The University

In Europe and the Americas, the history of the oldest universities goes back centuries. In Brazil it still counts for decades. For this reason, the history of Brazilian universities is very recent. The one at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) is even more recent. Unicamp had its campus officially installed on October 5, 1966. A few years later it had already established itself as one of the main Brazilian and Latin American universities, a true powerhouse of advanced research and social interest, today fully consolidated.

Thus, Unicamp knew how to combine its youth with a strong experience in producing new knowledge in practically all areas. Not by chance, it accounts for 15% of all Brazilian scientific production and around 10% of national postgraduate studies. This means that it maintains areas of scientific and technological compatibility with the main research centers in the world, with which it has more than a hundred cooperation agreements.

Unicamp is an autarchy, autonomous in educational policy, but subordinate to the state government with regard to subsidies for its operation. Thus, the financial resources are mostly obtained from the Government of the State of São Paulo, through the share of the Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS) and from national and international development institutions.

Unicamp is located in a place where coffee and sugarcane plantations once existed. The main campus, in the district of Barão Geraldo, in Campinas (there are others in Piracicaba and Limeira) is named after Zeferino Vaz, who was the one who designed and implemented it in 1966.

Since its foundation, Unicamp has placed great value on the presence of foreign students and professors, understanding that the university experience and scientific knowledge, in the modern world, are global realities. In 2006, Unicamp had 17.275 undergraduate students, mostly from the State of São Paulo and around 16.000 postgraduate students, with the vast majority in this segment coming from other Brazilian states. The teaching staff includes 1761 professors, the vast majority of whom work full-time to teaching and research.

Students do not pay school fees, since the University is subsidized by the state government. However, fees or small expenses may occur in the case of university extension or specialization courses.

Campinas State University

After consultation with the community and the consequent appointment by the Governor of the State of São Paulo, from April 2005 Unicamp had a new rector, who in turn appointed the following members of his team, with management scheduled until April 2009:

Dean
Jose Tadeu Jorge

Vice Rector
Fernando Ferreira Costa


Vice-Rector of University Development
Paulo Eduardo M. Rodrigues da Silva


Vice-Rector of Extension and Community Affairs
Mohamed habib

Dean of Research
Daniel Pereira

Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Studies
Teresa Dib Zambon Atvars

Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Edgar Salvadori of Decca