National University of La Plata

The National University of La Plata (Spanish: Universidad Nacional de La Plata, UNLP) is a national public research university located in the city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It has over 90,000 regular students, 10,000 teaching staff, 17 departments and 106 available degrees.

UNLP comprises the Rafael Hernández National College, 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, the University Public Library, the Samay Huasi Retreat for Artists and Writers, 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 Dardo Rocha as its rector. In 1905, Joaquín V. González, the Minister of Justice and Public Education of the government of Manuel Quintana, 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.

History

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 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, 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, Dardo Rocha, 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.

Artistic extension

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 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, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Ástor Piazzolla, Eladia Blázquez), 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.

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 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, Ástor Piazzolla, 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

Campus

West Forest group: Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Computer Science, Rafael Hernández National College, Graduated School Joaquín V. González.

East Forest group: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum, Faculty of Journalism and Social Communication, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

North Forest group: Memory House, Faculty of Humanities and Education, Physical Education Department, Faculty of Psychology.

Center Forest group: Faculty of Astronomic and Geophysical Sciences, Planetarium.

Center Urban group: Faculty of Economic Sciences, Faculty of Law and Social, Faculty of Arts, Fine Arts High School.

Symbols

The university coat of arms 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 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. Its motto "Pro Scientia et Patria" is a Latin phrase meaning For Science and the Motherland.

The university hymn was composed by Carlos López Buchardo, and its lyrics were 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. It was performed by the orchestra of the Colón Theater of Buenos Aires under the direction of Adolfo Morpurgo, a professor in the School of Fine Arts.

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