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President Lula inaugurates new UFF campus in Campos dos Goytacazes after more than a decade of waiting and announces new investments in education in the state of Rio
The city of Campos dos Goytacazes, in the north of the state of Rio de Janeiro, received this Monday (14) the presence of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for the inauguration of the new campus of the Fluminense Federal University (UFF). The unit, located in the Guarus subdistrict, marks the resumption of a project that began in 2009 and was interrupted for more than a decade.
The new UFF campus was built with funds from the Support Program for Restructuring and Expansion Plans of Federal Universities (Reuni). Construction began during Lula's second term, but was halted in 2012 due to lack of funds.
Only in 2020, with the support of parliamentary amendments, the project was resumed. The total investment was R$72,4 million, with R$41 million coming from amendments and the remainder from Reuni.
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During the event, Lula highlighted the importance of investing in education as a pillar for development. “There is no example of a society that has managed to advance and improve its lives that has not invested in education.”, stated the president.
He also questioned the cost of not investing in essential sectors. “There are people in the financial sector of this country who say that anything we say, in health, education, security, will cost too much. The question I ask is: how much does it cost in this country not to do things in a timely manner?"
New campus: complete structure
The new UFF campus houses more than 40 classrooms, 13 laboratories, a library, an auditorium, research and teaching offices, administrative spaces and common areas.
Undergraduate courses in Economics, Social Sciences, Geography, History, Psychology and Social Work will now be offered at the unit. Bachelor's degrees in Social Sciences, Geography and History will also be offered.
Since 2016, students at the Campos campus have been studying in makeshift structures. Classes were held in shipping containers and rented buildings.
Social Sciences student Aline Esteves celebrated the new headquarters. “It was with a lot of struggle that we are occupying this space here today. Before, we studied in containers, and now we have this entire structure.", said.
The rector of UFF, professor Claudio Lucas da Nóbrega, highlighted the president's presence as a historic moment. “This is the first time that a President of the Republic has visited the Fluminense Federal University, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary. This presence is not just symbolic, it is concrete, because it transforms into spaces for learning."
New campus will have restaurant and court
During the ceremony, the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, announced that the new campus will have a university restaurant. The implementation of the RU was a demand from the students.
In addition, the construction of a multi-purpose sports court with a cultural stage was authorized. The works will be made possible by the Ministry of Education.
Support for preparatory courses and inclusion
The federal government also announced, still in Campos, the publication of a notice for the offer of popular preparatory courses. The initiative is part of the National Network of Popular Preparatory Courses (CPOP).
The goal is to prepare students from public schools for the National High School Exam (Enem). According to the Ministry of Education, R$99 million will be invested throughout the country by 2027.
In addition, new daycare centers and full-time schools were announced in six municipalities in Rio de Janeiro: Comendador Levy Gasparian, Itaperuna, Mendes, Rio das Flores, São Gonçalo and Volta Redonda.
The government also authorized the opening of 860 places in the National Youth Inclusion Program (Projovem) in the municipalities of Magé, Belford Roxo, Guapimirim and Volta Redonda.
Works in schools
Camilo Santana also reported authorization for 23 works in Basic Education schools in 14 municipalities in the state.
The actions are part of a national package that seeks to resume five thousand halted projects throughout Brazil in the education sector. The federal government's goal is to restructure the public network, continuing projects that were interrupted.
At the same event, the minister signed the service order for the construction of the new campus of the Fluminense Federal Institute (IFF) in the city of Magé. The cost of the work is R$14,1 million. Another R$10 million is earmarked for the purchase of equipment and furniture for the new unit.
Lula continues his agenda in Rio
After his visit to Campos, Lula will remain in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On Tuesday (15), he will visit the construction site on the Presidente Dutra Highway, in Serra das Araras, a region close to the border with São Paulo. The highway is the main connection between the two largest metropolitan regions in the country.
The works include building new viaducts, shoulders and widening the road to eight lanes, with four in each direction. According to the government, around 390 vehicles pass through the stretch every month, more than a third of which are cargo vehicles.
With information from Agência Brasil.
