The University of Oviedo was established under the terms and conditions of the will of Archbishop Fernando de Valdés Salas (1483–1568), who was the General Inquisitor under Philip II of Spain, and funded by his estate. In 1574 Pope Gregory XIII granted the Papal Bull to create the university and in 1604 Philip III issued its charter. It first opened for the teaching of classes on September 21, 1608.
The ancient university had three faculties: the Faculty of Arts, which every student had to graduate from in order to continue his training in one of the other; and the Faculties of Theology and Law, sometimes known as the higher faculties.
After the French invasion of Spain the Historical Building of the University was occupied by invading troops and lectures were suspended until the War ended in 1812.
During the 19th century, a group of liberal professors tried to bring the University closer to the working class with the Extensión Universitaria (a popular education programme sponsored by the institution). However, this goal was not fully achieved, and on October 13, 1934, during the Socialist-led miners revolt in Asturias, strikers set fire to the University (including its Library and the Art Gallery) because it was seen as a bourgeois symbol. It was rebuilt after the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939).
The number of faculties has multiplied in modern university, both through subdivisions of the traditional four faculties, and through the absorption of academic disciplines which have developed within originally vocational schools, in areas such as engineering or nursing.
Nowadays, the university has 31 faculties and professional schools, offering degrees and diplomas in over 150 fields of study.
Schools and colleges
School of Law (since 1608), Teaching and Education (1845), Chemistry (1848), Polytechnic School of Mieres (1855), Jovellanos Faculty of Commerce, Tourism and Social Sciences (1866), Gijón Polytechnic School of Engineering (1888), Philosophy and Letters (1892), Economy and Business (1908), Teaching and Geology (1958), Mining Engineering (1959), Biology (1961), Medicine and Health Sciences (1968), Merchant Marine (1979), School of Computer Engineering (1982), Sciences (1990), Psychology (1991)
Experimental Sciences: Analytic and Physical-Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment Technologies, Mathematics, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Physics, Statistics and Operations Research and Mathematics Education.Health Sciences: Biochemistry and Functional Biology, Biology of Organisms and Systems, Functional Biology, Medicine, Morphology and Cellular Biology, Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialities.Engineering: Telecommunication, Computer Sciences, Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical, Electronical, Computers and Systems Engineering, Energy, Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Working and Prospecting, Nautical Science and Technologies.Social Sciences and Law: Accounting, Applied Economy, Basic Legal Sciences, Business Administration, Education Sciences, Economy, Private and Companies Law, Psychology, Public Law, Quantitative Economy, Sociology.Humanities: Anglo-German and French Philology, Art and Music History, Classical and Romance Philology, Geography, History, Philosophy, Spanish Philology.The school has a large number of places in different classrooms, total counted 6 classrooms in the building, with spaces ranging from the 171 seats in the classroom with greater capacity, up to 75 seats in the lower-capacity classroom. In addition to these classrooms, there is a room hold up to 112 places, which are usually done lectures and presentations both subjects, as final projects. Special mention also the different laboratories that school has a total of 15 laboratories. Included in this equipment of various kinds, both PC and MAC.
Rector: Santiago García Granda (since May 2016)
General Secretary: Eva María Cordero González
General Manager: Lorenzo Almanza Ballesteros
Vice-rectorates:
Delegate for Coordination and University Strategy: :*Vice-chancellor for Research and International Campus of Excellence: Mª Paz Suárez RenduelesVice-rectorate for Academic Organization: Juan José del Coz DíazVice-rectorate for Research: José Ramón Obeso SuárezVice-rectorate for University Extension and International Development: Francisco José Borge LópezVice-rectorate for Student Affairs: Elisa Miguélez GonzálezVice-rectorate for Material and Technological Resources: Marta María Hernando ÁlvarezVice-rectorate for Crosscutting Actions and Enterprise Cooperation: Eugenia Suárez SerranoSocial Council: Ladislao Azcona (President), representatives of political parties, trade-unions, employers, etc.
