General Assembly Venues

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), founded in 1293 under the name Escuelas Generales de Alcalá by King Sancho IV of Castile and re-established in 1499 by Cardinal Cisneros, is a historic institution where knowledge has long been—and continues to be—cultivated. In 1836, its headquarters were moved to Madrid, where it remains today as the largest in-person university in Spain. Throughout its history, the UCM has been the alma máter of renowned figures such as José Ortega y Gasset, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Emilia Pardo Bazán, and Gregorio Marañón.

The UCM has more than 64,000 students and around 6,500 faculty members and researchers, offering a broad academic range that includes 75 undergraduate degrees, 22 double degrees, 13 international degrees, 171 official master’s programs, 57 doctoral programs, and 300 continuing education courses. Its 26 faculties are distributed across the Moncloa, Somosaguas and Chamberí-Centro campuses, both integrated into Madrid’s urban structure and easily accessible via public transport.

The Complutense is a hub of international outreach. It currently hosts more than 8,000 international students and maintains 2,936 cooperation agreements, including 2,709 Erasmus+ partnerships with 785 European institutions, as well as bilateral agreements with universities across the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Additionally, it has its own international center: the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard.

In the scientific and cultural sphere, UCM houses a network of more than 32 libraries, such as the María Zambrano Library, 13 university museums, 17 scientific collections, and numerous research centers, clinics, and hospitals tied to academic practice.

The university also offers a vibrant student life, with more than 100 student associations, a broad sports offering with five major sports complexes spanning over 250,000 m², and a dynamic cultural calendar that includes concerts, theatre, exhibitions, and the renowned Complutense Summer Courses in San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

To study at Complutense is to become part of an institution with over seven centuries of history, open to the world and firmly committed to academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and social progress.