Universidad Manuela Beltrán

UMB is one of the few Colombian universities that in its growth has achieved the highest recognition that an institution of higher education can reach. In 1975 it was born as a Professional Technical Institution, in 1983 it became a Technological Institution, in 1992 it was constituted as a University Institution and in 2004 it is one of the 80 universities that legitimizes an educational proposal that gives space to all the concerns of human thought towards the encounter of truth and freedom, along with scientific and technological progress for a self-sustainable nation.

It currently has nearly 9,000 students and more than 43,000 graduates in 82 undergraduate and graduate programs in the areas of health, engineering, administration, humanities, law, and the arts, and is made up of a team of 1,000 direct and indirect collaborators in its headquarters in Bogota, in the extensions in Cajica, Tocancipa and in the Bucaramanga branch.

The development of research has been continuous since the foundation of UMB, since it was one of the first institutions to create this Vice-Rectory, making it one of the pillars of professional training. It currently has 27 research groups endorsed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, 70% of which are in the highest categories and remain at the forefront of technological development and innovation. These which has led UMB to obtain 180 national and international recognitions. The research model is based on four components: research training, formative research, productive research, and research itself, with a human resource dedicated to research management of 255 teachers, most of whom have doctoral and postdoctoral training.

The social projection is articulated to the training practices that focus on the needs of the real context and problem solving in foundations, homes, social integration secretariats, hospitals, educational institutions, municipalities, state and private, serving more than 72,496 people of different ages and population conditions to the year 2020. The multiple social projects of impact to the community are born from academic programs with interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches with successful results for the most vulnerable, among which stand out:  The Innocence Project , recognized as the best in Latin America by the Inocente Network of the University of California 2016 in the United States, which has sought for 10 years, the freedom of people unjustly convicted in Colombian prisons so that they can benefit from judicial processes that prove their innocence and can regain their freedom and the right to a dignified life. The project has visited 52 prisons, attended more than 5,000 people deprived of their liberty and studied more than 1,750 cases. The Gender Observatory , which compiles and analyzes information on gender violence in the population served by the Legal Clinic and Conciliation Center, provides legal and psychological support to people who are immersed in situations of physical, psychological, and economic violence. The Special Sports Olympics (originally the Disability Olympics) was born in 1984 as an academic activity of Health Faculty students, and is currently one of the most important sports, cultural and recreational events in the country, which throughout its history has brought together more than 42,000 athletes with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities from more than 70 foundations. Students generate research projects with a focus on solidarity and social commitment to improve the quality of life of this population.  The Ibero-American Center for Personal Autonomy and Technological Support (originally Centro Iberoamericano de Autonomía Personal y Apoyos Tecnológicos - CIAPAT) unique in Colombia and pioneer in Latin America in university headquarters, is the result of the cooperation agreement between UMB and the Ibero-American Social Security Organization (OISS) signed in 2016.  Its objective is to consolidate the first specialized center of reference for Colombia in the areas of research, education and services related to the autonomy of technological assistance for the population of elderly adults and people in condition of disability. Likewise, to adapt technological, mechanical and design developments to autonomy and comprehensive accessibility, motivating classroom and degree projects aimed at inclusion through technological innovation.

UMB is the private university with the largest number of 100% virtual academic programs approved by the Ministry of National Education, forging a greater national and international coverage at the forefront of current educational demands and needs.