Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Encyclopedia
Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ (informally Universidad San Francisco, or simply USFQ) is a liberal-arts, non-profit, private university
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...

 located in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

. It was the first totally-private self-financed university in Ecuador and the first liberal-arts institution in the Andean region
Andean region
Andean region may refer to:* Andes, mountain chain in South America* Andean Region * Andean Region of Colombia...

. It is an institution that promotes the quest for knowledge, individual liberties, and the entrepreneurial spirit as a means for the development of Ecuadorian society through excellence in teaching and research, supported by qualified and committed faculty, comprehensive and rigorous curricula, and adequate resources.

Goodness, beauty, and truth are the guiding principles under which the university was created. USFQ students shall have instilled in them a passion for learning, love for justice, and the need for freedom in order to be citizens of the world objectively celebrating differences and strongly promoting free enterprise as a means for a better future.

Academically, USFQ ranks as one of the eleven-top universities (category A) in the most recently published ranking of Ecuadorian universities (being the only totally-private university to qualify for the highest category), issued by the Ecuadorian Council of Evaluation and Accreditation of High Education (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación de la Educación Superior CONEA). In 2009, it was ranked first in Ecuador in relation to the number of peer-reviewed scientific publications.

The university now enrolls 5,500 students, 4,500 of whom are undergraduates. The university promotes multicultural diversity, and each year about 100 indigenous students and 1000 international students participate in USFQ academic programs. USFQ has developed a scholarship program for indigenous students, offering full schollarships to the best students of public highschools throughout Ecuador. Although USFQ receives no funding from the government of Ecuador, its faculty comprise one-half of all the people in that nation who hold a doctorate.

USFQ main campus is located in Cumbayá, outside of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

 (capital city of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

), where students enjoy of a modern library, education and research laboratories, classrooms, and seven-themed restaurants. USFQ is the only university in the world that owns a campus in the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...

, one of Earth'’s most amazing natural laboratories, and a campus in the Yasuni
Yasuni
Yasuni is an area in Ecuador renowned for its extremely diverse wildlife. It has 616 species of trees, having the most species of tree of any forest in the world....

 Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...

 (Tiputini Biodiversity Station
Tiputini Biodiversity Station
Tiputini Biodiversity Station is a scientific field research center in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is located in the province of Orellana, about 280 km ESE from Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is located on the northern bank of the Tiputini River, and although separated from the Yasuni...

), one of Earth's most biodiverse area.

History

Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ was founded in 1988 by the Corporación de Promoción Universitaria, its umbrella non-profit foundation. It was the first totally-private self-financed university in Ecuador. It was named after the city of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

: San Francisco de Quito (not after the saint), in response to the need of a high-quality private higher-education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 institution in Ecuador. It was officially recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ecuador in October 1995 and accredited by CONESUP in May 2001.

Establishment of the Corporación de Promoción Universitaria

In 1980, a group of Ecuadorian and international intellectuals and businesspeople, under the leadership of Santiago Gangotena González, established the non-profit Corporación de Promoción Universitaria, with the mission to create a private Ecuadorian university of high academic quality. The corporation was legalized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ecuador in June 1985 (published in the Official Registry of the Ecuadorian Government in 28 de June 1985).

Foundation of the University

After eight years of planning and promotion, the First Class of USFQ students started on September 1st. 1988, in a manor located on the 12 de Octubre Ave. 1983 and Salazar St.,in the northern area of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

, with 130 students. The university was officially recognized by the Ecuadorian government on October 18th, 1995 under Executive Decree 3166, published in the Official Registry 809 on Octubre 25th, 1995. The statues of the university were approved by the National Council of High Education CONESUP on May 18th, 2001.

Creation of the Academic Colleges

USFQ is divided among academic colleges (faculties). In 1988, students were distributed among three academic colleges: Colegio de Administración para el Desarrollo for business studies, Colegio de Ciencias Aplicadas for applied sciences, and Colegio de Comunicación y Cultura for communication, arts and cultural studies. In 1990, USFQ started the Colegio de Ciencias Ambientales for environmental sciences.

In 1992, six colleges were established: Colegio de Administración para el Desarrollo, Colegio de Comunicación y Artes, Colegio de Ciencias Ambientales, Colegio de Ciencias Aplicadas, Colegio de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, y Colegio de Lenguas. Subsequently in 1993, the Colegio de Arquitectura started, followed in 1994 by the Colegio de Agricultura and the Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud. In 1997, the Colegio de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades changed its name to Colegio de Artes Liberales.

