Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Encyclopedia
The National University of La Plata is one of the most important Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 national universities and the biggest one situated in the city of La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....

, capital of Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...

. It has over 90,000 regular students, 10,000 teaching staff, 16 departments and 106 available degrees.

UNLP comprises the Rafael Hernández National College
Rafael Hernández National College
The Colegio Nacional Rafael Hernández is one of the four public high schools that are part of the National University of La Plata, in the City of La Plata, Argentina. The Colegio Nacional aegis denotes a school belonging to the system of national secondary schools...

, the Victor Mercante Lyceum, the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, the School of Agronomy, the La Plata University Radio, the La Plata University Press and numerous academic centers for research and outreach including La Plata Museum of Natural Sciences
La Plata Museum
The La Plata Museum is a natural history museum in La Plata, Argentina.The building, 135 meters long, today houses 3 million fossils and relics , an amphitheatre, opened in 1992, and a 58,000-volume library, serving over 400 university researchers...

, the University Public Library, the Samay Huasi Retreat for Artists and Writers
Samay Huasi
Samay Huasi is a historic property in Argentina functioning as a both a vacation retreat, as well as a museum.-Overview:Located in Chilecito, a town located high in the Pampas Sierras of La Rioja Province, the property originally belonged to William Treloar, a British mining engineer who purchased...

, the Institute of Physical Education, the Astronomical Observatory and the Santa Catalina Rural Association.

The institution began operations on April 18, 1897, as the Universidad Provincial de La Plata with Dr. Dardo Rocha as its rector. In 1905, Joaquín V. González
Joaquín V. González
Joaquín Víctor González was an Argentine educator, political scientist, writer, magistrate, and politician.- Early life :...

, the Minister of Justice and Public Education of the government
Government of Argentina
The government of Argentina, functioning within the framework of a federal system, is a presidential representative democratic republic. The President of Argentina is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. Legislative power is vested in both the...

 of Manuel Quintana
Manuel Quintana
Manuel Pedro Quintana y Sáenz de Gaona was the President of Argentina from 12 October 1904 to 12 March 1906. He died in office....

, decided to nationalize it. González also integrated many municipal scientific institutions into the university, and a year later he became the first President of the National University of La Plata. Today the university holds one of the most important paleontological and anthropological collections in South America.

Symbols

The university coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 was adopted at the first university assembly on 14 February 1897. It represents the City of La Plata holding up the "Light of Science". The constellation of the Southern Cross
Crux
Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations, but is one of the most distinctive. Its name is Latin for cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped asterism that is commonly known as the Southern Cross.-Visibility:...

 is also featured as well as the coat of arms of the Province of Buenos Aires which is held in the hands of the woman who represents the city. The university emblem is the oak leaf, and its motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

 "Pro Scientia et Patria" is a Latin phrase meaning For Science and the Motherland.

The university hymn was composed by Carlos López Buchardo
Carlos López Buchardo
Carlos Félix López Buchardo was an Argentine composer whose work was inspired by native music....

, and its lyrics written by Arturo Capdevilla. The hymn premiered on 23 October 1927 in the Teatro Argentino of La Plata to commemorate the centenary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...

. It was performed by the orchestra of the Colón Theater
Colón Theater
To Redirect to homonymous theatre in Bogotá see Teatro de Cristobal ColónThe Teatro Colón is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world.The present Colón replaced an original theatre which opened in 1857...

 of Buenos Aires under the direction of Adolfo Morpurgo, a professor in the School of Fine Arts.

History of the National University of La Plata

Foundation

The national capital of Buenos Aires was federalized in 1880. This forced the surrounding Province of Buenos Aires to cede the city, and as a result it was left without the greater part of its institutions. The new provincial capital in La Plata was subsequently founded in 1882 but lacked a center of higher education and investigation. With the purpose of rectifying this situation, the provincial senators Rafael Hernández, Emilio J. Carranza, Marcelino Aravena, and Valentín Fernández Blanco presented a bill on 12 June 1889 to create a provincial university in La Plata.

The proposal had immediate repercussions in the city of La Plata. On 13 June, about 150 youths from the National College, the Argentine Institute, and the Literary Society mobilized around the home of Rafael Hernández, accompanied by a band, in order to display their support.

