Saint Thomas University, known in Spanish as Universidad Santo Tomás, is a private Roman Catholic university located in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It is also known as the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Saint Thomas University is the oldest Colombian university, having originally been founded in June 1580 by the Dominican Order. Also known as the Order of Preachers, the Dominican Order is a mendicant Catholic religious order that was founded by the Spanish priest Dominic of Caleruega, and approved by Pope Honorius in 1216. Members of the order are referred to as Dominicans, and generally carry the letters OP after their names.
Saint Thomas University has campuses in Bucaramanga, Tunja, Medellín, and Villavicencio.
The university's flag comprises five horizontal stripes, three green and two white, with the shield of the university in the middle. Its official seal alludes to the pontifical origin of the institution, which was mandated by Pope Gregorio XIII, and is used in certificates and diplomas issued by the university.
The institution's shield bears the Latin motto "facientes veritatem", meaning "doers of the truth" and its official hymn consists of eight verses, which talk of the university's commitment to humanist and vocational education. The mission of Saint Thomas University is inspired by the Christian humanistic thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
The city of Bogota is home to central offices of the country's president; the Congress of Colombia; and the Supreme Court of Justice, Constitutional Court, Council of State, and the Superior Council of Judicature of the Colombian government.