Current Colleges of the University

In 2011, USFQ is divided in 16 academic colleges and institutes spread across three campuses across Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

 (Cumbayá-Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

, Tiputini Biodiversity Station
Tiputini Biodiversity Station
Tiputini Biodiversity Station is a scientific field research center in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is located in the province of Orellana, about 280 km ESE from Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is located on the northern bank of the Tiputini River, and although separated from the Yasuni...

, and the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...

):
  • Colegio de Administración para el Desarrollo (CAD) - College of Business Administration
  • Colegio de Agricultura, Alimentos y Nutrición (CAAN) - College of Agriculture, Foods and Nutrition
  • Colegio de Arquitectura y Diseño Interior - College of Architecture and Interior Design
  • Colegio de Artes Liberales - College of Liberal Arts
  • Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales (COCIBA) - College of Biological and Environmental Sciences
  • Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud - College of Health Science
  • Colegio de Ciencias e Ingeniería El Politécnico - College of Sciences and Engineering - The Polytechnic
  • Colegio de Comunicación y Artes Contemporáneas (COCOA) - College of Communication and Contemporary Arts
  • Colegio de Hospitalidad, Arte Culinario y Turismo (CHAT) - College of Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Tourism
  • Colegio de Jurisprudencia - College of Jurisprudence
  • Academia Regional de Redes CISCO-USFQ - Regional CISCO
    Cisco
    Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...

    -USFQ Academy
  • GAIAS - Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences
  • Instituto Confucio - Confucius Institute
    Confucius Institute
    Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, as well as facilitating cultural exchanges. They are sometimes compared to language and culture promotion organizations such as France's...

  • Instituto de Enseñanza y Aprendizaje (IDEA) - Institute of Teaching and Learning
  • Instituto de Lenguas Extranjeras (ILE) - Institute of Foreign Languages
  • Instituto de Música Contemporánea (IMC) - Institute of Contemporary Music

Contributions to the advancement of science and society

Despite its young age, USFQ has played a significant part in scientific programs and social advances through its students, Alumni, and faculty, including:
  • DØ experiment, by Bruce Hoeneisen, founder and professor of the Physics department at the Colegio de Ciencias e Ingeniería El Politécnico, USFQ.
  • Hosting the First and Second World Summit on Evolution
    World Summit on Evolution
    The World Summit on Evolution is an evolutionary biology meeting hosted at the Galapagos Islands by Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, an Ecuadorian private liberal-arts university...

     (called "The Woodstock of Evolution")
  • Extending higher education to indigenous people, with the largest Ecuadorian scholarship program focused solely on native American people.
  • Conducting one of the largest studies in the country on the effects of environmental changes on diarrheal disease, Project EcoDess
  • Making revolutionary genetic discoveries on the Rotavirus
    Rotavirus
    Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea among infants and young children, and is one of several viruses that cause infections often called stomach flu, despite having no relation to influenza. It is a genus of double-stranded RNA virus in the family Reoviridae. By the age of five,...

     and Leptospira
    Leptospira
    Leptospira is a genus of spirochaete bacteria, including a small number of pathogenic and saprophytic species...

    , by the Institute of Microbiology of the Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales (COCIBA), USFQ.
  • Discovering and describing the first animal genus (Nymphargus
    Nymphargus
    Nymphargus is a newly established genus of glass frogs, characterized by lacking webbing among the outer fingers, lacking humeral spines in adult males, and having a lobed liver covered by a transparent hepatic peritoneum.-Species:...

    ) described by an Ecuadorian, by Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia, professor of the Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales (COCIBA), USFQ.
  • Working on the publication of the book on Important Bird Area of Ecuador.
  • Developing ground-breaking research on the biodiversity of Amazonia, confirming that Yasuni
    Yasuni
    Yasuni is an area in Ecuador renowned for its extremely diverse wildlife. It has 616 species of trees, having the most species of tree of any forest in the world....

     has outstanding global conservation significance due to its extraordinary biodiversity and potential to sustain this biodiversity in the long term.
  • Involvement in all major films of last-decade Ecuadorian cinema, including Ratas, ratones y rateros, Crónicas
    Crónicas
    Crónicas is a 2004 Ecuadorian thriller film, written and directed by Sebastián Cordero. The film was produced by Guillermo Del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth, and Alfonso Cuarón, director of Y Tu Mama Tambien...

     by Sebastián Cordero
    Sebastián Cordero
    Sebastián Cordero is a film director, writer and editor, often recognized for his work in Ratas, Ratones, Rateros, his debut film which portrays the life in a poverty-stricken Ecuador...

