(Redirected from Universidad de San Carlos)
Seal of the Universidad de San Carlos
The 'Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala' (USAC) was one of the first universities in
America. It was officially declared a university on
January 31,
1676 by royal command of
King Charles II of Spain. It had previously been known as the School of Saint Thomas (Escuela de Santo Tomás), founded in
1562 by the priest
Francisco Marroquín. The University finally gained international acceptance by Official Decree from
Pope Innocent XI, on
June 18 1687.
In the early years, in the from the XV to the XIX centuries it offered studies in
civil and
liturgical Law,
theology,
philosophy,
medicine and Indian
languages. In the XX century it produced some of the best writers in Guatemalan Literature, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, Miguel Angel Asturias, in 1966.
During the Repression years (1962-1996) and what some call the
Guatemalan Civil War (early
1960s to
1995), the University was at the forefront of the fight of the people against military dictatorship. As a university it was open to all ideologies, including communist socialist, and others.
Contemporarily, the University offers courses in practically all areas of science and humanistic studies, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. There are several USAC extensions in all the major cities of the Country. It is considered one of the best public universities in
Central America.
See also
★
List of universities in Guatemala
External links
★
Official webpage of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
★
University photos