> Spanish Courses at Alcala de Henares > University of Alcala de HenaresUniversity of Alcala de Henares
The University of Alcalá was established in 1499 by the famous Spanish cardinal and statesman Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, Spain's regent at the time. Within a short time it came to play a central role in the birth of Spain's Golden Century by fueling the country's leading participation in the European Renaissance movement. The univeristy was moved to Madrid in 1836 and renamed the city's Central University, but by 1977 it was reopened once more in its original historical buildings in Alcalá de Henares.
Located just 30 kilometers from the center of Madrid, the university is attended by over 26,000 students spread over three campuses who study in fields as varied as the humanities, information technology, law, medicine and environmental sciences. Numerous bilateral agreements with universities throughout the world (particularly in Latin America and the U.S.) make the campus an international environment and project the university's favorable international presence.
The university's main priority is to maintain its optimal levels of teaching, research and prestige in its various fields while simultaneously fomenting collaboration with institutions around the world. The institution enjoys international prestige and is especially known within the Hispanic world for its annual presentation of the coveted Cervantes Prize for lifetime achievement in Spanish literature.
Spanish Courses At University of Alcala de Henares, Madrid
Spanish courses at the University of Alcalá are organized by Alcalingua, the university's official organization dedicated to the teaching of Spanish to foreigners. In the two decades since its inception Alcalingua has developed an excellent reputation; today it is known internationally for its creation of quality didactic materials for use in Spanish language instruction.
Alcalingua's textbooks Sueña and Vuela can be found on the bookshelves of libraries around the world, and so too will new projects such as the Encuentros series (dedicated to immigrants) and specified textbooks on subjects as varied as Spanish for business, tourism, and the sciences. Alcalingua was also responsible for the preparation of course materials for the third and fourth levels of the online classes offered by the Cervantes Institute (Spain's official Spanish language institution).
