2020 Yearbook - Universidad ORT Uruguay

5 INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW Our university is dedicated to contributing to the country’s development through applied research, fostering links between academia and the business sector, and training professionals who can perform effectively in the knowledge society. We promote a commitment to quality, innovation, and respect for ethical standards in professional practice. We offer 75 professional degrees at the graduate, undergraduate, and technical levels in Architecture, Engineering, Biotechnology, Economics, Management, International Relations, Design, Animation, Communication, and Education. More than 12,000 students enroll annually in programs across five faculties and institutes. We have been pioneers in introducing new degree programs and educational technologies in Uruguay, and each year we allocate significant resources to improving teaching methods, educational infrastructure, and faculty training. Our academic staff includes more than 1,500 faculty members and researchers, selected for their professional excellence and commitment to teaching, more than a third of whom work on a full-time basis. More than 19,000 graduates are successfully working in our country or abroad, in many cases in business or social ventures they have created themselves. The average employment rate for our university graduates is 97%. Our graduates have the necessary training to adapt to change with flexibility, a proactive attitude, and a critical spirit; they value teamwork, understand the challenges posed by technological advances in their disciplines, and navigate the international arena with skill. They stand out for their competent and creative contributions in their fields, earning awards and recognition, and achieving high levels of employment. We have an academic infrastructure that includes practical and experimental laboratories in computer science, electronics, biotechnology, and audiovisual production, as well as design and construction workshops and a professional television studio. Students and faculty have access to two libraries with specialized collections and electronic databases. All areas of the university’s knowledge converge at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), where we foster an entrepreneurial spirit among students and graduates. We maintain academic cooperation agreements with more than 200 universities and international organizations worldwide to facilitate student exchanges and collaborative research and teaching projects, and we are members of major international academic associations, including the International Association of Universities (AIU) and the Union of Latin American Universities (UDUAL). We have been recognized as one of the most prominent educational institutions in the region, ranking first among universities in Uruguay according to the Times Higher Education Latin America University Rankings 2020 and the QS World University Rankings 2021. Our university began its activities in Uruguay in 1942 as a technical school and was recognized as a university by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 1996. It is a member of World ORT, an international educational network founded in 1880 by the Jewish community of St. Petersburg, Russia.