University of Brasília
Encyclopedia
The University of Brasília (in Portuguese
: Universidade de Brasília, often abbreviated as UnB), is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazil
ian public universities
funded by the Brazilian federal government
. It is located in the country's capital, Brasília
.
In Brasilia there are over 114 colleges recognized by the MEC (Ministry of Education).
The University of Brasilia Foundation was created on December 15, 1961. Professor Darcy Ribeiro
, who became its first chancellor, was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of its creation. The architect Oscar Niemeyer designed its main building, the Central Institute of Sciences (ICC). From its very beginning, the University of Brasilia (UnB) strived for excellence in teaching, research and outreach courses open to the community at large, thereby ranking as one of the most respected universities in Brazil.
The institution was created on April 21, 1962, following the plan of its founders, educator Anísio Teixeira and anthropologist
professor Darcy Ribeiro
. As of 2010, it had 1,757 professors and 2,391 employees as well as over 30,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Each semester, the University of Brasília accepts nearly 2,000 incoming students for its 61 undergraduate programs. On the graduate level, the university offers 49 master's degrees and 27 doctoral programs.
The University was one of the first in Brazil to offer the Continuous Evaluation Program (in Portuguese: Programa de Avaliação Seriada, PAS), an alternative way for high school
students to get into college without having to pass by the two phases of vestibular
. The University of Brasilia entrance exam (vestibular) is regarded as one of the most competitive and difficult in the country.
Each semester, the University of Brasilia accepts nearly 2,000 incoming students from a pool of approximately 25,000 candidates for its 61 daytime or evening undergraduate programs. On the graduate level, the university offers 56 masters
programs and 31 doctorate
programs. It also offers various advanced non-degree programs, many of them conducted in other Brazilian States, such as Bahia, Amazonas, Rondônia, Goiás and Rio Grande do Norte. The Technological and Scientific Development National Council (CNPq) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) support most of these courses, offering scholarships and research grants.
Distance education is another expanding activity in UnB, being managed by the Center for Open, Continuous and Long Distance Education (CEAD) and the School of Education. The United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sponsors the Long Distance Education chair at UnB.
. It currently ranks at #3 in the list of the best universities in the country. Several of its graduate programs have been graded 6 and 7 (in a scale from 1 to 7) in the annual assessment conducted by the government agency CAPES
, including its programs in Anthropology
, Mathematics
, Geology
, Economics
, among others.
UnB’s Central Library has the largest archive in midwestern Brazil and caters to the needs of the federal district and of researchers from across the nation. UnB maintains a modern university restaurant, as well as the Fazenda Água Limpa, a farm in the outskirts of Brasilia where ecological, agricultural and forestry research is conducted.
The outreach activities include the Future with Art, Culture and Sport (FACE) program; the Community Initiatives Advisory Program (PRATICOM); the Program for Worker and Trade Union Leadership Training (PROSINT); the Rural Development Program and the Model Office for Legal Assistance. University members also offer consulting and assistance to the Community Health Training Program (PACs).
The Dean of Outreach Programs has recently formalized its Outreach School, which will expand the number of courses offered, further opening the doors of university to the community.
Other key players in the research area are the International Center for Condensed Matter Physics (CIFMC), the Brazilian Center for Protein Sequencing (CBSP), the Center for Maintenance of Equipment (CME) and the university Herbarium. The Technological Development Center (CDT) works to integrate the University to the business world, maintaining a small business start-up program and other types of consulting assistance to the entrepreneurial upstarts.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Universidade de Brasília, often abbreviated as UnB), is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian public universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
funded by the Brazilian federal government
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
. It is located in the country's capital, Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
.
In Brasilia there are over 114 colleges recognized by the MEC (Ministry of Education).
History
Darcy Ribeiro
Darcy Ribeiro was a Brazilian anthropologist, author and politician. Darcy Ribeiro's ideas of Latin American identity have influenced several later scholars of Latin American studies...
, who became its first chancellor, was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of its creation. The architect Oscar Niemeyer designed its main building, the Central Institute of Sciences (ICC). From its very beginning, the University of Brasilia (UnB) strived for excellence in teaching, research and outreach courses open to the community at large, thereby ranking as one of the most respected universities in Brazil.
The institution was created on April 21, 1962, following the plan of its founders, educator Anísio Teixeira and anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
professor Darcy Ribeiro
Darcy Ribeiro
Darcy Ribeiro was a Brazilian anthropologist, author and politician. Darcy Ribeiro's ideas of Latin American identity have influenced several later scholars of Latin American studies...
. As of 2010, it had 1,757 professors and 2,391 employees as well as over 30,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Each semester, the University of Brasília accepts nearly 2,000 incoming students for its 61 undergraduate programs. On the graduate level, the university offers 49 master's degrees and 27 doctoral programs.
