Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro)
UFRJ-Minerva.png
Established September 7, 1920 (Medical School dates from 1808 - the second oldest medical school in Brazil) (Military and Engineering School dates from 1792)
Type Public university system, Federal
Endowment R$1.4 billion (2007)
Chancellor Carlos Antônio Levi da Conceição
Vice-Chancellor Antônio José Ledo Alves da Cunha
Admin. staff 8,491
Students 47,953
Location Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (state), Brazil
Campus 3 campuses: (Ilha do Fundão, Praia Vermelha and IFCS; 2 independent buildings (Law and Music)
Mascot Minerva
Website [1]
UFRJ Logo
The Palácio Universitário, a 19th century Neoclassical building that serves as campus of the UFRJ. The Institutes for Economy, Education, Communications and Administration, among others, are based here Escola de Música, a historical building in Downtown, in which Music courses are based 19th century litography depicting the palace which became the home of Law School (Faculdade Nacional de Direito)

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ) is one of the largest federal universities of Brazil, where public universities comprise the majority of the best and most qualified institutions. It is seated in the city of Rio de Janeiro, with three campi (Fundão island, Praia Vermelha and the humanities core at IFCS downtown) and two more independent buildings in downtown Rio.

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History

It was founded on September 7, 1920, by President Epitácio Pessoa, upon gathering a number of previously independent public institutions of higher education in the city. By then, Rio was the Brazilian capital and the federal government sought to stimulate scientific production in the nation's booming economy. Some of the colleges and schools which form UFRJ date back to the United Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil and to the Brazilian Empire, such as the Escola Politécnica (Polytechnical School - founded in 1792), Faculdade Nacional de Direito (National Law School - founded in 1882 and reestablished in 1891), Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (National School of Fine Arts) and the Faculdade de Medicina (Medicine School).

Initially the University was named Universidade do Rio de Janeiro. It was later renamed as Universidade do Brasil, on July 5, 1937. On December 17, 1945, the University achieved the status of full autonomy under the Brazilian Ministry of Education. In 1965 it was renamed as Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, according to the federal university system devised by the military government of Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco. In 2000, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro requested to retain its former title of Universidade do Brasil, on the grounds of the imposition of the current name by the military dictatorship during the 1960s. The request was granted and today the University may be called either name.

On the occasion of its foundation in 1920, the University was formed by joining three independent higher learning schools:

To these, other units were gradually created an incorporated, such as the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (National School of Fine Arts) and the Faculdade Nacional de Filosofia (National Faculty of Philosophy).

A beautiful set of buildings of neoclassical design - originally constructed to be a sanatorium - was then set to lodge the new University, located at Avenida Pasteur, in the Urca district of the city, near the Praia Vermelha. During the 20th Century, due to the University's expansion, an entire archipelago (nowadays merged as one sole island - the Fundão Island) on Guanabara Bay was set apart for the construction of modern buildings which today host the University's administration and several of its colleges and research centers. Fundão is nowadays its main campus and many Brazilians refer to UFRJ simply as "Fundão".

UFRJ is ranked as one of the best universities in Brazil, and can also be found among the top 400 universities in the world, according to different agencies and rankings.

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