The University of Buenos Aires today.
The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) was created between 1861 and 1873. The founders thought that education, science and technology were the keys to national progress and autonomy. This was the golden era of Argentina. Education was one of the government's top priorities, particularly, elementary school. The government provided free, public, non religious education and adapted school programs with the aim of facilitating
entrance to university.
Unfortunately, the evolution of public education has been parallel to that of Argentina itself. Education has become disorganized, politicized. Administrative jobs are assigned politically, budgets are permanently short and faculty strikes are common.
There has been a lively public debate in recent years on how to change UBA
and improve its funding, but not much has been achieved. Because the university is free, chaotic and looks surreal, it remains a mystery how great minds come out of there. Here is a list of some of its students, researchers and graduates' recent achievements:
A team from the Law School won the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot
Court Competition, 2007-2008 edition.
In 2007 a doctor from the University of Buenos Aires won the L Oreal prize
for Unesco for Women in Science. A doctor in Physics, from the same
University had previously obtained it in 2003.
The Program for Climatic Change created by UBA researchers has been recognized worldwide and some of its members make up the Intergovernmental Panel for Climatic Change, project that contributed to making Al Gore win the Peace Nobel Price in 2007.
Dr. Mónica Pinto, President of Eudeba (UBA's publishing company), was awarded the National Order of Merit from the Embassy of France for her outstanding work in Public International Law.
2006 Konnex prizes to the best figures in Argentine humanities were awarded to 17 members of UBA, members of the faculty, researchers and graduates.
UBA research teams work on subjects such as biodiesel, nanotechnology, advances in breast cancer and climatic change.
UBA Graduates won prizes at the International Research Scholars (2007-2011), Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Prize Young Animal Scientist (2007).
A student from the School of Natural Sciences is the creator of Google Sky, a tool that lets you see images of the sky.
Going back in time, out of five Nobel Prize Winners that Argentina has, 4 graduated from the University of Buenos Aires and one from the National University of La Plata.
UBA, is another metaphor that well describes our country: so contradictory, so terrible, so marvelous.
