OCCIDENTE自治大学

Originally established in 1970, the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAO) is a private institution based in Cali, Colombia. Since 1999, the university has primarily been based on a new campus built to the south of the city in an area called Valle del Lilí. A second campus located elsewhere, offers specialist teaching in complementary education.

The university is split into five faculties and offers 21 undergraduate programs in total, as well as postgraduate degrees. Particular focus has been placed on developing the university’s teaching in technology and science, a fact which is reflected in the fact the university has 64 laboratories and 29 research groups.

Santiago de Cali, typically known just as Cali, is the most populous city in the southwest of the country, with an estimated population of 2.3m people. It’s home to one of Colombia’s fastest-growing economies and students based here will have plenty of opportunities to be exposed to local industries. Agriculture, trade, manufacturing and mining are all important contributors to the region’s prosperity.