    , and Qué tan lejos by Tania Hermida.

Traditions

As an institution with a strong sense of community, the University has developed several traditions, including:
  • The Day of the University Dies Universitatis (El Día de la Universidad), celebrates the foundation of the university and is held on the first Thursday of September.
  • The White Coat Ceremony (La Ceremonia del Mandil Blanco), marks the transition of the students of the College of Health Sciences from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences.
  • Academic dress
    Academic dress
    Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...

     is wore by faculty and students during the graduation ceremonies and on the Day of the University.

Degrees

USFQ offers several undergraduate degrees (Bachelor of Arts/BA, Bachelor of Science/BS), professional degrees (Architect, Lawyer, Engineer), and postgraduate degrees (Master's and Trainings)

Bachelor of Arts

  • Business Administration (Administración de Empresas)
  • Hospitality Management (Administración de Empresas de Hospitalidad)
  • Digital Animation (Animación Digital)
  • Contemporary Art (Arte Contemporáneo)
  • Culinary Art (Arte Culinario)
  • Food and Beverages Management (Administración de Alimentos y Bebidas)
  • Liberal Arts (Artes Liberales)
  • Cinema and Video (Cine y Video)
  • Environmental Communication (Comunicación Ambiental)
  • Organizational Communication and Public Relations (Comunicación Organizacional y Relaciones Públicas)
  • Advertising (Comunicación Publicitaria)
  • Communication Design (Diseño Comunicacional)
  • Economics (Economía)
  • Education (Educación)
  • Finance (Finanzas)
  • Interactivity and Multimedia (Interactividad y Multimedia)
  • Marketing (Marketing)
  • Multimedia Journalism (Periodismo Multimedios)
  • Musical Production and Sound (Producción Musical y Sonido)
  • International Relations (Relaciones Internacionales)
  • Psicology (Sicología)
  • Psicology and Human Resources (Sicología y Recursos Humanos)

Bachelor of Science

  • Applied Ecology (Ecología Aplicada)
  • Biology (Biología)
  • Biotechnology (Biotecnología)
  • Marine Ecology (Ecología Marina)
  • Mathematics (Matemáticas)
  • Human Nutrition (Nutrición Humana)
  • Physics (Física)
  • Chemistry (Química)

Professional Degrees

  • Architect (Arquitecto)
  • Clinical Psicologist (Sicólogo Clínico)
  • Dentist (Odontólogo)
  • Interior Designer (Diseñador de Interiores)
  • Lawyer (Abogado)
  • Medical Doctor (Medico)
  • Optometrist (Optometrista)
  • Sommellerie, certified by La Cofradía del Vino
  • Veterinarian (Veterinario)
  • Aerospace Engineer (Ingeniero Aeroespacial)
  • Agribusiness Engineer (Ingeniero Agroempresario)
  • Biotechnological Engineer (Ingeniero Biotecnólogo)
  • Civil Engineer (Ingeniero Civil)
  • Environmental Engineer (Ingeniero Ambiental)
  • Electric and Electronic Engineer (Ingeniero Eléctrico y Electrónico)
  • Foods Engineer (Ingeniero de Alimentos)
  • Industrial Engineer (Ingeniero Industrial)
  • Systems Engineer (Ingeniero de Sistemas)
  • Mechanical Engineer (Ingeniero Mecánico)
  • Chemical Engineer (Ingeniero Químico)

Postgraduate Degrees

  • Training in Primary Health Care (Especialización en Atención Primaria de la Salud)
  • Training in Health Economy (Especialización en Economía de la Salud)
  • Training in Geographic Information Systems GIS (Especialización en Sistemas de Información Geográfica SIG)
  • Training in Mathematics Teaching (Especialización en Docencia Matemática)
  • Training in Banking and Finances (Especialización en Banca y Finanzas)
  • Several training programs in Dentistry
  • Master of Business Administration MBA (Maestría en Administración de Empresas)
  • Master of Banking and Finances (Maestría en Banca y Finanzas)
  • Master of Administrative Law (Maestría en Derecho Administrativo)
  • Master of Business Law (Maestría en Derecho de Empresa)
  • Master of Management of Construction and Real State Business (Maestría en Dirección de Empresas Constructoras e Inmobiliarias)
  • Master of Tropical Ecology and Natural Resources Management (Maestría en Ecología con Mención en Ecología Tropical y Manejo de Recursos Naturales)
  • Master of Education (Maestría en Educación)
  • Master of Chinese Phylosophy (Maestría en Filosofía China)
  • Master of Physics (Maestría en Física)
  • Master of Applied Mathematics (Maestría en Matemática Aplicada)
  • Master of Microbiology (Maestría en Microbiología)
  • Master in Public Health (Maestría en Salud Pública)
  • Master of Geographic Information Systems GIS (Maestría en Sistemas de Información Geográfica SIG)
  • Master of Sustainable Energetic Development (Maestría en Desarrollo Energético Sustentable)

