Richard Stallman, founder of the FSF, robbed in Argentina

[BXpat]

that's terrible but I don't think theft is a trait unique among Argentine Uni's.

 

[expatinowncountry]

This doesn't surprise me at all. The UBA is a disaster. It's a rat's nest of communists, piqueteros, and 30 year-old permastudents. I pity the families who are forced to send their kids to study there. Anyone who can afford it goes somewhere else.

This is not true and it is unfair. I was an expat kid growing up in Argentina, went to UBA when I could afford going to any private university. I went to Princeton thanks to UBA and some of my classmates at UBA did PhDs in places like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, etc. Some of them are professors in top university in the States. UBA produced several nobel prize winners in sciences (not the peace one that everyone gets) what for a developing country public university is not that bad (how many nobel prizes in science public universities in Brazil or Mexico have produced? how many Di Tella, San Andres, UCA, etc?).
I was a professor at University of Oxford in the UK and now I teach one course per year at UBA just for the fun of it. Many of my colleagues are as good as you can get and I have brilliant students. Yes, there are a few permastudents, yes there bad studetns but your description is FAR from reality.

 

[expatinowncountry]

Go see the movie "El Estudiante" if you want to know how the UBA is. Or better yet, go take a class there. I am not joking about what I said.

I am sorry I took the time to answer your previous comment seriously before reading your comment about El Estudiante. You are just pissing off people here or you are a five years old playing with the computer. Your comment is like saying go an see "bowling for columbine" so you can understand how high schools are in the States.

 

[camberiu]

I went to Princeton thanks to UBA and some of my classmates at UBA did PhDs in places like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, etc.

He went to Princeton, bitch!

http://youtu.be/YDhf9qwiA34

Sorry, could not help it.

 

[camberiu]

This is not true and it is unfair. I was an expat kid growing up in Argentina, went to UBA when I could afford going to any private university.

I have never set foot on UBA myself. However, I went to school at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) and Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), both ranked ahead of, and more prestigious than UBA (for those who care about this kind of shit). I can tell you that those two "elite" universities in Latin America fit perfectly his descriptions of "nest of communists, piqueteiros and perma students". Considering what I know of Argentina and academics in Argentina, and the almost unlimited sense of entitlement of the "intellectuals" in this country, I find hard to believe that UBA does not fit the description.

 

[el_expatriado]

I have never set foot on UBA myself. However, I went to school at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) and Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), both ranked ahead of, and more prestigious than UBA (for those who care about this kind of shit). I can tell you that those two "elite" universities in Latin America fit perfectly his descriptions of "nest of communists, piqueteiros and perma students". Considering what I know of Argentina and academics in Argentina, and the almost unlimited sense of entitlement of the "intellectuals" in this country, I find hard to believe that UBA does not fit the description.

Thank you.

The people who criticize what I am saying have never been to the UBA and don't know what it is like (with the exception of one person who went there decades ago). I have taken classes at the UBA, my wife and her friends studied at the UBA. I can't tell you how it was 20 years ago, perhaps it was better than today, but I doubt it. They have told me many stories about what the UBA is like.

Today the UBA full of communists, protesters, and students who are way way too old to be there. Again, people don't need to take my word for it. They can go study there if they think it is such a great place. Or they can go see the movie I recommended, which shows it quite clearly. But ask any middle or upper middle class Argentine family where they would rather send their kids... the UBA or San Andres or UCA, for example. NO ONE would send their kids to the UBA unless it was for financial reasons, since the UBA is free.

 

[mariposa]

Go see the movie "El Estudiante" if you want to know how the UBA is. Or better yet, go take a class there. I am not joking about what I said.

i did see the movie. great movie. it's a movie. so??

Today the UBA full of communists, protesters, and students who are way way too old to be there.

this is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard (and i know lots of science faculty there, and quite a few students. there are some really brilliant people there.)

what exactly is your problem??

besides, what's wrong with communists, protesters and older students ?

but why i am even bothering replying to this nonsense?

