Intervening in the regional development process through higher education. This is the goal of Regional University of Northwestern Rio Grande do Sul - UNIJUÍ, a community and regional institution, located in the Northwestern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The university has been active in higher education for more than 60 years and it has campuses in Ijuí, Santa Rosa, Panambi and Três Passos, as well as supporting facilities and service centers for distance learning programs.

Unijuí offers undergraduate, graduate and specialised programs to its 5000 students, within the region, with a particular emphasis on its seven Master’s Degree Programmes and Five Doctoral Programmes.

History

Unijui’s history dates back to the 1950s when the State’s Franciscan Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, the Ijuí community, and the local public came together in support of the implementation of higher education. So, they began mobilising for the acquisition of qualifications and legal authorisation for pedagogical work and activities in secondary education. This movement led to the creation of Ijuí’s Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Language (FAFI) in 1956, pioneer in higher education in the Northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul.

In 1969, FAFI’s patrimony was transferred to the Foundation of Integration, Development and Education of Northwestern State of Rio Grande do Sul (Fidene), which became the sponsoring institution of Unijuí, Director Pestana Anthropological Museum, Francisco de Assis Basic Education Center, and Unijuí Educational Radio. Fidene covers around 55 cities in Rio Grande do Sul, making it acessible to approximately 510,000 people. On 28th June, 1985, Unijuí was recognized as a university by the Ministry of Education.

Presidency

Dr. Dieter Rugard Siedenberg - Rector

Dr. Bruna Comparsi - Vice-Rector of Undergraduate Education

Dr. Daniel Knebel Baggio - Vice-Rector of Research and Graduate Studies

Dr. Edson Luis Padoin - Vice-Rector of Administration

Term in office: December 14, 2023 – December 14, 2027