Council of Government : Rectoral Council and Representatives from University Staff, Faculties, Schools and Departments
University Staff: Representatives of Professors, Administration Staff and Students
Rectoral Council:
Rector together with the Vice-Chancellors
Antonio Arrúe Zarauz, Basque cultural activist and Carlist politicianAntón de Marirreguera, Asturian-language writerMelchor de Navarra y Rocafull, viceroy of PeruGaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, Enlightenment statesman, author and philosopherAgustín Argüelles, politicFaustino Rodríguez-San Pedro Díaz-Argüelles, Minister of FinanceRafael del Riego, general and liberal politicianLeopoldo Alas Clarín, journalist and writerArmando Palacio Valdés, novelist and criticMelquíades Álvarez, politicAntonio Flores de Lemus, economist and politicRamón Pérez de Ayala, novelistAlejandro Casona, poet and playwrightGonzalo Torrente Ballester, novelistLuis Suárez Fernández, historianCarlos Bousoño, poetÁngel González, poetJosé Manuel Castañón, writerSantiago Vera-Rivera, composerGil Carlos Rodríguez Iglesias, former judge at the European Court of JusticeOlvido García Valdés, poet and essayistLuis Martínez Noval, Minister of Labour and Social Security (1990–1993)Gustavo Suárez Pertierra, minister of Education and Science (1993–1995) and Defence (1995–1996)Gaspar Llamazares, leader of United Left Coalition (Izquierda Unida) (2000–2008)Miguel Álvarez-Fernández, musicianFernando Suárez González, Minister of Labour (1974–1975)Víctor García de la Concha, Director of Royal Spanish AcademySalvador Gutiérrez Ordóñez, linguistAlejandro Fernández Sordo, lawyer and politicianRegino Olivares, lawyerXaviel Vilareyo, authorCelso Arango, physician (psychiatrist)Darin Paine, development officerLuis Alfonso de Carvallo, historian, rector of San Gregorio CollegeLeopoldo Alas Clarín, journalist and writerBenito Jerónimo Feijoo, Enlightenment monk and scholarRafael Altamira y Crevea, historian and lawyerFélix de Aramburu y Zuloaga, lawyer and poetMatías Barrio y Mier, professor of law 1881-1892, Carlist political leaderFermín Canella Secades, historianNicolás Salmerón y Alonso, politician, President of the First Spanish Republic (1873)Aniceto Sela Sampil, lawyerJesús Arias de Velasco, lawyerJosé María Gil-Robles, politician, leader of the Right Wing under the II RepublicTorcuato Fernández-Miranda, politician, president of the Spanish Cortes (1975–1977), interim prime minister (1974), vice-prime minister (1973–1974), General Secretary of the National Movement (Movimiento Nacional) (1969–1974)Carmina Virgili - first woman ProfessorVicente Alberto Álvarez Areces, President of the Principality of Asturias from 1999 to 2011Luis Martínez Noval, minister of Labour and Social Security (1990–1993)Josep Oliú Creus, economist. President and CEO of Banco SabadellGustavo Bueno, notable philosopherEloy Benito Ruano, historianJuan Ignacio Ruiz de la Peña Solar, historianSergio Marqués Fernández, politician, President of the Principality of Asturias from 1995 to 1999Aurelio González Ovies, poetEmilio Alarcos Llorach, poet and linguistVicente Miguel Gotor Santamaría, chemistAntonello Novelli, neuroscientistPaz Andrés Sáenz de Santamaría, lawyerJosé Luis García Delgado, economistM. Teresa Fernández Sánchez, biochemistJosé Joaquín Barluenga Mur, chemistCarlos López Otín, biochemist1967 Severo Ochoa1968 Walter Hallstein1976 Claudio Sánchez Albornoz1982 Ramón Areces1982 Günther Wilke1985 Rafael Lapesa1988 Óscar Arias Sánchez, presidente de Costa Rica1991 Federico Mayor Zaragoza1992 William Golding1995 Lotfi A. Zadeh1998 Sheila Sherlock2001 Gil Carlos Rodríguez Iglesias2007 Ángel González2007 Juan José Millás2008 Walter Alvarez2008 Efim Zelmanov