The law was once and for all passed by the provincial Chamber of Deputies on 27 December 1889 and was enacted as Law Number 233 by the then-governor Máximo Paz on 2 January 1890. The new law established the creation of a university of tertiary studies with four faculties: Law, Medicine, Chemistry and Pharmacy, and Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

The new university was expected to open that same year; however, the governor had not written the corresponding regulatory decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...

, nor had he even mentioned the issue in his final address to the legislature. Due to this delay, a group of local citizens presented a request to the Ministry of Government on 5 May 1891 declaring their intentions that their children study law in La Plata. However, the file on that request was closed in 1893. On 28 May 1894, a similar request was presented to the new governor Guillermo Udaondo, insisting on the full completion of Law 233. Despite a favourable report made by the Consultancy Office of the government on 28 July of that year, the Ministry of Economy and Government did not advance on the determination of expenses or assignation of resources and a new note was sent to the governor in December 1896.

Concurrently, Dr. Dardo Rocha
Dardo Rocha
Dardo Rocha was an Argentine naval officer, lawyer and politician best known as the founder of the city of La Plata and of the University of La Plata.-Life and times:...

, the founder of the city and first provincial governor, was developing the founding bylaws at the request of Governor Udaondo. This was finally sanctioned on 8 February 1897 — seven years after the passing of the Law. The first University Assembly came together on 14 February and designated Dardo Rocha himself as the first rector of the university. Studies began on 18 April in the Banco Hipotecario building — the present-day site of the Rector's office — with a class on Law History given by Jacob Larrain.

Nationalization of the University

Despite the objectives for which it may have been established, the first years of the university were discouraging, as much for the dearth of students as for the low operating budget. From 1897 to 1905, it only succeeded in enrolling 573 students, owing not only to the low population of La Plata in its founding era but also because of the lack of national recognition for the degrees it granted, which heightened the attraction exerted by the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...

.

At the same time, Joaquín V. González, then Minister of Justice and Education, began to give shape to his idea of creating a national university on the base of the existing provincial university and other teaching institutes. In October 1904, Dr. González, Governor Marcelino Ugarte and the province's congressional delegation convened to advance the nationalization project. This idea took shape with the transfer from a provincial to a national level, on January 1, 1905, of the Veterinary and Agronomy Faculty, the Astronomical Observatory and the fields of Santa Catalina (in Lomas de Zamora
Lomas de Zamora
Lomas de Zamora is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, located next to the border of Buenos Aires City and within the metropolitan area of Greater Buenos Aires.It is the capital of Lomas de Zamora Partido and has a population of 111,897....

).

On August 12 of that year the university and its faculties, the La Plata Museum
La Plata Museum
The La Plata Museum is a natural history museum in La Plata, Argentina.The building, 135 meters long, today houses 3 million fossils and relics , an amphitheatre, opened in 1992, and a 58,000-volume library, serving over 400 university researchers...

, the La Plata Observatory, the Institute of Arts and Crafts, the University Library, the School
Rafael Hernández National College
The Colegio Nacional Rafael Hernández is one of the four public high schools that are part of the National University of La Plata, in the City of La Plata, Argentina. The Colegio Nacional aegis denotes a school belonging to the system of national secondary schools...

 and the Teachers' College were taken over by the national government. In the covenant of transfer, the Nation was obliged to found a university institute.

On August 15, the creation of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata was approved in the House of Representatives
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....

, and on August 19, it received definitive sanction in the National Senate
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...

. The bill was signed by President Manuel Quintana
Manuel Quintana
Manuel Pedro Quintana y Sáenz de Gaona was the President of Argentina from 12 October 1904 to 12 March 1906. He died in office....

 on September 25, and on March 17, 1906, the university's first leadership, headed by Joaquín V. González and university vice-president Dr. Agustín Alvarez, was elected.

In 1908 the national university was composed of the following faculties:
  1. A Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences, with a Department of Teaching and a Department of Philosophy and Letters.
  2. A Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (the one that the Regional School of Agriculture depended on) and the School of Stockbreeding of Santa Catalina.
  3. A Faculty of Physical Science, Mathematics, and Astronomy, which is divided into a School of Mathematical Sciences, a School of Physical Sciences, a School of Astronomical Sciences, a School of Architectural Engineering, and a School of Engineering Hydraulics.
  4. A Faculty of the Museum, (the one that the Faculty of Natural Sciences depended on), the Museum, the School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, the School of Physical Geography and the School of Drawing and Art.
  5. A Department of Primary and Secondary Studies, consisting of the National School, the Secondary School for Young Ladies and the Graduate School.
  6. A Library and the University Extension.
  7. An Astronomical Observatory, consisting of the Division of Seismology, the Division of Meteorology, and the Station of lengths of Oncativo.


It is recorded that the University had a student body of 1,845 students in 1908. Joaquín V. González served four terms as president, retiring on March 18, 1918.

The era of the University Reform

The University reform in Argentina was a movement that was initiated at the National University of Córdoba in 1918; it sought various changes to the Argentine university system, including free university education, student participation in the administrative bodies of the university, autonomy, curricular flexibility, and university extension
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...

. These were to become the pillars of an ideology that spread throughout the universities of Argentina, as well as many others in Latin America.

The National University of La Plata had been founded with a strong impulse for university extension which had developed, in its early years, into the form of systematic programs of conferences and courses that were open to the general public. Nevertheless, in other aspects related to the reform movement, its position was a source of controversies. In March 1918 Rodolfo Rivarola took charge of the university. One of the opponents of his election, José Nicolás Matienzo (who would later become Attorney General of Argentina) said about the reform of the Statutes in 1920: "Examining the proposed reforms to the statutes of the National University of La Plata, I believe that amongst all the universities of the republic, this is the one that has endured the most oligarchic
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...

 regime until now."
. His criticism centered principally on the excessive decision-making power of the president, the existence of excessively long mandates, the possibility of undefined elections and the lack of participation in the designation of instructors.

The events of Córdoba had little impact in La Plata that year, with the exception of the proposal by the University Federation carried out in July 1918 on the teaching conditions in the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine. Nevertheless, beneath this calm façade was brewing an intense movement that was reflected in the pages of the student magazines "Atenea" of the National School, and "Renovación" of the University Federation.

In early 1919, the Upper Council approved the participation of members of the student body in the government of the University by a voice vote. On 20 October of that year, a strike broke out in the entire university, ignited by the resurgence of the conflict in the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine. At the beginning of 1920, after a ferocious crackdown on a student rally in March, the conflict turned violent, culminating in the murder of the student David Viera during an examination in the School of Medical Sciences. In the meantime, a strong rivalry exploded between opposing student factions: the reformers in the University Federation of La Plata and the University Concentration group.

On June 5 President Rivarola tendered his resignation, which was accepted by Carlos Melo. In the meantime, Professor Alejandro Korn
Alejandro Korn
Alejandro Korn was an Argentine physician, psychiatrist, philosopher, reformist and politician. For eighteen years, he was the director of the psychiaty hospital in Melchor Romero , named as the city. He was the first university official in Latin America to be elected thanks to the student’s vote...

, a member of the Upper Council, became the most prominent representative of the reformist movement, carrying out some of the demands of the student body, such as the closure of the boarding school of the university which the students considered to be a source of favoritism and nepotism.

Student activism staged a return during the university presidency of Nazar Anchorena, from 1921 to 1927. Despite not having achieved significant changes, it maintained the ideals of reform through the group Renovación (Renewal), named after its goal of transforming the Federation of the University of La Plata. The federation had at this time become more commonly known by the initials, FULP (Federación Universitaria de La Plata). The group was at the center of intense cultural campus activity. It was also the direct antecedent of what would become the university's theater group and the magazine Valoraciones (Appraisals). The latter would become a venue of expression for the reformer Alejandro Korn and such professors as Pedro Henríquez Ureña
Pedro Henríquez Ureña
Pedro Henríquez Ureña was a Dominican intellectual, essayist, philosopher, humanist, philologist and literary critic.-Early works:Pedro Henríquez Ureña was born in Santo Domingo, the third of four siblings...

. During this period, the radio station LR11 Radio University was created.

Between 1927 and 1930, the presidency was held by Ramón Loyarte and on December 1, 1930, the new president, Dr. Ricardo Levene, was elected. His tenure oversaw the turbulence produced by the coup d'état of General José Félix Uriburu
José Félix Uriburu
General José Félix Benito Uriburu y Uriburu was the first de facto President of Argentina, achieved through a military coup, from September 6, 1930 to February 20, 1932.-Biography:...

