three centers in Tandil, Olavarría, and Azul, students may attend the first years of their studies at Quequén University Teaching Center.
The growing degree courses and postgraduate academic programs today involve the Faculties of Art, Agronomy, Economic Sciences, Exact Sciences, Human Sciences, Social Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Engineering, and the Superior Schools of Law and Health Sciences. There exists an excellent teacher-student ratio, a comparative advantage of more prominent universities. This fact influences the quality of its academic formation. Academic excellence, investigation, technological transference, and services, aimed at attaining students' integral education, constitute the main objectives of this Institution without setting aside a permanent commitment to local development.
The Secretary of Science, Art, and Technology of the UNICEN proposes maintaining, improving, and enlarging the physical and human structures for the scientific, technological activities, seen as clue factors for the socio-economical and cultural development of the region where the University is placed. For that, it is necessary to reinforce energetically a relationship with the regional, national, and international scenario, especially with the sectors which produce goods and services. It is worth stating that at present, the National University of the Center of the Buenos Aires Province has 32 nuclei of scientific and technological activities in which 642 researchers and 208 investigation scholars participate.
In the last years, the University has consolidated a transference profile and strong ties with the community through a series of undertakings related to the organization and promotion of the scientific and technological proposal and their insertion in the regional area. To satisfy the needs of services in the industrial, business, and production sectors, different activities were accomplished.
Based on the European Economic Community, the FUNIVEMP project was effectively set up. This association is composed of thirty-nine Companies from the influential area of the National University of the Buenos Aires Province, the Districts of Tandil, Olavarría, and Azul, and the University itself. The object is to connect them with the world of the technological demand, that is to say, the companies, especially the small-size ones and relate them with the scientific and technological proposals to establish a direct connection with the University wherein science and technology are available. The goal is to impact the regional development and encourage people from these companies, who are facing difficulties in a recessive market, limited in their growth and motivation, fostering them to look for new technologies, products, and opportunities.
The UNICEN intends, not only to support and consolidate the existing cooperation with foreign universities, but also to initiate new connections as an essential tool for the creation and exponential growth of exchange activities, transfer of students, graduates and teachers, and cooperation among universities. This cooperation is functional for the development and strengthening of science and technology research, the formation of human resources and its transfer to the environment, the teaching specialization, the enhancement of undergraduate and graduate education, and the promotion of its academic offer. Regarding international connection, the UNICEN holds bilateral and multilateral cooperation through a significant number of agreements with foreign universities (both American and European) and other Educational Institutes, Development and Research Centers, Foundations, Governmental Organisms, Organizations, etc. Anyone interested in establishing connections with our University, in any of the ways mentioned above (students, graduates, professor-researchers or institutions and foreign organisms) could contact our people in International Relations.
The Languages Department is the alternative offered by the UNICEN to satisfy one of the most widespread needs we face nowadays: to communicate in a foreign language. The technological support to the courses is supplied by the Language Laboratories, sited in Tandil and Olavarría. There are two main Programs, Curricular and Extracurricular. The curricular program is oriented to university students, and the extracurricular one, to any member of the local community. At present, the Department provides courses and levels of English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Chinese, and Spanish for international students. The latter prepares the student for the acquisition of a national level certificate: CELU (Certificate of Spanish, Language, and Use), that has the recognition of the Education, Science and Technology Ministry of the Argentine Republic.
This University, characterized by its cultural diversity, is devoted to the development of citizenship and the growth of social capital. The cultural policy of the UNICEN tends not only to foster a full range of events but also to put into action new ideas, taking into account the cultural interests of its community. Another main objective is to offer a channel of expression and participation in the community, especially those who have the skills and find no other way of developing them. An interactive relationship with the communities of the area has allowed the UNICEN to provide programs and, besides, work together with other institutions, entities, artists, etc. in the development of varied courses and workshops.
The Libraries' System at the UNICEN is composed of the Central Library, located in the Rector's Building, the one in Olavarria and Azul. Besides, the institutes, laboratories, and departments of the different Faculties have their specialized libraries. Each one possesses an online Data Base, and all of them make up the net of the system. The bibliographical fund sums more than 75000 books and 546 titles of periodic publications. Since 1988, there is a digital Heterotheca, named "The Proquest," which has more than 400 titles of periodic publications of the best level incomplete texts, bibliographical reference of 2000 titles and four specialized databases which can be accessed by the internet through the Library site from any computer at the University. In the Central Library, the readers have a sector of collections with direct access. This allows people to contact the bibliography needed and know the different existent books about the same topic. Students can consult on the internet, in specially configured computers, and check their e-mail.
VIDEOS
