Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

University of the Sinos Valley
Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Coat of arms of the university
Established	August 1, 1969[1]
Type	Private, non-profit
Religious affiliation	Society of Jesus
Rector	Marcelo Fernandes de Aquino
Vice rector	José Ivo Follmann
Academic staff	900[2]
Students	25,000[2]
Undergraduates	23,000[2]
Postgraduates	2,000[2]
Location	São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Campus	Urban
Website	http://www.unisinos.br

The Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (University of the Sinos Valley, often abbreviated as Unisinos) is a private and non-profit Jesuit university, located in São Leopoldo, in Greater Porto Alegre. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities. It is maintained by the Antônio Vieira Association, which is the legal name of the Jesuit Province in Southern Brazil, a part of the Society of Jesus, founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Unisinos.

In 1869, in São Leopoldo, in Rio Grande do Sul State, Jesuits found Colégio Nossa Senhora da Conceição, the first official school in Rio Grande do Sul. The Cristo Rei School of Philosophy, Sciences and Literature becomes official in 1953. It is later named São Leopoldo School of Philosophy, Sciences and Literature, and continues to expand. Precisely one century after the beginnings of Colégio Nossa Senhora da Conceição, on July 31, 1969, Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Day, Unisinos receives official recognition as a University.^[3]

It is also part of a network of more than 200 Jesuit colleges and universities worldwide, with 2.2 million students. As a Jesuit university, Unisinos embodies almost five centuries of tradition. Its institutional project is based on the principles of Ignatian pedagogy: research and education should be beneficial to humankind, in all its dimensions, and promote justice.

At its 37th year, Unisinos prides itself on its innovative capabilities. Boasting up-to-date methods and using new technologies, on the lookout for changes in the contemporary world, Unisinos is evolving without renouncing its traditional values. Unisinos has more than 900 professors–of whom 86% have either a Master's or a Doctor's degree, which is above the national level–and about 900 employees in its staff. More than 55,000 alumni have graduated from Unisinos, and their chosen careers reflect the strategic options taken by the institution: transdisciplinarity, continuing education ("education for life") and regional development.

In 2004, Unisinos became the first university in Latin America and one of five in the whole planet to receive ISO 14001 certification, which is granted to institutions committed to the natural environment. In 2006 it was chosen by SAP AG, a German company, the largest in the business of management software, to siege the company's first development unit in Southern Brazil. In 2008, it was qualified as the third best private university in Brazil and best private university in Southern Brazil.^[4]

The Humanitas Unisinos Institute (IHU) develops and articulates projects involving research, studies, reflections, analyses, and services^{[disambiguation needed ]}. It follows the same guidelines as the rest of the University, making it possible for Unisinos to make its social force both present and visible. It aims at pointing out and finding solutions to present challenges, based on social Christian humanism. Per year are 30 publications, 200 lectures, and 2,500 people.^[5]

The Information Technology Institute promotes courses, services and events, applying scientific knowledge to the creation of solutions for companies and professionals linked to the field of Information Technology. It offers 300 technological capacitating courses in São Leopoldo, Porto Alegre or in company. It also offers consulting and assistance services, as well as entrepreneurial missions, with 1,500 participants per year.^[5]

The Anchietano Research Institute stands out as a study center in areas such as Archaeology and Anthropology. The Museum houses artifacts and objects from the culture of various Native American populations, mainly the ones in Rio Grande do Sul. The collection comprises missionary statues as well as images, books, tools, and sacred altars of the 20th century.^[5]

Social Action in Unisinos has 13 social projects, articulated according to public policies and partnerships with communities, collective groups, cooperatives and associations. The fields are: health, education for children, teenagers and young adults, labor, legal advice, religions, human aging and academic inclusion. The projects involve 45 teachers and 350 students, 50,000 issues attended to, and 150,000 people reached per year.^[5]

Unicidade is a movement aiming at the economic and social development of the region and involves the creation of partnerships between Unisinos and several social sectors, both public and private. Its main objective is to use the academic apparatus (teaching, research and continued education) in order to make a better world. The conceptual partner of Unisinos in this movement is Bank Santander.^[5]

The Eurocentre Unisinos is part of a network of operators of the AI-Invest program in Latin America. It is maintained with resources from the European Union and aims at promoting and strengthening the cooperation between European and Latin American companies. Unisinos is the only Latin American university to siege a Eurocentre.^[5]

The Agency for Integration and Development (AID-Unisinos) obtains external resources for partnerships which stimulate university actions in the context of regional development. The activities involve undergraduate, graduate and continued education students.^[5]

Museum of Geological History of Rio Grande do Sul

Museums of Paleorrota.

Museum of Paleontology Irajá Damiani Pinto Museum of Natural Sciences Foundation Zoo Botanical Rio Grande do Sul Museum of Science and Technology (PUCRS) Museum of Geological History of Rio Grande do Sul Educational Museum Gama D'Eça. Museum Vincente Pallotti. Museum Aristides Carlos Rodrigues. Paleontological and Archeological Museum Walter Ilha. Museum Daniel Cargnin.

The Museum was inaugurated on July 31, 2006, and is located in Building 6 Unisinos.^[6]

It aims to recreate a part of the history of Rio Grande do Sul, told through the materials found and collected in the Geopark of Paleorrota by several professionals in the fields of geology and biology, which make up a collection of more than eight thousand pieces. And the main objective to provide opportunities for practical knowledge, both for the course in geology, as for the biology course at the University. The material found in the museum is also studied by other universities. The Museum contains unique samples of minerals, rocks and fossils that tell the early history of Rio Grande do Sul.

The visits should be scheduled. The visits are aimed at professionals, entrepreneurs, high school students, scholars and interested amateurs.

The University has contributed to the research and preservation of paleontological sites of geopark of paleorrota.

See also

• Brazil university rankings
• Universities and higher education in Brazil

References

1. ^ Foundation Day
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Relatório de Administração" (in Portuguese). Unisinos. 2010. http://www.unisinos.br/principal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=107&menu_ativo=active_menu_sub&marcador=107. Retrieved April 2010. 
3. ^ Unisinos - History
4. ^ Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC)
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Institutes of Unisinos" (in Portuguese). Unisinos. 2010. http://www.unisinos.br/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=52&marcador=52. Retrieved April 2010. 
6. ^ Museu de História Geológica do Rio Grande do Sul

External links

• Official website (in portuguese)
• Official website (in English)

Coordinates: 29°47′40.00″S 51°09′14.00″W / 29.79444°S 51.15389°W / -29.79444; -51.15389