On the day Unicamp celebrates its 57th anniversary, October 5th, this Thursday, rector Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles recalled the inclusion and retention programs implemented at the University as a factor that can boost the country's development. The leader also renewed the appeal against violence, intolerance and fragmentation – outside and inside Unicamp. According to him, inclusion programs have caused a change in the University's demography, in a movement that will have a strong impact on Brazilian life in the near future.
“We have the largest inclusion and retention program in the country, with at least R$110 million allocated to various types of scholarships. We probably have the largest indigenous inclusion program in Brazil”, emphasized the rector.
“Something around 50% of those entering the University today come from public schools and more than 32% of students are black and mixed race, groups whose share of the population of the State of São Paulo is around 37%”, adds.
“Because of this, we can say that this is a new university. A university that is training people who are much more like Brazil. And the importance of this in the transformation of this country is not small”, he assesses.
Meirelles made an appeal in favor of dialogue – whether in society as a whole or within the academic community. “In a society as unfair, as unequal as ours, which has so many blemishes in its past, it is very difficult for this society to naturally converge towards positive actions that include the vast majority of the population. Fragmentation and distrust characterize our society. But, if it continues to predominate, this is something that greatly reduces our chances of a better future”, he warns.
According to him, the challenge for intellectuals, scientists, researchers and educators is to prevent this process of fragmentation from prevailing. For the rector, the University must be able to build convergences. However, according to him, this is not just any convergence.
The challenge, says Meirelles, is to bring people together around a project that means economic development, maintenance of democracy, inclusion and income distribution. “If we are able to build a minimum of convergence between the interests of the majority, we will be able to make a difference in this University and give it a much greater dimension than it already has today. We can promote an even greater impact on society and be an additional push towards what this country needs to finally leave the 'country of the future' stage that never happens in the present. It’s time for this to happen,” he concludes.
Foundation
On September 9, 1965, the State Education Council created the Organizing Committee of the University of Campinas with the mission of studying and planning the installation of its units. The cornerstone of the University, however, was laid on October 5, 1966 on a plot of land measuring 30 acres, donated by João Adhemar de Almeida Prado.
Above and below, laying of the cornerstone on October 5, 1966
That council authorized the operation of the institutes of Biology, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and the faculties of Engineering, Food Technology, Science and Nursing, in addition to the technical colleges. Today, the institution also has campuses in the municipalities of Limeira, Piracicaba and Paulínia, in addition to two technical schools, Cotuca (Colégio Técnico de Campinas) and Cotil (Colégio Técnico de Limeira).
Today, Unicamp is responsible for 7,10% of national academic production. It has 26 major thematic research centers and 24 teaching, research and extension units. The University also maintains 21 interdisciplinary research centers and centers.
The University has 34.652 students enrolled in 66 undergraduate courses and 153 postgraduate programs offered on the Campinas, Piracicaba and Limeira campuses. Every year, around 800 doctors are trained.
Ranking
In a survey released last September, Unicamp jumped from fifth to third place in the QS Latin America and Caribbean 2024 ranking. The ranking analyzed 430 universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, 97 of them from Brazil. In the country, Unicamp was in second place.
In July this year, 70 professors from the University were included in the list of the best scientists in the world in various areas of knowledge. The survey was published by the academic portal Research.com.
