Universidad de los Andes (Uniandes) was founded on November 16th, 1948 by a group of young, innovative thinkers led by Mario Laserna Pinzón as the first private higher education institution in Colombia. Its profile as a secular, independent entity, free from the influences of political and socio-economic interests, helped Universidad de los Andes become a cutting-edge academic initiative during a historical time in which polarized political parties fought for influence over the classrooms of private universities. With this historic context in mind, “the birth of Universidad de los Andes was not solely based on the desire to give life to another university or an exclusively academic interest, but rather the intention to create a new country by forming and educating new generations”, as said by Francisco de Brigard, a founder of the university and former University President. For this reason, Uniandes is dedicated to its objective of offering an academic experience of excellent caliber that contributes to closing the knowledge gap in Colombia related to modern scientific advancements.
Universidad de los Andes was born as a highly international institution thanks to various agreements signed in its formative years with the Universities of Illinois, Pittsburgh and Texas that allowed our students to advance a portion of their studies outside of the country. In 1948, this was a particularly innovative educational model in Colombia and decades later, we continue to creatively work with our partners across all continents to develop an increasingly diverse host of opportunities for both incoming and outgoing students.