Find the Mexican University! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Anahuac

Universidad Anahuac was founded in 1964 by the Legionaries of Christ, a religious congregation established in Mexico in the middle of the 20th century. The school started with 48 students and only two majors; since then, it has greatly expanded and now offers more than 40 majors in two campuses, located in polar opposites of Mexico City. Notable alumni include Jaime Ruiz Sacristan (former president of the Mexican Stock Exchange), businessman Carlos Slim Domit (son of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim), and sculptor Alvaro Zardoni.

The Anahuac Valley, more frequently referred to as the Valley of Mexico, is a region that historians believe was surrounded by mountains and shallow lakes. This may explain the name Anahuac, which translates to "close to the water" or "land on the edge of water").

The translation of the other Nahuatl words: Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Aztec empire before the Spanish Conquest; tlatoani means governor or political leader, and cihuatl means wife or woman.

Answer: Monterrey

The full name of this university is ITESM (Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey), which translates to "Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education". However, it is better known as Tecnologico de Monterrey, or more informally, Tec de Monterrey (and among students, it is only referred to as "el Tec"). The university was founded in 1943, primarily through the efforts of MIT-educated Mexican businessman Eugenio Garza Sada, is a secular and private institution. In the 1970's, it expanded to Mexico City and, not long afterwards, to other Mexican states. Today, the Tec is recognized as one of the leading educational institutions in Mexico and Latin America, and has produced alumni such as politicians Manuel Clouthier and Roberto Borge, journalists like Leon Krauze, and businesspeople like Ricardo Salinas Pliego and Lorenzo Zambrano.

Monterrey is one of Mexico's biggest cities. It is located in the north of the country, in the state of Nuevo Leon. It has become a strong manufacturing city, and is home to some of the biggest Mexican companies such as FEMSA and CEMEX.

Answer: Pumas

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM in Spanish) has a long history behind it. The university was established in 1551 after Juan de Zumarraga, a Spanish bishop who lived in what was then known as Nueva Espaņa or New Spain, expressed his interest in creating an educational institution. Between the 1700's and the 1800's, the university went through several closures and re-openings, stemming mainly from political conflicts. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mexican government began expending great efforts to turn the university into a top-notch organization, sending pedagogues on trips to the United States and Europe to document existing models of educational institutions.

Today, the UNAM is recognized as one of the top colleges in Mexico and Latin America. Its distinguished alumni list includes former Mexican presidents like Carlos Salinas de Gortari, scientists like Mario Molina, writers like Octavio Paz, and journalists like Carmen Aristegui.

The university's mascot is the puma, which was established by a football coach in the 1940s due to what he thought his players shared with these animals: "speed, intelligence, strength". Since then, the iconic puma is the university's namesake for all of its sports teams, including a professional soccer team called Pumas UNAM, which competes in Mexico's top soccer league Liga MX.

Answer: Oak

The Universidad Panamericana, or Panamerican University, was founded in 1967 by a group of businessmen. It was originally a business school only, but its early success allowed it to expand its academic offerings. A school with Catholic roots, the UP has the motto "Ubi spiritus, libertas" (meaning "Where the spirit is, there is freedom") and has earned its place as a recognized higher education institution in Mexico. Notable alumni include former Mexican president Enrique Peņa Nieto, businessman Arturo Elias Ayub, and philosopher Hector Zagal.

The UP's insignia is composed of a tan background, over which there are a red square and a blue strip (symbolizing "panamericanism" as it resembles the coat of arms used by Christopher Columbus when he arrived to the Americas). On the right side, there is an oak tree with four branches, each of which stands for prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The oak tree is well-known as a symbol of strength and fortitude, since its wood is very strong and durable.

Answer: Lazaro Cardenas

In the 1930's, the Mexican government wanted to establish a new institution that would help with the country's industrialization, as well as provide increased opportunities for education. In 1936, Senator Juan de Dios Batiz and President Lazaro Cardenas officially signed the law that created the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (or National Polytechnic Institute). Though it started as a trade school, it now offers several engineering and science degrees, as well as a few business programs.

