Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla

The Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) (Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla) is the oldest and largest university in Puebla, Mexico. Founded on 15 April 1578 as Colegio del Espíritu Santo, the school was sponsored by the Society of Jesus during most of the Spanish colonial era before turning into a public college in 1825 and eventually into a public university in 1937. The religious origins can be seen in many of BUAP's buildings in Puebla city centre, which were once colonial-era churches. The flagship campus is located in the city of Puebla, although more than nine facilities are distributed across the state. Currently, it is one of the 105 institutes participating in the Alice Experiment at CERN. History The university was founded as a Jesuit college under the name Colegio del Espíritu Santo in 1578 and ran until the expulsion of the order in 1767. It then became the Real Colegio Carolino in 1790, after a period when the buildings were used for diverse purposes, including a military barracks. When the Jesuits returned to Mexico in 1820, they once again took over the running of the college as the Real Colegio del Espíritu Santo, de San Gerónimo y San Ignacio de La Compañía de Jesús, which on Mexican independence the following year became the Imperial Colegio de San Ignacio, San Gerónimo y Espíritu Santo. In 1825 it was removed from the control of the church authorities and taken under state control, becoming the Colegio del Estado, although the rectors continued to be priests. On 4 April 1939, the college was raised to a university as Universidad de Puebla. However, it was not until almost twenty years later that it gained autonomy from government control as Universidad Autónoma de Puebla under legislation passed on 23 November 1956. It was renamed Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla in 1987.