The University of Panama was the country¡¯s first higher education institution. The public university is based in the capital, Panama City, which is home to two Unesco World Heritage Sites. From its start in 1935 with 175 students, the university has grown to more than 80,000 students across its campus and 10 regional centres. Every year it welcomes about 12,000 new students.
The university offers a wide range of courses and programmes through its departments of business administration and accounting; architecture and design; agricultural sciences; natural sciences and technology; computer science, electronics and communications; engineering; public administration; fine arts; education; social communication; law and political science; economics; humanities; nursing; pharmacy; medicine; veterinary medicine; dentistry; and psychology. About two-thirds of its 350 courses are at undergraduate level; the rest are postgraduate.
It has several international research agreements and has made a number of personnel exchanges with government agencies. It is a member of a variety of university networks and international organisations, especially in Latin America.
Among the university¡¯s alumni are Rub¨¦n Blades, the internationally renowned salsa musician and former minister of tourism, and Jorge Illueca, a former president of Panama, as well as numerous other national politicians and senior leaders.