Federal University of Latin American Integration. It is a public Brazilian higher education institution located in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil. It was proposed in 2007 by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, being created on January 12, 2010. UNILA’s location is strategic, on the tri-national border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
Historical review
In May 2007, it was decided at a meeting in Itaipú, the creation of the Mercosur Institute of Higher Studies (IMEA, in Portuguese), with the signing of an Agreement between the Itaipú dam, the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and the University of Pisa, and established the first activities, together with universities in the region and Latin America. It was also determined that the physical space of the Itaipu Technological Park will be donated to the Institute in its deployment phase.
In June 2007, the IMEA is presented at the XXXII Meeting of Ministers of Education of MERCOSUR, which was held in Asunción (Paraguay). Three months later, at the 6th FOMERCO International Meeting (Mercosur University Forum), the need to create a university that should train citizens committed to Latin American integration was defined. UNILA was born there.
In November 2007, UNILA was officially launched at the XXXIII Meeting of Ministers of Education of Mercosur, which was held in Montevideo, Uruguay.
In December 2007, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil, takes to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the bill for the creation of the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA). Unila was presented at the International Meeting of UNESCO Chairs, as an open space for experimentation, innovation and transdisciplinarity of Latin American chairs.
In January 2008, the Higher Education Department of the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture (SESu/MEC) instituted the Commission for the Implementation of Unila (CI-UNILA), chaired by Hélgio Trinidade, with more than 13 members.
In March 2008, the Commission was inaugurated by the Minister of Education at the MEC, who gave UNILA powers to “carry out studies and institutional activities for the planning, organization and curriculum of the academic structure and personnel administration, goods, budget and finances, with the support of experts chosen for their experience in the Latin American and international spheres, who will regularly network with Brazilian universities, in exchanges with universities from other countries and Latin American integration organizations “.
In April 2008, the bill reached the National Congress of Brazil and was presented for the first time before the Labor, Public Services and Administration Commission (CTASP) and Federal Deputy Frank Aguiar (PTB-SP) as proponent, who proposes to UNILA as the creation of “resources human beings with lucidity and competence to contribute to the development and cultural and economic integration of Latin America, the promotion of scientific and technological exchanges between universities and research institutes in the region, describing its actions by emphasizing academic exchange and collaboration with Mercosur countries and the rest of Latin America, offering courses and developing research programs in social studies and language, international relations and areas considered strategic for development and regional integration”.
In August 2008, UNILA receives a proposal from the Brazilian Ministry of Planning and to finance the Biunila (UNILA Library) projects – which aims to be a reference in Latin America and the IMEA – to finance with funds from the FOCEM – Fund for Structural Convergence for Strengthening the Institutional Structure of Mercosur.
In August 2009, the Chamber of Deputies approved the project to create UNILA, after an extensive debate that lasted almost 18 months. The project goes to the Federal Senate, where it is approved by an absolute majority. The creation project passes to the Presidency of Brazil for its corresponding sanction.
In January 2010, the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, finally activated the bill, officially creating the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA).
Careers
UNILA has undergraduate university courses, which consist of:
- Public Administration and Public Policies.
- Anthropology, with a line of training in Latin American Cultural Diversity.
- Architecture and Urbanism.
- Political Science and Sociology, with a line of training in Society, State and Politics of Latin America.
- Biological Sciences, with a training line in Ecology and Biodiversity.
- Economic Sciences, with a line of training in Economics, Integration and Development.
- Natural Sciences, with a line of training in Biology, Physics and Chemistry.
- Agrarian Development and Food Security.
- Geography, with a training line in Territory and Society in Latin America.
- History, with a line of training in Human Rights in Latin America.
- Renewable Energy Engineering.
- Infrastructure Civil Engineering.
- Letters, with a line of training in Literary and Linguistic Expressions.
- International Relations and Integration.
- Social work.