Academics
It has 22 institutes; 50 departments; 16 scientific, technological, cultural, artistic and general service centers; student and staff residences; a University Hospital; a Sports Center; a Seismological Observatory; several physical experiment facilities, including plasma, liquid crystals, complex fluids and optical spectroscopy; an Animal Research Laboratory; a library with a huge archive; a restaurant for students; a farm for ecological, agricultural and forestry research; and an Ecological Station. University of Brasília is about to build its own technological park.The University was one of the first in Brazil to offer the Continuous Evaluation Program (in Portuguese: Programa de Avaliação Seriada, PAS), an alternative way for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students to get into college without having to pass by the two phases of vestibular
Vestibular
The Vestibular is a competitive examination and is the primary and widespread system used by Brazilian universities to select their students. The Vestibular usually takes place from November to January, right before the start of school year in February or March, although certain universities hold...
. The University of Brasilia entrance exam (vestibular) is regarded as one of the most competitive and difficult in the country.
Each semester, the University of Brasilia accepts nearly 2,000 incoming students from a pool of approximately 25,000 candidates for its 61 daytime or evening undergraduate programs. On the graduate level, the university offers 56 masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
programs and 31 doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
programs. It also offers various advanced non-degree programs, many of them conducted in other Brazilian States, such as Bahia, Amazonas, Rondônia, Goiás and Rio Grande do Norte. The Technological and Scientific Development National Council (CNPq) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) support most of these courses, offering scholarships and research grants.
Distance education is another expanding activity in UnB, being managed by the Center for Open, Continuous and Long Distance Education (CEAD) and the School of Education. The United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sponsors the Long Distance Education chair at UnB.
Ranking
The University of Brasilia has been consistently ranked as one of the top 5 public universities in Brazil by Guia do Estudante ("Student Guide"), an annual publication of Editora AbrilEditora Abril
Editora Abril is a major Brazilian publisher and printing company and one of the biggest media holdings in Southern America. The company was founded in 1950 by Victor Civita in São Paulo and is now part of Grupo Abril....
. It currently ranks at #3 in the list of the best universities in the country. Several of its graduate programs have been graded 6 and 7 (in a scale from 1 to 7) in the annual assessment conducted by the government agency CAPES
Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Coordenadoria de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior is a government agency linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Education in charge of promoting high standards for post-graduate courses in Brazil....
, including its programs in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, among others.
Campus
UnB is located in the heart of Brasilia, on the banks of Paranoá Lake, marked by an unmistakable modernist architecture.UnB’s Central Library has the largest archive in midwestern Brazil and caters to the needs of the federal district and of researchers from across the nation. UnB maintains a modern university restaurant, as well as the Fazenda Água Limpa, a farm in the outskirts of Brasilia where ecological, agricultural and forestry research is conducted.
Community involvement
The university runs 115 community outreach projects, offering a total of 438 courses and events. Involving the direct participation of 240 professors and 65,132 students, these activities reach nearly 185,000 people in the federal district and the surrounding region.The outreach activities include the Future with Art, Culture and Sport (FACE) program; the Community Initiatives Advisory Program (PRATICOM); the Program for Worker and Trade Union Leadership Training (PROSINT); the Rural Development Program and the Model Office for Legal Assistance. University members also offer consulting and assistance to the Community Health Training Program (PACs).
The Dean of Outreach Programs has recently formalized its Outreach School, which will expand the number of courses offered, further opening the doors of university to the community.
Research
More than 260 formally constituted research-groups work in more than 400 different laboratories, investigating close to 890 different areas. This research is supported by such programs as the Technological and Scientific Initiation Program (PIBIC) and the Special Training Program (PET), which also offers scholarships to gifted undergraduates. Among other agencies, programs are funded by the CNPq, the CAPES, the Research and Projects Funding Program (FINEP), the Technological and Scientific Development Support Program (PADCT) and the Federal District Research Support Foundation (FAPDF).Other key players in the research area are the International Center for Condensed Matter Physics (CIFMC), the Brazilian Center for Protein Sequencing (CBSP), the Center for Maintenance of Equipment (CME) and the university Herbarium. The Technological Development Center (CDT) works to integrate the University to the business world, maintaining a small business start-up program and other types of consulting assistance to the entrepreneurial upstarts.
Continuous Evaluation Program
The Continuation Evaluation Program (Programa de Avaliação Seriada in Portuguese) gives students who want to study in the university the opportunity to be evaluated on a yearly basis during their three years of high school. This not only allows the university to know its prospective students better, but also stimulates them to study more intensely and continuously from their first day in high school. The university prefers this system to the old system of single entrance examinations.International students
The university accepts international students through:- Exchange programs: These are for international students from academic institutions and organizations that have an agreement or an accord signed with the university. The programme lasts from six months to one year.
- Undergraduate Students’ Program: This program (PEC-G - Programa de Estudante Convênio de Graduação) is for the students from university institutions of developing countries that have developed activities in cooperation with the Brazilian government. Students from Latin America, Africa and Asia are the biggest partners of the UnB in this project. The PEC-G searches the formation of human resources in developing countries and also wants to extend the effectiveness for the origin countries.
