Brief Historical Background

The School of Industrial and Civil Engineering was created as a result of the merger between the School of Industrial Engineering and the Polytechnic University School of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in February 2010. This merger was carried out in order to adjust the structure of the degrees and postgraduate degrees offered to the new guidelines emerged as a result of the adaptation of the Spanish university to the European Higher Education Area’s framework.
The two original centres had a long history behind them at the time of their merger. On the one hand, the Polytechnic University School was founded in 1902 under the initial name of Escuela General de Industrias (Industry General School) which, together with Madrid, Alcoy, Béjar, Gijón, Cartagena, Villanueva y la Geltrú, Tarrasa and Vigo, were the locations chosen for the first Higher Schools of Industry in Spain. Over the years, the centre adapted to the different regulatory frameworks and expanded its training offer in different branches of technical engineering. On the other hand, the School of Industrial Engineering began teaching in 1968, offering industrial engineering studies,
which was extended over the years to other second cycle degrees in the industrial field. The current School of Industrial and Civil Engineering inherits a tradition of more than a century in the training of technical professionals who have occupied positions of responsibility in companies and institutions, making an outstanding contribution to the economic and social development of the region. For all these reasons, it has become the current benchmark in the field of industrial and civil engineering in the Canary Islands.

History

On 16th February 2010, the integration of the Polytechnic University School and the School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands. This publication (BOC 31, of Tuesday 16 February 2010) approves the merger of both Schools. The aim of this merger was to streamlining resources and the teaching offer as a result of the process of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area, in which all Spanish universities were immersed. The inauguration ceremony of the new centre took place on 14 April 2010, with Mr. José Regidor as the rector of the institution.

The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was founded in 1989 as a result of the merger of the Polytechnic University of the Canary Islands with the centres of the University of La Laguna that were located on the island of Gran Canaria. This creation
was the product of a great social movement that culminated in the approval of the Law of Popular Initiative for the University Reorganisation of the Canary Islands by the Canarian Parliament. The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has the distinctive characteristic of being an institution that was born as a result of many years of social demand, which reached its peak when the largest demonstration in the history of the Canary Islands took place, with more than 300,000 participants demanding the immediate creation of a higher education centre.

Within this context, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria began a process of modernization and updating in an attempt to adapt university education as much as possible to both the needs and employment offers of society, specializing the Faculties and Schools more and insisting on professional techniques, but without forgetting that the best technician must be deeply rooted in their environment and must also be well acquainted with its culture.

Origins of the Polytechnic University School of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

In 1900, the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts was created, which under the leadership of the Count of Romanones promoted the organisation of technical education on two levels. On the one hand, elementary studies in the industrial field were introduced in the provincial institutes, which were necessary to access the Higher Schools of Industry which, with a 4-year plan of studies, granted the title of Expert.

Almost simultaneously, by Royal Decree (17 August 1901), the Higher Schools of Industry were created in Madrid, Alcoy, Béjar, Gijón, Cartagena, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Villanueva y la Geltrú, Tarrasa and Vigo.

The introduction of these studies in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria took place at the same time as was taken the decision that the previous elementary technical studies should be carried out at the provisional institute in Tenerife. This decision caused great controversy in Gran Canarian, especially when it was established that, at the beginning of 1902, these elementary technical studies had not yet been implemented on Tenerife.
As a result of the complaints, the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts acknowledged, in a Royal Order of May 1902, that the newly created Escuela Superior de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria could not offer adequate services if the students had to travel to Tenerife for their elementary technical studies. Therefore, this organization decided that the basic subjects would be taught at the so-called Escuela Normal, the technical drawing at the Drawing Academy and the specific subjects at the Higher
Industrial School. In other words, it was established that the elementary level could be taught entirely in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

In this situation, as the two types of studies were created simultaneously, the first two biennia of operation of the Superior Industrial School (1902/1904, 1904/1906) led to the selection of students by means of an entrance exam corresponding to the subjects of the elementary cycle. The total number of applicants, who managed to pass this test and, therefore, begin their studies, was thirty. Juan de León y Castillo, a distinguished engineer of the time, was appointed the first director of the School. In addition, the act of constitution of the School took place in his own home on 7th April 1902. Originally,
the School was attached organically to the Literary University of Seville. The table below lists the different names that the school has been given throughout its history.

The principals who have headed this centre in its different denominations and configurations are shown in the following table:

Nombre	Fecha
Juan de León y Castillo.	(1902-1906)
Eusebio Lopez Martín.	(1902-1906)
Jesus Massa Moreno.	(1907-1908)
Angel Saenz Corona.	(1909-1915)
Manuel Mascareña Boscassa.	(1919-1940)
Jesus Massa Moreno.	(1941-1945)
Eduardo Laforet Altolaguirre.	(1945-1954)
Juan Pulido Castro.	(1954-1970)
Cristobal García Blairsy.	(1970-1971)
Jose Placido Suarez.	(1971-1979)
Rafael Estevez Sevilla.	(1979-1980)
Jose Placido Suarez.	(1980-1984)
Pedro Almeida Benitez.	(1984-1985)
Mariano Chirivella Caballero.	(1985-1986)
Jose Mª de la Portilla Fernandez.	(1986-2010)

Origins of the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering

The Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales de Las Palmas began to teach in the 1968/1969 academic year. Its creation was regulated by Ministerial Order of 9 March 1968 (BOE of 30 March 1968). This order established the conditions for the creation of the first ordinary course of studies of the Higher Technical Schools of Engineering, with the new centre being attached organically to the University of La Laguna. Later, in 1969, a Ministerial Order was published (BOE of 5 September 1969) establishing that the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers in Las Palmas would become a branch of the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers in Madrid. During the academic years 1968/1969, 1969/1970 and 1970/1971, only the first two years of the Industrial Engineering degree were taught at the School, a degree that was regulated by the Law for the Reorganization of Technical Education of 29th April 1964.

By Ministerial Order of 15 July 1971 (BOE 4th August 1971), the third year of Industrial Engineering was created with the specializations of mechanics and electricity. Later on, by Decree 2429/1974 of 9 August 1974 (BOE 4th September 1974), the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering of Las Palmas was officially established as a centre attached to the University of La Laguna.
By Ministerial Order of 21 February 1975 (BOE 17th March 1975), the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers of Las Palmas established the specialties of chemistry and industrial organization. On 28 February 1979, the Official State Gazette published the new six-year syllabus for the degree in Industrial Engineering at Las Palmas Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering, which at that time was attached to the University of La Laguna.

The Decree 29/1979 of 30 October 1979 establishes the creation of the Polytechnic University of Las Palmas, where the School of Industrial Engineering is attached. In 1975, the first promotion of Industrial Engineering from the School of Las Palmas graduated, and since then, more than 1000 engineers has graduated there. Until 1980, the School developed its activities in facilities offered by the University School of Technical Engineering and the National University of Distance Education (UNED in Spanish). In 1981, it moved to the north wing of the old Diocesan Seminary in Tafira Baja, where it remained until 1989, when it moved to the new Engineering Building on the Tafira Campus.

The directors who have been in charge of this centre are shown in the following table:

The School of Industrial and Civil Engineering

As indicated above, since 2010 the two centres mentioned have been consolidated into the current School of Industrial and Civil Engineering of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, occupying the facilities of the Engineering Building of the University of Tafira Campus. In this new era there was an initial formative period (2010-2013) in which the directorship of the new School was designated by mandate of the Rector. In 2013, the first School Board was constituted, elected by suffrage of all the members of the centre, with Mr. Norberto Angulo being the first elected director of the new School.

The following table shows all the directors of the centre: