Complutense University of Madrid

The Complutense University of Madrid (Spanish: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, UCM; Latin: Universitas Complutensis Matritensis) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293, it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world. The university moved to its current location in Madrid in 1836 and now occupies the entire Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with some buildings in the nearby city of Pozuelo de Alarcón. It is named after the ancient Roman town of Complutum, located in what is now Alcalá de Henares.

The Complutense University has played a very important role in Spanish history. Important buildings such as the Palacio de la Moncloa, where the Prime Minister lives, and the Spanish Constitutional Court are located on the university's campus. Many leaders, including Spanish Prime Ministers, EU Commissioners, and NATO leaders, studied there. In 1857, it was the only university in the Spanish Empire allowed to give out doctorate degrees, earning the name "Docta," meaning the Learned.

Today, the university has over 86,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in Europe. In 1909, it made history by being one of the first universities in the world to give a doctorate degree to a woman. In 1943, its name was changed to Universidad de Madrid, meaning 'University of Madrid.'

History

See also: University of Alcalá

On 20 May 1293, King Sancho IV of Castile allowed the Archbishop of Toledo, Gonzalo Pérez Gudiel, to start a school called El Estudio de Escuelas Generales in Alcalá de Henares. Later, a leader named Cardinal Cisneros bought land and built many buildings, creating the first university campus ever. In 1499, he got permission from the Pope to make it a full university, and it was named Universitas Complutensis.

By 1510, the university had five main schools. Over the next few centuries, it became very famous, with many important people studying and teaching there. In 1785, it was one of the first universities to give a doctorate to a woman.

In 1836, the university moved from Alcalá to Madrid. In 1927, King Alfonso XIII gave land near the Palace of La Moncloa for a new campus. Architects visited many famous universities to design the new buildings, which were built in a modern style popular at the time.

In the 1970s, the university was renamed the Complutense University of Madrid after some colleges separated to form the Technical University of Madrid. The city of Alcalá de Henares later opened its own university in the old buildings.

Today

The University of Madrid has been very important in Spain's history. Many leaders and important people have come from this university. Famous thinkers and teachers, including Albert Einstein, have visited and taught here. During hard times in the 1930s, many smart people from Europe came to study here when their own countries were unsafe.

Today, the Complutense University is the biggest university in Spain. In the 2004–2005 school year, it had almost 92,000 students and more than 9,500 workers, with over 6,000 helping to teach. The university offers many different subjects to study and has lots of books and special collections.

Because it is in the capital city, the university works closely with many important groups in Madrid and beyond. Its medical school helps run big hospitals, and the university's campus even has important government buildings nearby.

The school of communications has strong ties with newspapers and filmmakers. Many new movies are shown for the first time to students here, and famous actors and directors often visit after these showings. The school of fine arts started in 1978 and now teaches art, design, and how to protect important artworks.

Each year, students get to hear talks by well-known thinkers and leaders from all kinds of fields. Some famous people who have visited include musicians, historians, writers, and politicians. Even a movie maker named Alejandro Amenábar made his first film, Tesis, while he was a student here. The film was partly shot in the communications school he attended, and the building plays a big role in the story.

Student life and extracurricular activities

The Complutense University has a newspaper called the Gaceta Complutense and a radio station, Radio Complutense (107.5 FM), which broadcasts for 12 hours each day. Both are managed by the School of Communications.

Most students do not live on the main campus. While there are some university-affiliated dormitories, they are located near the edges of the campus. Because of costs and options, many students choose to live in apartments or other housing not connected to the university.

The university offers many groups for students to join, including political, social, and sports groups. Students can take classes in aerobics, yoga, swimming, tennis, and many other activities. The university also has teams for basketball, football, volleyball, rugby, chess, badminton, golf, judo, karate, table-tennis, and archery. There are internal games held several times a year, and the university also takes part in regional games each March. All students, teachers, staff, and their families can use the university’s sports and fitness center for health and exercise.

The Complutense Abroad

The Complutense University of Madrid has special programs and institutions around the world to help students and teachers study and work together. It works with many famous universities in different countries.

It has four main institutions outside of Spain:

• The Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This special center helps teachers and students from both universities share ideas and research.
• Collège des Hautes Études Européennes Miguel Servet in Paris, France. This school offers special classes in law and economics for students in Europe.
• Cátedra Complutense en la Universidad de Karlova in Prague, Czech Republic. This full school offers degrees together with Charles University.
• Cátedra Dubcek in Bratislava, Slovakia. This full school offers degrees together with Comenius University.

International rankings

The Complutense University of Madrid is known for being very good around the world. In some important lists, it is among the best 300 universities globally and is one of the top schools in Spain. It is especially strong in research and making a positive change in society.

Notable faculty

The Complutense University of Madrid has had many well-known teachers over the years. Some of these teachers include Antonio Brú, a theoretical physicist, and José María de Azcárate, an expert in medieval and Renaissance art. Others include María Ángeles Durán, a sociologist and economist, and Juan Luis Arsuaga, a professor of Paleontology. The university has also been home to professors like Fernando Savater, who taught Ethics, and María Vallet-Regí, an expert in inorganic chemistry. These faculty members have contributed to many different fields of study at the university.

Alumni

Main article: List of Complutense University of Madrid alumni

Many famous people have studied at the Complutense University of Madrid. In recent years, some of its students have won important prizes like the Nobel Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award. Others have become leaders in governments, banks, and international groups. Over many years, the university has helped create well-known thinkers, writers, scientists, and leaders from many countries.