- Post-Graduate Program: This program (PEC-PG - Programa de Estudante Convênio de Pós-Graduação) is through the Brazilian embassies abroad. The main objective is to promote the qualification of senior staff of the developing countries, by offering masters and doctorate degrees.
- Courtesy of the Federal Constitution: This is foreseen by the Brazilian Federal Constitution and the foreign affairs treats to the diplomats that are working in Brasilia, the capital of the country, and to its legal dependents.
Notable alumni and faculty
Throughout its brief history, the University of Brasília has been frequented by notable students and professors. Some of its prominent alumni and faculty (former and current) are noted below.Alumni
- Ana Paula PadrãoAna Paula PadrãoAna Paula Padrão is a Brazilian journalist. She graduated in Journalism from the University of Brasília.Worker for Globo Networks from 1987 until 2005, in London and New York, covering mostly international news, including the September 11 attacks and the War in Afghanistan.-Recent:She signed a new...
, journalist, former anchor of Jornal da Globo, now at SBT. - Gilmar MendesGilmar MendesGilmar Ferreira Mendes is a Brazilian Justice of the Supremo Tribunal Federal , since being appointed by then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 2002...
, Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court, former President of the Supreme Court. - Joaquim Benedito Barbosa GomesJoaquim Benedito Barbosa GomesJoaquim Benedito Barbosa Gomes is the only black Supreme Federal Tribunal justice minister in Brazil.Although many people believe he is the first black justice minister in Brazilian Supreme Court, he is actually the third one...
, Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court. - I'talo Fioravanti Sabo Mendes, judge of the Regional Federal Court of the 1st Region.
- Alexandre TombiniAlexandre TombiniAlexandre Antônio Tombini is a Brazilian economist. He is the current president of Central Bank of Brazil.- External links :*...
, President of Brazilian Central Bank.
Faculty
- Oscar NiemeyerOscar NiemeyerOscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect specializing in international modern architecture...
, architect, Pritzker PrizePritzker PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
1988, founder. - Athos BulcãoAthos BulcãoAthos Bulcão was a Brazilian painter and sculptor. He was born in Rio de Janeiro.By the 1940s, he assisted Candido Portinari with the "São Francisco de Assis" painting at the Pampulha Church, in Belo Horizonte. Further, he moved to Paris, where he lived until 1949...
, artist, founder. - Cyro dos AnjosCyro dos AnjosCyro Versiani dos Anjos, journalist, and writer, was born in Montes Claros, state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil, on October 5, 1906. In 1923, he went to Belo Horizonte, where he studied law at Federal University of Minas Gerais and graduated in 1932...
, writer. - Roberto Saturnino Braga, engineer and politician.
- Cristovam BuarqueCristovam BuarqueCristovam Ricardo Cavalcanti Buarque is a Brazilian politician and university professor, member of Democratic Labour Party . He is married and has two children.-Biography:Buarque graduated in mechanical engineering from the Federal University of Pernambuco...
, mechanical engineer and politician, former governor of the Brazilian Federal DistrictBrazilian Federal DistrictThe Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...
, senator, former Rector, as professor of the economics department. - Claudio de Moura Castro, economist, educator, and columnist.
- Nelson Pereira dos Santos, film director.
- Teotonio Vilela FilhoTeotonio Vilela FilhoTeotônio Brandão Vilela Filho is a Brazilian economist, politician and current Governor of Alagoas. He graduated at the Universidade de Brasília and then specialized in Business Administration at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas....
, politician, economist, current governor of AlagoasAlagoasAlagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
. - Otto Richard Gottlieb, chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry nominee.
- Darcy RibeiroDarcy RibeiroDarcy Ribeiro was a Brazilian anthropologist, author and politician. Darcy Ribeiro's ideas of Latin American identity have influenced several later scholars of Latin American studies...
, anthropologist, founder. - Roberto Aureliano Salmeron, nuclear physicist.
- Cláudio SantoroCláudio SantoroCláudio Franco de Sá Santoro was an internationally renowned Brazilian composer and violinist.-Early life:...
, composer and violinist. - Anísio Teixeira, educator, founder.
- Antônio Augusto Cançado TrindadeAntônio Augusto Cançado Trindadethumb|right|180px|Trindade at the a committee of the [[Brazilian Senate]] in [[2008]].Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade is a Brazilian judge on the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague , Netherlands, a position he has held since 6 February 2009...
, jurist, "full professor" at UnB, elected judge of the International Court of Justice (term begins in 2009), professor of International Relations. - Francisco RezekFrancisco RezekJosé Francisco Rezek is a Brazilian judge who served as a member of the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, Netherlands, from 1996 to 2006. His surname "Rezek" comes from Czech Republic....
, former Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court, former judge of the International Court of Justice (1996–2006), professor of Law. - Gilmar MendesGilmar MendesGilmar Ferreira Mendes is a Brazilian Justice of the Supremo Tribunal Federal , since being appointed by then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 2002...
, Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court, former President of the Supreme Court, professor of Law. - I'talo Fioravanti Sabo Mendes, judge of the Regional Federal Court of the 1st Region, professor of Law.