President Lazaro Cardenas was the leader of Mexico between 1934 and 1940. He is a prominent politician and a big part of the country's history, since he passed revolutionary measures that changed the agricultural landscape of Mexico. He is also known for nationalizing the petroleum industry. His name, "Lazaro" or "Lazarus", comes from the biblical character Lazarus of Bethany, and also is the name of one of the last songs David Bowie released before his death in 2016.

Ernesto Zedillo, a former Mexican president, was a student at the IPN, as were engineer Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena (who contributed to the invention of colorized television) and businessman Alejo Peralta.

Answer: Economics

ITAM was established by a group of Mexican businessmen and bankers collectively known as the Mexican Culture Association and led by tycoon Raul Bailleres, who helped in the development of what now are some of the biggest Mexican companies. In 1946, the university opened its doors to students for only one particular major: Economics. The founders believed that this discipline was key to generate a new model of educational and business development for Mexico. Today, ITAM offers other renowned programs in Law, Engineering, and Political Sciences, to name a few.

ITAM's distinguished list of alumni includes Mexican politician and presidential candidate Jose Antonio Meade, former governor of the Bank of Mexico Agustin Carstens, and former President Felipe Calderon.

Economics is a social science concerned mainly with the allocation of scarce resources (frequently, the resource in question is money). Throughout history, many economic models, theories and thinkers have arisen. Some distinguished names in economics include Adam Smith (the father of capitalism and the concept of "the invisible hand"), Karl Marx (who advocated the socialist theory of Marxism), and John Maynard Keynes, whose economic policies had great influence in the 20th century.

Answer: Library

Universidad Iberoamericana was founded by Mexican Jesuit leaders in 1943. Even though the university has a Catholic philosophy backed by the Society of Jesus, it is open to all students and pledges to represent the values of utility, justice, humanism, and faith. IBERO, as it is more commonly known, has an important alumni community in Mexico and the world. Some of its notable members are former Mexican president Vicente Fox, journalist Jorge Ramos, and filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Iņarritu.

The library of the IBERO, named in honor of historian Francisco Xavier Clavigero, is home to more than 300,000 books, magazines, and records, making it one of the largest not only among Mexican libraries, but in the whole of Latin America.

Answer: Jalisco

The University of Guadalajara opened its doors as the Royal University of Guadalajara in 1792, in part due to the intervention of Spaniard Antonio Alcalde y Barriga with the Spanish royalty (who back then still ruled Nueva Espaņa, now Mexico). Like UNAM, the U de G also went through several closures and re-openings as a consequence of changing political landscapes and conflicts. In the 20th century, the university joined a network of colleges known as Red Universitaria de Jalisco, contributing to the development of education in the state. Notable alumni of this institution include filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and Federico Curiel.

Guadalajara is the most important city of the state of Jalisco, which is also home to Puerto Vallarta and Zapopan. The state is known for its plantings of agave, the plant used for the production of tequila, as well as for being one of the states where mariachis first originated.

Answer: Ciencia/Science

The UAEM began in 1828 as the Literary Institute of the State of Mexico. After a few changes over the years, a law as passed that officially transformed the institute into an Autonomous University. Since then, the university has added many programs to its portfolio, most notably in the fields of science, medicine, and engineering.

The university's motto of "Patria, Ciencia, y Trabajo" was adopted along with other symbols in 1956. Some of its notable alumni include priest and human rights leader Alejandro Solalinde and actor Noe Hernandez. Recently, the university implemented a recognized dedicated remote learning program.

Answer: It was in English rather than in Spanish

The UDLAP was originally created as the Mexico City College, in the country's capital. It was founded by two officials at Mexico's American School Foundation, Dr. Henry L. Cain and Dr. Paul V. Murray. It then changed its name to University of the Americas, before moving to Puebla and establishing its Cholula campus.

The UDLAP quickly earned accreditations from both national and international organisms, including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission. Today, UDLAP offers academic programs in Social Sciences, Business, Science, Engineering, and the Humanities, and has earned the reputation as a quality Mexican university.

Some of its notable alumni include artist Dulce Pinzon and economist Gerardo Rodriguez Regordosa.