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Our Higher Purpose

Transforming society through education

Private non-profit higher education institution, leader in teacher training and bilingualism since 2004.

What makes us unique?

ÚNICA is the Colombian American University Institution — a private, non-profit higher education institution specializing in teacher training and Spanish–English bilingualism, which began academic activities in 2004 as a social responsibility initiative of Grupo Bolívar in partnership with the Centro Colombo Americano.

Our Strength
Our Strength
Pioneers in bilingual Spanish–English higher education in Colombia since 2004. Teacher training with international standards.
Our Differentiator
Our Differentiator
Bilingualism as a cross-cutting axis across all programs.
Our Unique Offering
Our Unique Offering
Colombia's First Bilingual University Institution. 3rd place in English proficiency in the Saber Pro national exams.
Saber Pro Recognition
Saber Pro Recognition
3rd place nationally in English in the Saber Pro exams among universities in the country.
Ú
Mission

To contribute to the qualitative improvement of Colombia's educational ecosystem and to the strengthening of Spanish–English bilingualism, through the training of high-quality teachers by means of knowledge generation, innovation, and technology.

Vision · We aspire to be
1 A national benchmark in high-quality teacher training.
2 Leaders in bilingualism and intercultural education.
3 A community that learns, researches, and innovates with social impact.

Our principles

Critical Thinking

Training grounded in reality with an inquisitive, critical, interdisciplinary, analytical vision. Development of skills: argumentation, problem-solving, metacognition.

Context and System

The university engages with the context that nourishes and transforms it. Disciplinary knowledge, pedagogy, research, and practice take on an inquisitive, multidisciplinary, flexible, and socially responsible character.

Construction of Reality

Reality is constructed by creating and finding meaning through the interpretation of ancestral traditions, cultural expressions, and ways of thinking.

Epistemological Curiosity

Fostering a love of knowledge through inquiry, critical examination of traditions, argumentation, and dialogue.

Interdisciplinarity

An approach for building specific knowledge from diverse perspectives. An integrating synergy that contributes beyond the sum of individual disciplines.

Management

A creative domain oriented toward organizing actions to achieve purpose. Includes participation, equity, sustainability, flexibility, adaptability, and resilience.

Our values

Integrity
Respect
Active Empathy
Participation
Intellectual Rigor
Service
Sustainability
Transcendence
We cultivate 9 positive emotions
Joy Love Gratitude Serenity Interest Hope Pride Fun Inspiration

SEL Model

Socio-Emotional Learning: socio-emotional learning is the cross-cutting axis of all education at ÚNICA.

Cross-cutting axis: socio-emotional well-being throughout the curriculum
ÚNICA Íntegra. We Are Emotions
ÚNICA Skilled Socio-emotional skills for life and the classroom.
ÚNICA Empathetic Human relationships built on active empathy.
ÚNICA Resilient The capacity to adapt and grow in the face of challenges.

Milestones in our history

1994 – 2026 · Three decades building the country's education.

1994 – 1997
The Monitor competitiveness studies are carried out.
2001
Legal status is granted through Resolution No. 849 of 2001 of the Ministry of National Education —MEN—, and ÚNICA's general bylaws are approved.
2004
ÚNICA begins operations with its legal status granted, offering the Basic Education with an Emphasis on English program.
2006
The National Bilingualism Plan is created and the results of teacher assessments against the Common European Framework — conducted by the MEN and several regional authorities — are released.
2008
The MEN grants qualified registration to the Specialization in Bilingual Education program (Resolution No. 7037 of 2008).
2011
Qualified registration is renewed for 7 years, with the program renamed to Bachelor's Degree in Bilingual Education Spanish – English (Resolution No. 1811 of 2011).
2012
The Research in Action national conference is held for the first time, with students and teacher-researchers from universities across the country.
2013
Qualified registration for the Specialization in Bilingual Education is renewed for 7 years (Resolution No. 9965 of 2013).
2016
The MEN grants extended qualified registration to offer the Specialization in Bilingual Education in Medellín (Resolution No. 8391 of 2016), and the partnership with Centro Colombo Americano de Medellín is established.
2017
The MEN approves renaming the program to Bachelor's Degree in Bilingualism with an Emphasis on Spanish and English (Resolution No. 07552 of 2017). The MEN grants High-Quality Accreditation to the Bachelor's Degree in Bilingualism for 4 years (Resolution No. 11705 of 2017).
2019
ÚNICA celebrates 15 years: the FlipTech Latin America Conference is held and the UPB-ÚNICA School of Teachers is created in partnership with Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana.
2020
The ÚNICA Íntegra Social and Emotional Learning Model is consolidated.
2021
Registration for the Specialization in Bilingual Education in Bogotá is renewed (Resolution No. 021285 of 2021).
2022
The Bachelor's Degree program has its High-Quality Accreditation renewed for 6 years by the MEN (Resolution No. 015162 of August 2, 2022).
2023
The institution receives a favorable opinion on Institutional Conditions from the MEN. The Master's in Education program receives qualified registration for 7 years from the MEN (Resolution No. 013074 of July 31, 2023).
2024
Commemoration of 20 years of the Institución Universitaria Colombo Americana.
2025
23rd international edition of the Research in Action Conference, "New trends in bilingualism and bilingual education", with students, teachers and researchers from national and international universities.
And we will keep working to transform education and to bring in the best and most innovative teaching practices!

IEP — Institutional Educational Project

Our IEP articulates our institutional identity around three pillars that guide academic work.

Download IEP (PDF)
Philosophical
Purpose, values, and the meaning of what is human.
Pedagogical
Teaching-learning model and SEL.
Disciplinary
Bilingualism, education, and research.
Leaders in Teacher Training and Bilingualism
SINCE 2004