# People's Autonomous University of Veracruz

The People's Autonomous University of Veracruz (UPAV) is a public institution of secondary and higher education, with its main headquarters located in Xalapa-Enríquez, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico.

## Rectors of UPAV

* Ome Tochtli Méndez Ramírez (2018 - present)
* Carlos Raúl Velázquez Hernández (2017 - 2018)
* Maribel Sánchez Lara (interim - 2017)
* Andrés Blancas Portilla (2015 - 2017)
* Guillermo Héctor Zúñiga Martínez (2011 - 2015)

## History

The Popular Autonomous University of Veracruz (UPAV) has benefited the general population, representing a public educational option that responds to the specific needs of Veracruz society. It is important to note that its origins date back to 2005, with the Veracruz Institute of Adult Education (IVEA). According to INEGI, in that year, 53.1% (2,580,732) of Veracruz youth were in educational backlog, compared to the total population of Veracruz over 15 years old (4,858,837 inhabitants).
A group of pedagogues, officials, and educational authorities working in the educational field within the state met to analyze the situation and, based on their experience, offer ideas to provide a solution to the problem. Among them was Professor Guillermo Héctor Zúñiga Martínez.
On September 19, 2005, through publication in the Official Gazette, the Constitutional Governor of the State of Veracruz granted IVEA the authority to provide Literacy, Primary and Secondary Education, as well as Upper Secondary, Higher Education, and Workforce Training, to all young people and adults over 15 years old, using specific content that addressed specific educational needs based on social solidarity.
A year later, on July 11, 2006, reforms to the IVEA Organic Statute were published in the Official Gazette of the State of Veracruz, creating the Upper Secondary Education Unit and the Higher Education Unit.
By 2007, Professor Zúñiga Martínez introduced another innovative educational option that consisted of certifying knowledge acquired through self-study at the high school level, with accreditation through a single exam. However, by not strictly following the procedures established by the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP), this exam had to be suspended and subsequently eliminated, as it was not founded on adequate quality control.
Four years later, in the early months of 2011, a call was issued for the emergence of another great project, the Virtual High School. Supported by a digital platform, with solidarity tutors and administrative staff from IVEA, this educational option was legalized, opening another door to education for both the people of Veracruz and people from other states.
In this order of ideas and due to the great success of these educational projects, the State Congress approved Law 276 creating the Popular Autonomous University of Veracruz (UPAV) with the unanimous support of all political parties represented in the Veracruz Congress, with 46 votes in favor, zero against, and zero abstentions. Upon the promulgation of this law on August 1, 2011, the Veracruz Institute of Higher Education, which functioned from 2000 to 2008, was dissolved.
In that same year of 2011, Professor Guillermo Héctor Zúñiga Martínez was appointed rector of the Popular Autonomous University of Veracruz (UPAV), accompanied by various officials, academics, and intellectuals from the Veracruz region, strengthening the functioning of UPAV with their knowledge, experience, and work.
This upper secondary and higher education institution is public, and all its educational programs for high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies (specialties, master's, and doctoral degrees) are properly registered with the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP). It is worth noting that this institution has undergone structural changes: administrative, updating of curricular programs, educational infrastructure, and its educational model.
The model is based on the perspective of social pedagogy that emerged in the late 19th century with the system of Paul Natorp, a German neo-Kantian philosopher, and is also based on the educational model of constructivism and Autodidacticism. From this educational system, the university is one of the pioneers in Latin America in using the concept of "Learners" instead of Students, understanding these learners as people capable of analyzing social reality from an autodidactic attitude for the benefit and transformation, seeking the common good of citizenship today.

## Educational Offerings

High School Education:
* Mixed Mode
* Unitary Mode
* Virtual Mode
Higher Education:
* Social and Administrative Sciences
* Education and Humanities
* Health Sciences
* Engineering and Applied Sciences
* Arts
Postgraduate Studies:
* Specialties
* Master's Degrees
* Doctoral Programs
Continuing Education:
* Courses, Workshops, and Diplomas

## Outreach

The cultural dissemination and academic outreach of UPAV are handled by the production and communication department, which includes a radio booth, professional cameras, computer systems, and its own high-tech server.