The Menéndez Pelayo International Summer University was created on august 23rd 1932. The Courses started in 1933, under the rectorship of Ramón Menéndez Pidal and Pedro Salinas as Secretary General. The intense academic and cultural activity enjoyed the presence of the best intellectuals at that time. Next to Ortega y Gasset, Miguel de Unamuno, Américo Castro, Gerardo Diego, José María de Cossio, Jorge Guillén, Xavier Zubiri or Jiménez Díaz ,one could enjoy the presence of foreigners such as Huizinga, Pierre Guinard, Marcel Bataillon, Karl Volssier, Harold Laski, Hugo Obermaier as well as Nobel Prizes , such as Schrödinger, Haber or Willstätter. The academic activity was combined with art performances , such as theatre plays of classical works, by “ La Barraca “ of García Lorca.
After the interruption caused by the civil war, the courses restarted in 1947, under the present name of Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo. In spite of the very difficult circumstances during those years, the courses were able to recapture the intellectual distinction and openness which made them so special. The consecutive rectorates of Ciriaco Pérez Bustamante ( 1947-68), Florentino Pérez Embid ( 1968-74), Francisco Ynduráin ( 1974-80), Raúl Morodo ( 1980-1983 ), Santiago Roldán ( 1983-89 ), Ernest Lluch ( 1989-1995 ), José Luis García Delgado ( 1995-2005 ), Luciano Parejo ( 2005-2006 ) and Salvador Ordoñez since 2006,have all maintained the original talent , when building up this unique Institution. And, seventy six years since its creation, the UIMP is, no doubt, the reference university center in the whole country.
The Courses of Spanish language and culture for Foreigners represent the core activity of the whole Curriculum. Its long tradition, prestige and academic recognition explains the gathering of about one thousand students per year. Since the year 2000, courses are organized all the year round.