Services

  • Four hundred students participate in the mandatory community service program every semester.
  • The university offers approximately 1,500 different courses every semester.
  • It is a completely tuition-driven institution and receives no funding from the Ecuadorian government.
  • The university has a dental and medical clinic that serves the local community.
  • Its library has the only open-stack facility and the largest collection in the country. It also features complete on-line library services.
  • It has formal collaborative agreements with over one hundred universities in the United States and around the world.
  • The university has a satellite campus on the Galápagos Islands (GAIAS) where it offers full degrees, as well as specialized programs focused on biology and environmental studies.
  • It manages, in conjunction with the American Boston University
    Boston University
    Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

    , located in Boston, Massachusetts, the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS) in the Amazon Basin
    Amazon Basin
    The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...

    . The TBS holds record numbers for biodiversity; it is the most diverse place for amphibian
    Amphibian
    Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...

    s in the planet, with 121 species. In the February 1999 issue of National Geographic, journalist Virginia Morell called the TBS "the most remarkable place" after visiting several sites around the world in order to write a series of articles on biodiversity
    Biodiversity
    Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

    .

Notable Alumni and Faculty

  • Bruce Hoeneisen, Physicist, member of the DØ experiment - USFQ Founder and Professor
  • Santiago Gangotena Gonzalez, Physicist and Educator - USFQ Founder and Professor
  • Carlos Montúfar, Physicist and Educator - USFQ Founder and Professor
  • Rafael Correa
    Rafael Correa
    Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007...

    , President of Ecuador (since 2007) - Former USFQ Professor (taught Economic theory).
  • Iván Ulchur
    Iván Ulchur
    Iván Ulchur is a literature professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito. He is a renowned writer and columnist in Ecuador, where he has lived for 18 years with his family....

    , Writer - USFQ Professor
  • Juan Manuel Rodriguez
    Juan Manuel Rodriguez (writer)
    Juan Manuel Rodríguez López is an Spanish-born, naturalized Ecuadorian professor and author. He studied with the Jesuits through philosophy and later obtained a doctorate in literature from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador . From 1969 to 1972, he was a television producer with Channel...

    , Writer - USFQ Professor
  • Lugina Cabezas
    Lugina Cabezas
    María Lugina Cabezas Andrade is a model from Quito, Ecuador. She was Miss Ecuador 2007 and competed in Mexico City on May 28, 2007 at the Miss Universe 2007 pageant but didn't place....

    , Miss Ecuador 2007
    Miss Ecuador 2007
    The Miss Ecuador 2007 was on March 22, 2007. There were 19 candidates for the national title. The Miss Ecuador 2007 will represent Ecuador at Miss Universe 2007. The Miss World Ecuador would enter Miss World 2007. The Miss Internacional Ecuador would enter Miss International 2007. The First Runner...

     - USFQ Alumni
  • Magdalena Barreiro
    Magdalena Barreiro
    Magdalena Barreiro is an Ecuadoran former Economy Minister and professor of finance.She holds a Bachelor in Business Management from Escuela Politécnica del Ejército , as well as a Master of Science in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a Ph.D...

    , former Minister of Economy of Ecuador - USFQ Professor
  • Juan Martín Cueva
    Juan Martín Cueva
    Juan Martín Cueva Armijos is an Ecuadorian documentary film director and the director of the Filmfestival "Cero Latitud" in Quito...

    , film director - USFQ Professor
  • Fausto Miño, singer - USFQ Alumni
  • Pablo Lucio Paredes, Economist - USFQ Professor
  • María Paula Romo, Lawyer and Politician - USFQ Alumni

External links

  • Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ - Official Website usfq.edu.ec (in Spanish
    Spanish language
    Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

    )
  • Noticias USFQ - Official Blog usfq-ecuador.blogspot.com (in Spanish
    Spanish language
    Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

    ) (in Spanish
    Spanish language
    Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

    )
  • Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ on Facebook (in Spanish
    Spanish language
    Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

    )
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