Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina- AREANDINA

The FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSITARIA DEL ÁREA ANDINA (AREANDINA) is a non-profit private Colombian Higher Education Institution created in 1983. It currently has more than 30,000 students comprising 83 academic undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The Institution has presence along the country in 60 university service centres (CSU), with three strategic campuses: Bogotá, Pereira and Valledupar, serving all the educational training levels that contribute to the development of the country.

Under the principles of excellence, leadership, service, identity and effectiveness, Areandina becomes the eighth largest  university in Colombia. Thus, the Institution's principal aim is to give every student, no matter the social-economic strata, access to high quality education, helping them to expand their knowledge in different methodologies that integrates soft and technological skills. All of this, with the purpose of contributing with the formation of globally competitive professionals, in an integral and systemic way.

Furthermore,  Fundación considers quality one of its principles, understood as the coherence between the institutional thinking and the institutional praxis and the satisfaction of the environment needs and expectations. As a consequence, the institution integrates the human being study and expression in its multiple dimensions and achievements as a constituent element of the integral curriculum in the academic life.

AREANDINA bases its mission on three fundamental functions: Teaching, Research and Outreach, impacting not only the academic community, but also the Colombian society. The University considers the teaching function as the educational process through which it is achieved knowledge construction, skills development and the exercise of the necessary values for the training of human talent, capable of contributing to the development of the society.

Teaching is developed in the context of a participatory, investigative critical, flexible and autonomous pedagogical practice. As part of the teaching process, the interaction between teacher and student is based on a pedagogical practice where by means of Pedagogical Projects in the classroom investigation is managed as a permanent reflective act that embraces and systematizes the learning, teaching and context problems.

On the other hand, The Institution considers research an academic function that promotes knowledge advancement, meeting permanently the environmental needs with a scientific technological, humanistic and social perspective integrated to the other activities contributing to satisfying the expectations of the different actors.
Research at  Fundacion contributes to the development of the abilities of individuals, to the possibility of innovation, to the transformation of the society and to interdisciplinary studies.  Investigation will contribute to social development and to the strengthening of the cultural identity.
In this way, the institution has great experience working with vulnerable population, conflict victims, ex-combatants, indigenous communities, afro-colombian communities, among others, by implementing institutional projects and creating alliances with public and private organizations at a national and international level.

To sum up, la Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, as an inclusive institution, is conformed by the national and international community in constant communication and experience exchange to gain and disclose the scientific advancements and the Institutional academic achievements, contributing to the formation of global leaders united by the passion of knowing.