National University of Distance Education
The National Distance Education University, known in Spanish as "Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia" (UNED), is a public research university of national scope. The university was founded in 1972 under the Ministry of Universities. It has headquarters in Madrid, Spain, with campuses in all Spanish autonomous communities. In addition, there are 14 study centres and 3 exam points in 13 countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa. The University awards undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as non-degree qualifications such as diplomas and certificates, or continuing education units. Focused on distance learning combined  with traditional classroom instruction (called hybrid or blended). With over 150.000 students, UNED is the largest university in Spain and the second largest in Europe. Origins and methodology. Founded in 1972 with the stated purpose of providing education opportunities via a distance education system - in which students are taught while not being physically present - UNED awards the same qualifications as other Spanish universities and has the same entry requirements. International presence. UNED currently has 61 study centres in Spain and - with the co-operation of local institutions - 14 international centres. These locations provide face-to-face sessions with professors once  a week. The international centres are located in Bata, Bern, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Frankfurt, Lima, London, Malabo, Mexico City, Paris and São Paulo. Additionally, there are exam points in Bogotá, Berlin, New York, Rome and Santiago de Chile. Affiliation. In 2012 the Spanish newspaper El País featured an article about the launch of UNX, an online platform for teaching entrepreneurship through building mobile apps with App Inventor. UNED is a collaborating partner in this project, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Mobile Learning. The UNX online courses are intended to bring technology and entrepreneurship education about  to the entire Spanish-speaking world. Academic profile. A number of factors have been cited to justify the public prestige of UNED: In the last 30 years, UNED has awarded almost 2,000 PhD degrees. Its international reputation is indicated in that it has held the UNESCO chair in distance education since 1997. This chair promotes research, development and documentation in the field of distance education. Organisation. Undergraduate. Today, UNED comprises 11 faculties and the following bachelor's degree studies: