The University of Jaén was founded in 1993, although the province had a long tradition of university education dating back to the 16th century, when the University of Baeza was created via a papal bull.
The roots of the University of Jaén can be traced to Santa Catalina Convent School in the 17th century, which was transformed into a Pontifical University in 1629 by a bull issued by Pope Urban VIII. The university was housed at Santo Domingo Convent.
However, the most obvious precursor to the University of Jaén is the University College dependent upon the University of Granada, which offered undergraduate and master’s programmes, and its flagship industrial schools in Linares and Jaén, which were founded in the 1970s.
Images of precursors to the University of Jaén: buildings at the University College, and classroom and library at the Industrial School. Photos: UJA General Archive