Five days after the National Assembly canceled the legal status of five private universities in the country, and the National Council of Universities (CNU) occupied their facilities, Nicaraguan legislators created the universities: Francisco Luis Espinoza Pineda, National Polytechnic University (UNT) and the Ricardo Morales Avilés National Multidisciplinary University, to legally absorb the assets and the student community that belonged to six houses of studies cancelled.
The universities banned last week were: the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua (Upoli), the Nicaraguan Popular University (Uponic), the Catholic University of the Dry Tropics (Ucatse), the Nicaraguan University of Humanistic Studies (Uneh), and the Paulo Freire University (UPF). Two months earlier, the Hispano-American University (Uhispam) had been cancelled.
This Monday, three laws creating the new universities were presented urgently by the president of the Assembly, the Sandinista Gustavo Porras, and the first secretary of that state power, Loria Raquel Dixon, and minutes later they were approved without objection by 90 deputies. and only one was present.
“This that we are going to see next, everyone —by decision of the board of directors and with the necessary corresponding signatures of the National Assembly benches— is going to be seen urgently,” warned deputy Dixon. “You still have the dispensation that it was necessary to have the document 48 hours in advance for this agenda in general. Right now they have it in their corresponding emails to follow up on it, ”she added.
Francisco Luis Espinoza Pineda National University
The first university created this Monday was the Francisco Luis Espinoza Pineda National University, which will function as a State higher education center, with legal personality, functional autonomy, technical, administrative and financial, own assets, indefinite duration and full capacity to acquire rights and incur obligations.
It will also be a member of the National Council of Universities and will be “the legal successor without interruption of the extinct Catholic Agricultural University of the Dry Tropics (Ucatse)”, says the first paragraph of article one. “In any legal instrument where Ucatse is mentioned, formerly known as the School of Agriculture and Livestock
Francisco Luis Espinoza, it should read: Francisco Luis Espinoza National University”, he continues.
This new university will have its domicile in the city of Estelí, in the north of Nicaragua, and its rector will be appointed by the CNU. You can also request “free of all taxes” the registration of the transfer of all real estate,
tangible and intangible assets, means of transportation and livestock that belonged to and are registered in the name of Ucatse.
National Polytechnic University (UNP)
Another state university created this Monday was the National Polytechnic University (UNP), which according to the deputies is intended to “guarantee the continuity of the academic programs that were offered by the defunct Polytechnic University of Nicaragua (Upoli)seeking equal or superior academic quality and for the safety of Nicaraguan students”.
As in the previous case, the UNP will enjoy “functional, technical, administrative and financial autonomy, its own assets, indefinite duration and full capacity to acquire rights and incur obligations.” In addition, the deputies warn, “any legal instrument where the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua (Upoli) is mentioned, should read: National Polytechnic University (UNP)”.
This new university will have its domicile in the city of Managua, being able to establish offices in any part of the Nicaraguan territory. Its rector will be appointed by the CNU, for a period of four years, and the resources with which it is being constituted are “the goods of any nature, rights, assets and obligations” that belonged to the extinct Upoli and the financial resources that the State assigns him through the CNU.
Ricardo Morales Avilés National Multidisciplinary University
In addition, the new Ricardo Morales Avilés National Multidisciplinary University was created with the aim of absorbing the academic programs that were offered by: Hispanic American University (Uhispam), Nicaraguan University of Humanitarian Studies (Uneh), Popular University of Nicaragua (Uponic) and the Paulo Freire University (UPF).
The National Multidisciplinary University was also established as a state higher education center, with legal personality, functional, technical, administrative and financial autonomy, its own assets,
indefinite duration and full capacity to acquire rights and contract obligations and is a member of the CNU.
This university will have its headquarters in Managua and will receive all the assets that belonged to the canceled universities.