 

[expatinowncountry]

I have never set foot on UBA myself. However, I went to school at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) and Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), both ranked ahead of, and more prestigious than UBA (for those who care about this kind of shit). I can tell you that those two "elite" universities in Latin America fit perfectly his descriptions of "nest of communists, piqueteiros and perma students". Considering what I know of Argentina and academics in Argentina, and the almost unlimited sense of entitlement of the "intellectuals" in this country, I find hard to believe that UBA does not fit the description.

Well whether they are more prestigious is something debatable, take number of nobel prize winners in hard science as an indicator and they are not. My Brazilian classmates at Princeton were from PUC, USP or Fundaco Getulio Vargas, none from your prestigious Universities. Ah yes, I remember that all the Brazilian in literature were from Campinas.
Thanks for making clear that your statement is based on nothing but your preconception. How long have you been in Argentina BTW, six months?

 

[expatinowncountry]

Thank you.

The people who criticize what I am saying have never been to the UBA and don't know what it is like (with the exception of one person who went there decades ago). I have taken classes at the UBA, my wife and her friends studied at the UBA. I can't tell you how it was 20 years ago, perhaps it was better than today, but I doubt it. They have told me many stories about what the UBA is like.

Today the UBA full of communists, protesters, and students who are way way too old to be there. Again, people don't need to take my word for it. They can go study there if they think it is such a great place. Or they can go see the movie I recommended, which shows it quite clearly. But ask any middle or upper middle class Argentine family where they would rather send their kids... the UBA or San Andres or UCA, for example. NO ONE would send their kids to the UBA unless it was for financial reasons, since the UBA is free.

You are thanking someone who is making clear that he does not know anything about UBA and at the same time disqualifying anyone else who may actually know what they are talking about. Yes, I studied in UBA two decades ago but I teach now. I can tell you UBA today is much better than 20 years ago (but worst than 40 years ago). And yes, there are diversity of opinions and intellectual inclinations at UBA something that is good for critical thinking. If something, the Econ department at UBA is a meeting club for people who are opposed to the actual administration, not a cave for communist. My kids probably will not go to college here as I hope we will be back home by then but if I were to "send them" (I hope they decide by themselves) I will choose UBA any time (and hope they do not become communist). I would not like them to be with narrow minded, pretentious kids from upper middle class Argentina. When we arrived here we sent the kids to the Lycee Francais. We were horrified by upper class Argentina, they are now in a "normal" school and we are far happier.

 

[camberiu]

Well whether they are more prestigious is something debatable, take number of nobel prize winners in hard science as an indicator and they are not.

Of course it is debatable. Prestige by definition is a subjective concept. Anyone can win a pissing contest by changing the variables used to measure the "winner". Because that is all it is, a pissing contest. People with low self esteem or self worth trying to find ways to increase the perceived value of the piece of paper they got from their alma mater. Because if they can convince themselves or others that their school is more "prestigious", somehow this will make them better professionals or even better people.

On rankings published by X, Y or Z UnB and UNICAMP always came out ahead of UBA. I work on the technology field for a very large and important high tech company, and there, candidates coming from UnB and UNICAMP have higher status than UBA. Does that mean that UNICAMP or UnB are better than UBA? In my eyes, no. It is just that the general perception for whatever reason, has placed those schools in higher regard today. That might change tomorrow, next week or next month. It all depends on how each school can play with the variables of the "pissing contest".

To be frank, I find this whole concept of "elite" university pure bullshit. I attended elite universities in Brazil and I work with people for the top universities in the world on a day-to-day basis (some report to me) and I found no evidence that people from elite schools are smarter, harder working, better professionals or overall better human beings than anyone else. People go to those schools and come out thinking that their fart no longer stinks. Then they go around playing God by starting wars in SouthEast Asia (Robert Mcnamara), bombing Cambodia (Kissinger), creating a policy of shock and awe in Iraq (Rumsfeld) and legalizing torture (Ashcroft).
BTW, how about using those guys above and people like them as a way to measure the "prestige" of certain universities?

Since we are at it, where did "Che" Guevara go to school again?