National Autonomous University of Mexico

UNAM, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, is the largest university in Latin America and a defining force in Mexican public life. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria, sits on a lava field in the southern reaches of Mexico City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose modernist buildings and towering murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Juan O'Gorman turned a university into a public art gallery. The university educates more than 360,000 students across its campuses, making it one of the biggest institutions of higher learning on the planet.

But UNAM is more than a school. It runs 34 research institutes, 26 museums, and 18 historic sites, including the Biblioteca Central, whose four walls are covered in millions of tiny mosaic tiles. It maintains a campus in San Antonio, Texas, and a school in Chicago, and has partnerships with universities across the globe, from Spain to China. Its open enrollment policy, which guarantees a place to every Mexican high school graduate, reflects a deep commitment to public education, even as budget constraints and political tensions have sometimes pushed the university to the brink.

The university has produced three Nobel laureates, multiple Mexican presidents, and generations of scientists, writers, and artists who have shaped the country's identity. Its influence extends far beyond the classroom, into the very fabric of Mexican culture and politics. [edit]

UNAM's mission is to teach higher education courses to educate professionals, researchers, and university faculty, while also extending the benefits of culture and scientific knowledge to the broader Mexican society. As a public, government-financed institution, it operates under an open enrollment philosophy for Mexican high school graduates, though admission to most programs is highly competitive. The university is committed to preserving and promoting Mexican cultural heritage while advancing knowledge across all fields. [edit]

UNAM's roots stretch back to September 21, 1551, when a royal decree from Charles I of Spain established the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. That institution operated for centuries, but by the late 19th century it had fallen into decline. In 1910, on the eve of the Mexican Revolution, education minister Justo Sierra re-founded the university as a secular, modern institution aligned with the positivist ideals of the Porfiriato. The new university, called the National University of Mexico, opened its doors on September 22, 1910.

In 1929, after a student strike, the university won its autonomy from direct government control, adopting the name National Autonomous University of Mexico. The 1950s saw the construction of Ciudad Universitaria, a sprawling campus designed by some of Mexico's most prominent architects and artists. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. The university has weathered political storms, including the 1968 student movement that ended in the Tlatelolco massacre, and a prolonged student strike in 1999-2000 over proposed tuition fees. Through it all, UNAM has remained a central arena for Mexican intellectual and political life. [edit]