, and lasted only 6 months.

The University of Buenos Aires intervened immediately after the blow, its administrator was Nazar Anchorena, former president of the NU of LP. This designation very was questioned by the dirgencia student of La Plata, that considered it a violation of the university autonomy. The tension that was generated between the two universities concluded with the expulsion of Levene from the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...

, as was also the case of Gabriel del Mazo, who was dismissed for his loyalty to the overthrown UCR
UCR
UCR may refer to:* University of California, Riverside* Unified Cornish Revised, a variety of the Cornish language* Uniform Crime Reports* Under color removal* University of Costa Rica* Unión Cívica Radical, an Argentine political party...

 government. This episode derived in a student strike and the dissolution by governmental decree of the Upper Council, causing the renunciation of Levene and of all the counselors and deans of the faculties.

The university is then "intervened
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...

" (that is, managed by a state-appointed president); extraordinary powers are bestowed upon Dr. Federico Walker, who declared his intention to exclude any opposing students, leading to the dismissal of 31 students and various professors. By August of that year, the new regime was well entrenched. During the so-called "infamous decade" (1931–1943), characterized by "patriotic fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...

" (i.e., fraudulent elections), student participation was much restricted.

This enclosed opening was fought by students and educational, and despite those conditions Ramón Loyarte being was appointed as the president of the university January 14, 1932, in May from that year the pressure of the students and of the Upper Counsel forced it to renounce. Already the majority of the students and educational exclude you had been reincorporated the 17 March. On June 25, Dr. Levene is was chosen with the support of the University.

In 1935 Julio Castiñeiras took office as the university's president, and in that era the Association of Mutual Aid for the students is created. The company was subsidized by the university and by the students that offered health care and dental services, as well as a community kitchen and a pharmacy. Also in this era a strong dispute between the conduction of the university arises and the governor of the Province, Manuel Fresco, arose; Fresco's sympathies lay with Italian fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...

.

In 1938, Dr. Juan Carlos Rébora was appointed rector, succeeding Julio Castiñeiras. On that year the number of students reaches 9,443. The start of World War II generated strong tensions within the institution, because the politics of neutrality did not allow political demonstrations by public and students. On June 27, 1941 Dr. Alfredo Palacios
Alfredo Palacios
Alfredo Lorenzo Palacios was an Argentine socialist politician.Palacios was born in Buenos Aires, and studied law at Universidad de Buenos Aires, after graduation he became a lawyer and taught at the university until becoming a dean.In 1902, he was elected to the Buenos Aires' legislature, and in...

 became president, and he urged a return to the foundational view of Joaquín V. González, whereby University institutes and faculties where organized as in a sort of "federal republic", while allowing for synergy and a degree of integration across disciplines. That vision is reflected in a University by a law that mandated: 1) studies of philosophy for all the graduates in the sciences; 2) the development of a series of courses that could provide a historic and ideological background common to may disciplines. These initiatives were eventually abandoned in 1943 during the management of Ricardo de Labougle, leading to an increasing fragmentation.

During the era that began with the coup d'état of 4 June 1943, some renewal took place, leading to the creation of the Institute of Theatre, the Commission of Fonografía Cultural, and the Latin American Institute. During that time, the Samay Huasi (House of Rest) was incorporated as patrimony of the university.

The limitation of the university autonomy (1943-1955)

In 1943 to 1945 there was a common denominator for all the national universities: the tension between the de facto government and the reformist sectors that would conform later to the Democratic Union. In October 1943 the administration of Alfredo Palacios
Alfredo Palacios
Alfredo Lorenzo Palacios was an Argentine socialist politician.Palacios was born in Buenos Aires, and studied law at Universidad de Buenos Aires, after graduation he became a lawyer and taught at the university until becoming a dean.In 1902, he was elected to the Buenos Aires' legislature, and in...

 was interrupted due to his opposition to decrees issued by the National Executive.

The choirs

The University Choir of the National University of La Plata was the university's first artistic group which was brought about through student initiative and was the first one in its kind in Argentina. Its debut took place on 19 September 1942 under the direction of the maestro Rodolfo Kubik.

