Federal University of Pará
Brazil · Americas
About
The Federal University of Pará (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Pará, UFPA) is one of the public universities maintained by the Brazilian federal government in the state of Pará. The university, with + 50,000 students enrolled in its courses, operates across multiple campuses in the cities of Belém, Abaetetuba, Altamira, Ananindeua, Bragança, Castanhal, Cametá, Capanema, Breves, Tucuruí and Soure. Among UFPA research teams, there are many nationally recognized groups, particularly in the fields of genetics, parasitology, tropical diseases and geosciences.
The Federal University of Pará is the largest institution in both the North region of Brazil and the entire Amazon by enrollment and is a reference in the areas of Biomedical Sciences and Biology research, this last one mainly because of the Amazon rainforest. Also, it is widely regarded as the best university in the northern region of Brazil and throughout the Amazon biome. It was founded in 1957, as a non-profit public higher education institution located in the large city of Belém, Pará. The university is officially accredited/recognised by the Brazilian Ministry of Education as a prominent, coeducational higher education institution.
Some of its faculties, such as the Law School (founded in 1902), the Pharmacy School (founded in 1903), and the Medical School (founded in 1919), being among the oldest in Brazil and being absorbed by it. Its territorial area is approximately 3,328,655.80 m², while its built-up area is approximately 204,930.90 m². The fundamental principle of UFPA is the integration of teaching, research, and extension functions. It was listed 15th in the ranking of the largest institutions in the country in terms of enrollments. UFPA is a Federal Institution of higher education with didactic, scientific, disciplinary, administrative, financial and property management autonomy. It is a multiple-Campus university with operations in the state of Pará. Featuring 154 undergraduate courses, 35 specialization courses, 100 master's programs, 55 doctoral programs, 25 institutes and centers, reaching 82 municipalities, 3 schools, 3 university hospitals, 28 medical residencies, 12 campuses, 1,021 research groups, 622 extension programs and projects, 2,458 technicians, 50,374 students, and 2,997 professors, it establishes itself as a center of excellence, where teaching, research, and extension converge to promote comprehensive education and contribute to the sustainable development of the region and the country as a whole.
The university offers bachelor's degrees in the fields of arts and humanities, business and social sciences, language and culture, medicine and health, engineering and science and technology. Postgraduate degrees (master's and doctorate) are offered in all of the above-mentioned areas, except medicine and health and language and culture (doctorate degree).
Among UFPA research teams, there are many nationally recognised groups, particularly in the fields of parasitology, tropical diseases and geosciences. UFPA is a reference in the areas of biomedical sciences and biology research, the latter due to the city's location as a gateway to the Amazon river and house to the Amazon rainforest.
The university main campus is located in the Pará's capital city, Belém, a city with a tropical climate. It is very humid and moist, with no dry season. This gives the tropical rainforest vegetation the ideal amount of moisture in which to thrive. The Amazon is home to an astounding variety of species; both plant and animal. This area is known for being home to portions of the Amazon River and its jungle, as well as for its abundant rubber and timber plantations. Some of the most popular attractions include Estacao das Docas (Station of the Docks), Teatro da Paz (Peace Theatre) – dating back as far as 1869 and taking one of the many river tours that are conducted on a regular basis. One can also drop by the Mercado Ver-o-Peso, the largest free fair in South America, as well as the Mangrove of Herons Garden, a contemporary-styled park in the Cidade Velha area of Belém.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.