The rector, Paulo Cesar Montagner, and the general coordinator, Fernando Coelho, gave a positive assessment of their first year in office at Unicamp. They believe that measures adopted during this period should mark the beginning of a redesign process for the University in the coming years. The leaders assess that Unicamp has gained new funding prospects and, with this, will be able to modernize administratively and plan its academic expansion project with confidence – including the implementation of new courses and an increase in student numbers.
"We are planting seeds to complete the projects in the coming years, so that when we reach the end of our term, we will have completed projects; some underway, and others fully developed," said the rector.
"The administration's main focus so far has been preparing the University for the future, envisioning a larger institution that meets the demands of society. This translates into growth and modernization," explained Coelho.
"The legacy that the administration intends to leave is that of a University that expands; allowing more people to benefit from the knowledge and training it offers, with sustained and constant growth for the next 60 years," he added.
According to the university administration, the key to growth lies in improving the university's funding methods. One of the alternatives under study is a change in the way the health sector is managed.
“Today we have a major problem. The University cannot maintain the health area with the level of infrastructure excellence it needs,” says Coelho. “But it also cannot secure the necessary funding for teaching, research, and outreach. In other words, we cannot advance on any front,” he argues. One way to overcome the problem, he says, is to make the health area autonomous.
"This was a topic that wasn't in our program, but it was a process that happened over time and that, obviously, can be a very effective alternative for solving the problem," he stated.
The proposal suggests a new model for the sector – which would be linked to the State Health Secretariat for budgetary purposes, but would remain connected to the University in the areas of teaching, training of undergraduate and postgraduate students, and professional development for physicians. Assistance would also continue with comprehensive care for patients of the Unified Health System (SUS). Current healthcare workers would be retained, and their labor rights guaranteed.
Courses
The first year was also marked by the approval by the University Council (Consu) of the creation of five new courses – International Relations and Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, which will be offered starting in 2027, and History (Evening) and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, scheduled to begin in 2028. In addition to these, the council endorsed the feasibility of the Theater course – from the Institute of Arts (IA) –, which had been approved in 2019. Currently, the University offers 65 undergraduate courses.
Proposals for the creation of a Law School and a Law course are also under study.
Permanence
The university administration says it is undertaking a great effort to strengthen student inclusion and retention policies. For the 2026 budget, Unicamp has allocated a record amount of R$ 211,1 million to student retention policies.
Officials mentioned the acquisition of an area of approximately 44 square meters in the Barão Geraldo district of Campinas, intended for expanding the student housing program.
Located at Avenida Santa Isabel, number 1.721, next to the current housing area, the land will be occupied by residential modules with the capacity to house up to 1,400 students. This is the largest expansion in the history of the program, which began in the late 1980s and currently accommodates around 1,000 students.
The investment in purchasing the land was R$ 20 million, and the process of constructing the housing units is about to begin, according to the university administration.
Global South
The university administration also points out that, in its internationalization project, Unicamp maintains long-standing partnerships and collaborations with universities in North America, Europe, and Asia, but is now encouraging closer ties with academic institutions in the so-called Global South – a bloc of nations that includes most of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Countries in the Global South generally share a history of colonization, social inequality, and strong external dependence.
“Today we see that there is a reshaping of world geopolitics, which is moving towards having a lot happening in the south, in some areas of Central Asia and, obviously, also in the Southern Hemisphere,” says Coelho.
"And when I say Southern Hemisphere, I'm talking about Latin America; I include the Caribbean, Latin America, Spanish America and, across the ocean, the African continent," he stated.
According to the university administration, there was also a strengthening of national and international research networks and an increase in the participation of Unicamp researchers in collaborative projects with high-level foreign institutions.
Appreciation
The university administration says it has been working to value its employees. It reports progress in replenishing the faculty and administrative staff, reviewing human resources flows and processes, and encouraging continuing professional development. As part of this modernization effort, Educorp is considering expanding its course portfolio.
Birthday
Montagner and Coelho point out that this is a special year because of the 60th anniversary of the University's founding. According to the leaders, several events have already taken place, and others will continue throughout the year.
“We are organizing an end-of-year ceremony, which will be an anniversary ceremony. The idea is that we can do something very meaningful, that touches people's emotions, because, fundamentally, it is an important moment of celebration at the university,” said Coelho. “Despite being young, Unicamp has reached an enviable level of maturity, and this only increases our responsibility as management,” concluded the general coordinator.
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