University of Research and Development - UDI

Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI is a private higher-education institution in Colombia, headquartered in Bucaramanga, the capital of the Department of Santander. It traces its origins to 1982, when a group of interdisciplinary engineers led by Jairo Castro Castro founded the non-formal education center Centro Superior de Sistemas (CENTROSISTEMAS) to meet regional demand for trained computing and systems personnel. The institution received its legal charter in 1985 and gradually expanded its academic scope, becoming a technological institution in 1993 and a university-level institution in the 2000s. In 2017 Colombia's Ministry of National Education recognized it as a university, and it adopted the name Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI. UDI operates its main campus in Bucaramanga and additional sites in Barrancabermeja, San Gil and Villavicencio. Its academic offering spans technical-professional, technological, professional undergraduate, specialization and master's programs. Faculties and schools include Communication, Arts and Design; Engineering; Administrative, Economic and Accounting Sciences; Social and Human Sciences; Agricultural Sciences; and an Aviation School. Long-standing programs such as Systems Engineering and Graphic Design are among its oldest, and several programs have received high-quality accreditation from the Ministry of National Education. The university also maintains recreational and welfare facilities for its community, including the Umbral del Sol retreat in Mesa de los Santos and the Ecoparque Universitario Lagos de Guatiguará between Bucaramanga and Piedecuesta. As a private institution, UDI is not listed on a stock exchange and does not operate as a subsidiary of a larger corporate group. Its brand is closely tied to regional development in Santander and to applied research and technological education.

The institution that became Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI began in 1982, when Colombia and the Santander region were undergoing industrial restructuring and technological change. Advances in computing and their growing application in enterprises created demand for trained personnel in systems and informatics. A group of interdisciplinary engineers, graduates of Universidad Industrial de Santander and led by engineer Jairo Castro Castro, founded the non-formal education institution Centro Superior de Sistemas, known as CENTROSISTEMAS. Student interest and institutional enthusiasm led its leadership to seek higher-education status. CENTROSISTEMAS obtained legal personality No. 22195 on 20 December 1985 in the technical-professional modality. In December 1987 it received operating licenses from ICFES for the programs of Técnico Profesional en Análisis de Sistemas and Técnico Profesional en Secretariado Ejecutivo, followed in December 1989 by Técnico Profesional en Electrónica. In December 1993, consistent with its institutional mission, CENTROSISTEMAS transformed into a technological institution, expanding its scientific scope to Graphic Design and Financial Administration, while its Systems and Electronics programs were upgraded to the technological modality. Institutional growth led to the construction of buildings in Bucaramanga: Jorge Luis Borges (1995), Enrique Fermi (1997), Simón Bolívar (1998), David Consuegra (2003), Académico Glusko (2005), Carlos Lleras Restrepo (2011) and Daniel Bernoulli (2019), as well as Ana Frank (1996) in Barrancabermeja. Seeking to advance along the path of research and science, the institution requested a change in academic character to university institution. The Ministry of National Education approved it as Corporación Universitaria Centrosistemas by resolution 1856 of 1 August 2002. To reflect its commitment to development and research, it changed its legal name to Corporación Universitaria de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI by resolution 731 of 11 April 2003. As a result of efforts to strengthen scientific and technological research, compliance with quality requirements of the National Accreditation System, and provisions of Article 20 of Law 30 of 1992 and Decree 1075 of 2015, the Ministry of National Education, by resolution No. 15422 of 3 August 2017, granted the change of academic character and recognized UDI as a university. From the signing of that administrative act, it has been named Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI. Today UDI has its main campus in Bucaramanga and additional sites in Barrancabermeja, San Gil and Villavicencio. It offers 4 technical-professional programs, 2 virtual programs, 2 in-person technological programs, 3 distance technological programs, 14 professional undergraduate programs, 7 specializations and 2 master's programs. Its Bucaramanga campus has approximately 10,000 students. Programs such as Systems Engineering, Electronics and Graphic Design have received high-quality accreditation from the Ministry of National Education.

• 2019

  Daniel Bernoulli building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 2017

  MEN resolution No. 15422 of 3 August granted change of academic character and recognized UDI as a university.

• 2011

  Carlos Lleras Restrepo building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 2005

  Académico Glusko building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 2003

  Changed legal name to Corporación Universitaria de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI by resolution 731 of 11 April.

• 2003

  David Consuegra building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 2002

  Approved as Corporación Universitaria Centrosistemas by MEN resolution 1856 of 1 August.

• 1998

  Simón Bolívar building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 1997

  Enrique Fermi building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 1996

  Ana Frank building constructed in Barrancabermeja.

• 1995

  Jorge Luis Borges building constructed in Bucaramanga.

• 1993

  Transformed into a technological institution in December, expanding to Graphic Design and Financial Administration.

• 1989

  Received ICFES license for Técnico Profesional en Electrónica in December.

• 1987

  Received ICFES operating licenses for Técnico Profesional en Análisis de Sistemas and Técnico Profesional en Secretariado Ejecutivo in December.

• 1985

  Obtained legal personality No. 22195 on 20 December in the technical-professional modality.

• 1982

  Centro Superior de Sistemas (CENTROSISTEMAS) founded as a non-formal education institution by engineers led by Jairo Castro Castro.

Private regional university focused on research, technological development and professional formation for Santander and Colombia.

• Ingeniería de Sistemas

  One of the oldest programs, with high-quality accreditation.

• Diseño Gráfico

  One of the oldest programs, with high-quality accreditation.

• Ingeniería Electrónica

  Engineering program with high-quality accreditation.

• Administración de Empresas

  Business administration program with high-quality accreditation.

• Tripulante de Cabina de Pasajeros - TCP

  Aviation School program for cabin crew training.

1. 1Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo - UDI | Colombia - Bucaramanga - Santanderweb.udi.edu.co
2. 2Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia librees.wikipedia.org
3. 3Universitaria de Investigación y Desarrollo - Wikidatawikidata.org