In the Department of Santa Cruz it represented a region whose economic and agricultural potential was growing and was manifested rapidly. Its capital city, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, was fast becoming a city of great political and economic importance for Bolivia. As an emerging center, the need for trained professionals was vital. Following development of the Foundation for the Integral Development of Bolivia (FUNDESIB) in 1982, Nur University received Presidential Decree No. 20441 authorizing its establishment as a private university. It began offering undergraduate programs in 1985 and became Bolivia's first graduate college in 1994. In 1996, Nur trained 2000 rural teachers as agents of community development in Bolivia and 300 teachers in the La Rioja Province in Argentina.