Universidad Autónoma de Occidente

For the university in Sinaloa, Mexico, see Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (Mexico).

The Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAO) is a private university in Cali, Colombia.

Universidad Autónoma de Occidente

Type	Private
Established	February 20, 1970
Affiliations	CIDESCO, AFACOM, Universia, FELAFACS, RUAV, RENATA, ANEIAP
Chancellor	Diego Hernández Losada
Faculty	780
Students	8,000
Undergraduates	6172
Postgraduates	1262
Location	Cali , Valle del Cauca , Colombia 3°21′14″N 76°31′22″W
Campus	Urban
Colors	Red and Black
Website	https://uao.edu.co

History

Established in 1970, the university's first seat was in Champagnat neighborhood, in Cali.

In 1999, construction of its new campus was completed, located in the south of the city, in an area called Valle del Lilí.

Academics

UAO has four faculties with 28 undergraduate programs (two of them by dual education system), as well as 41 postgraduate and 8 master's degrees.

The university's highlights in the region are the high investment in technology and investigation, reflected by its 64 laboratories, faculty staff with doctorate and master's degrees, and 29 research groups, 26 of which are accepted by Colciencias.

Notable alumni

• Lucia Aldana, Miss Colombia 2012