The choir's motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

 is "Friendship through Music" and since its inception, it has encouraged the creation of other university choirs. The First La Plata Festival of University Choirs was organized in 1959, thus initiating a tradition that is maintained to the present time.

The choir's repertoire includes classical works, religious music of the 16th century, popular Argentinian folk or contemporary music (with works by composers such as Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastavino was an Argentine composer.Carlos Guastavino was born in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. He studied music in Santa Fe with Esperanza Lothringer and Dominga Iaffei, and in Buenos Aires with Athos Palma...

, Atahualpa Yupanqui
Atahualpa Yupanqui
Atahualpa Yupanqui was an Argentine singer, songwriter, guitarist, and writer. He is considered the most important Argentine folk musician of the 20th century....

, Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...

, Eladia Blázquez
Eladia Blázquez
Eladia Blázquez was an Argentine tango singer and composer. El corazón al sur is considered her most popular tango.-External links:**...

), Latin-American music and negro spirituals.

Throughout the years, the choir has undertaken many tours including a cycle of concerts in cities along the East Coast of the United States in 1965, in which the choir was invited to take part in the inauguration of the Lincoln Center of New York; a tour of European cities in 1970 with performances in Rome, Paris, Munich, Vienna and Frankfurt; its participation in the 1995 International Music Festival of Cantonigròs; and its 2000 participation in the International Festival of Choir Music "America Cantat III" in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...

.

The Coro Juvenil (Youth Choir) was created in September 1983, and is now conducted by Mtro. Pablo Cánaves. It has received several prizes, and its repertoire ranges from Renaissance music
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...

 to contemporary music and popular folksongs.

The Chamber Choir was created in 1985. Its objectives are: the musical and professional preparation of youths who aspire to sing professionally; the featuring of soloists and instrumental ensembles; and an emphasis on the musical literature of the 20th century. It is conducted by Mtro. Roberto Ruiz.

The String Quartet

The University String Quartet (Cuarteto de Cuerdas) was created in 1953 by professors of the College of Fine Arts. Its first concert took place at the Salón Dorado of the municipality of La Plata on October 5 of that year. The NU of LP formalized the status of the ensemble in 1958. The quartet has premiered the works of distinguished Argentinian composers such as Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered one of the most important Latin American classical composers.- Biography :...

, Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...

, Gerardo Gandini and Eduardo Alemann. Its repertoire ranges from classical to the present day.

Its current members are:
  • 1st Violin: José Bondar
  • 2nd Violin: Fernando Favero
  • Viola: Roberto Regio
  • Cello: Siro Bellisomi

The wind quintet

The Wind Quintet of the NU of LP was created in 1979 as an instrumental ensemble of the university's radio station.

In 1982 the NU of LP officialized it as its own. The Wind Quintet plays, amongst much else, classical music for the public

Its repertoire covers composers of the romantic, classical, 20th-century and contemporary composers, which also includes folk and popular works.

As of 2005, its members are:
  • Marcelo Mancuso (flute)
  • Cristian Cocchiararo (oboe)
  • Roberto Palomo (clarinet)
  • Calos Nalli, (horn)
  • Eduardo Rodriguez (bassoon)

The theater of the University

The "Theatre Workshop of the National University of La Plata" was created on May 5, 1986; its objective is to promote artistic creativity and research on esthetics. The group is devoted to experimental productions open to the general public, as well as providing advise and consulting on various artistic disciplines. The workshop can trace its roots to the theatre group termed Renewal, associated with the reformist mouvement of the 1920s.

Its recent productions include Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...

's play "The Trial", adapted by the Uruguayan Alberto Mediza; this work, featuring over 50 actors, was performed continuously for five years in La Plata and attracted 20,000 spectators. Other works include: 1) "El Dictamundo", by Juan Carlos Tealdi, a piece that involves literary research about the figure of a generic, archetypical Latin-American dictator; 2) "Si muero, dejad el balcón abierto" (If I die, leave the balcony open), a homage to Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...

 by J.C. Tealdi; 3) "Rose of two fragrances" by Emilio Carballido; 4) "The Kitchen" by Arnold Wesker; 5) "To the Boys" by Beltrán-Crespi. This latter play was performed over 150 times, and was presented in the International Festivals of Trujillo, Peru
Trujillo, Peru
Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru...

), Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

 (Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

), Baradero
Baradero
Baradero is the oldest town of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, being founded in 1615. It is the head town of the Baradero Partido.It is located on the bank of the Baradero River which is a tributary of the Paraná River.-External links:...

 and El Dorado
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...

 (Argentina), as well as during the Argentine Week at Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...

) and at the Argentine House in Paris. All these works were directed by Norberto Barruti.

Since 2001, there have been performances of "The conventillo de la Paloma" (Paloma's boarding house), a one-act comedy by Alberto Vacarezza.

Academic units



Famous students and professors

  • Raúl Alfonsín
    Raúl Alfonsín
    Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...

     (Law degree in 1950) President of Argentina (1983–1989)
  • Florentino Ameghino
    Florentino Ameghino
    Florentino Ameghino was an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist.Born in Luján, son of Italian immigrants, Ameghino was a self-taught naturalist, and focused his study on the lands of the southern Pampas...

     (professor of geology)
  • Juan José Arévalo
    Juan José Arévalo
    Juan José Arévalo Bermejo was the first of the reformist presidents of Guatemala. Preceded by military junta interregnum after a definitive pro-democracy revolt in 1944...

     (Philosophy PhD in 1934)
  • Mario Bunge
    Mario Bunge
    Mario Augusto Bunge is an Argentine philosopher and physicist mainly active in Canada.-Biography:Bunge began his studies at the National University of La Plata, graduating with a Ph.D. in physico-mathematical sciences in 1952. He was professor of theoretical physics and philosophy,...

     (Physics-Mathematics PhD in 1952)
  • René Favaloro
    René Favaloro
    Dr. René Gerónimo Favaloro was an Argentine cardiac surgeon who created the technique for coronary bypass surgery....

     (Medicine degree in 1949, inventor of heart by-pass)
  • Emilio Pettoruti
    Emilio Pettoruti
    Emilio Pettoruti was an Argentine painter, who caused a scandal with his avant-garde cubist exhibition in 1924 in Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires was a city full of artistic development...

  • Raúl A. Ringuelet
    Raúl A. Ringuelet
    Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet Ph.D. was an Argentinian zoologist.Dr. Ringuelet published more than 100 scientific papers on the Ecology, Limnology, Biogeography, and Conservation of South American freshwaters, and was a mentor to a whole generation of Argentine biologists. Dr...

     (professor of Zoology)
  • Carlos Saavedra Lamas
    Carlos Saavedra Lamas
    Carlos Saavedra Lamas was an Argentine academic and politician, and in 1936, the first Latin American Nobel Peace Prize recipient.-Biography:...

     (law teacher, rector, Nobel Peace laureate)
  • Ernesto Sábato
    Ernesto Sabato
    Ernesto Sabato , was an Argentine writer, painter and physicist. According to the BBC he "won some of the most prestigious prizes in Hispanic literature" and "became very influential in the literary world throughout Latin America"...

     (Physics PhD in 1937, writer)
  • Néstor Kirchner
    Néstor Kirchner
    Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...

     (Law degree) President of Argentina (2003–2007)
  • Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
    Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
    Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...

     (Law degree) President of Argentina (2007-until now)
  • Florentina Gómez Miranda
    Florentina Gómez Miranda
    Florentina Gómez Miranda was an Argentine teacher and lawyer. Born in Olavarría in the province of Buenos Aires, she attended the National University of La Plata from which she graduated in 1945. From then on, she was active in the struggle for women's rights. Among the laws she promoted, the...

     Argentine Deputy from 1983 to 1991

External links

Official website History of the University UNLP Museum of Natural Sciences UNLP Radio Station website UNLP Library Linkage Project PrEBi UNLP Intellectual Creation Difusion Service SeDiCI Vení a la UNLP - Promotional Video

See also

  • List of universities in Argentina
  • Science and technology in Argentina
    Science and technology in Argentina
    The most important aspects of science and technology in Argentina are concerned with medicine, nuclear physics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, space and rocket technology and several fields related to the country's main economic activities....

  • University Revolution
    University Revolution
    The University Revolution or Argentine university reform of 1918 was a general modernization of the universities, especially tending towards democratization, brought about by student activism. The events started in Córdoba and spread to the rest of Argentina, and then through much of Latin America...

  • Science and Education in Argentina
  • Argentine Higher Education Official Site
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK