Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo

Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo

Coat of arms of the university
Other name
 PUC-SP
Motto Sapientia et Augebitur Scientia
Motto in English
 Wisdom and Science will be increased
Type Private, non-profit, pontifical since 1947
Established August 13, 1946[1]
Affiliation Roman Catholic Church
Chancellor Odilo Pedro Scherer
Rector Anna Cintra
Vice rector Antonio Vico Mañas
Academic staff
 1,517[2]
Students 19,971[2]
Undergraduates 15,766[2]
Postgraduates 4,205[2]
Other students
 14,442 students of extension and specialization[2]
Location São Paulo (headquarters), Sorocaba and Barueri, São Paulo, Brazil
23°32′16.40″S 46°40′16.04″W / 23.5378889°S 46.6711222°W / -23.5378889; -46.6711222Coordinates: 23°32′16.40″S 46°40′16.04″W / 23.5378889°S 46.6711222°W / -23.5378889; -46.6711222
Campus Urban
Colors Yellow and blue
Sports Football, basketball, volleyball, handball, rugby
Website http://www.pucsp.br

The Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (Portuguese: Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, PUC-SP), locally known as PUC or the Catholic University (Universidade Católica), is a private and non-profit Catholic university. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities. It is maintained by the Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo.

Most of the scientific production in PUC-SP can be found in the areas of Law, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Economics, Education, Social Service and Communication, and, in these areas, it is considered one of the most important universities in Latin America, and internationally recognized by the issues and research in disorders of human communication, political economics, semiotics and psychology. In 2014, according to the Brazilian "Ranking de Universidades da Folha" (RUF), the Department of Philosophy at PUC-São Paulo is the best one in Brazil.[3]

PUC-SP was the first university in Brazil to offer graduate programmes in the areas of Multimedia, Social Service, Psychology of Learning, Applied Linguistics and Speech-language Therapy. It also was the second university to offer a bachelor's degree in International Relations, which offers "double diplôme" for selected students that can finish their studies in Sciences Po. Since 2003, PUC-SP participates in the joint graduate program in International Relations Programa San Tiago Dantas together with UNICAMP and UNESP, one of the most important graduate programmes in the area in Brazil. Since 2010 it also offers a joint master's degree with Pantheon-Sorbonne University at "Economie de La Mondialisation" ("Mestrado Profissional em Economia da Mundialização e do Desenvolvimento").

Despite being maintained by the Catholic Archdiocese, PUC-SP is well recognized in the city of São Paulo as a liberal environment since its professors and alumni's historical political engagements during the military dictatorship, especially within its main Perdizes campus, which hosts the Social Sciences, Communications, Arts and Humanities courses.

History

Foundation

The Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo was founded in 1946, from the union of the Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de São Bento (School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of São Bento, founded in 1908) and the Paulista School of Law. Together, four other institutions of the Church were connected.[4]

Founded by the archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Carlos Carmelo Vasconcellos Motta as the "Catholic University of São Paulo", the university received the title of "Pontifical Catholic University" in 1947, by the Pope Pius XII.[4]

In 1969s, PUC-SP was the first university in Brazil to have a post-graduation course.[4]

During the Military Dictatorship

During the Military Dictatorship in Brazil, many students and professors at PUC-SP were present in manifestations against the Government, and the archbishop at that time, Paulo Evaristo Arns, admitted teachers from the public universities who were dismissed by the militaries. Some of the persons who started working at PUC are Florestan Fernandes, Octavio Ianni, Bento Prado Jr., José Arthur Gianotti.[4]

In 1977, PUC hosted the 29th meeting of the Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência (SBPC, Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science), which had been forbidden by the government in public universities. In September, some students celebrated the third National Meeting of the Students, also forbidden by the dictatorship. As a response, troops of the Military Police broke into the campus and arrested some students, professors and other workers.[4]

In the early 1980s, PUC-SP was the first Brazilian university to elect the rector and other administrative functions by direct vote from the students and teachers.[4] In 1984, two fires (one in September, the other in December, the latter believe to be criminal)[4] damaged the theater of the university.

Financial crisis

In the early 2000s, two new campuses, one in Santana and one in Barueri, were created.

In 2001, the university had a deficit of 4 million reais, and that deficit increased in the following years, forcing PUC-SP to make a loan with banks, which generated a debt of 82 million reais by the end of 2005.[5] and the results could be observed for most of the year 2006. Some courses were closed for the low demand[6] and the several professors were fired[7] (although some of them had accepted to have their salaries decreased to avoid being dismissed),[8] generating protests from professors and students.[9] By the end of 2006, the university had its first non-deficitary months.[10]

In 2012, for the first time since the students, professors and staff have been given the right to directly elect the university's rector, the most voted candidate (Dirceu de Mello, which had already been elected for the 2008-2012 mandate and was on campaign for reelection) was not appointed for the position by Odilo Scherer, bishop-cardinal and responsible for appointing the rector. Instead, he opted for Anna Cintra, the least voted of all three candidates.[11] She accepted the position, even though she signed a document (a gesture imitated by the other two candidates) promising not to take over unless she was the most voted candidate.[12] The cardinal's decision was received with dissatisfaction by students and professors, who started a strike for indefinite time and did other demonstrations as an answer to Anna Cintra's indication.[13][14][15] On November 30, she tried to gain access to the rector's room, but was barred by the students, who surrounded her and her bodyguards and caused her to flee by taxi.[16]

Campuses

The main campus of PUC-SP and its administrative headquarters are located in Perdizes, a middle-class neighbourhood in the subprefecture of Lapa, in the west side of São Paulo City. It mostly consists of academic buildings, the University Theater (TUCA) and the University Church. Most of these buildings, built between 1920 and 1940, are part of the historical patrimonium of the city. The School of Exact Sciences and Technology is located near the city centre (Consolação Campus) while Business and Economy courses are also offered in the north side of São Paulo City (Santana Campus). The School of Medical Sciences and Health is located in the city of Sorocaba (90 km from São Paulo) and a campus in the city of Barueri offers courses of Business, Economics, Physical Therapy and Psychology.

Unities and courses

Cross Patio inside PUC-SP in campus Perdizes.
School of Exact Sciences and Technology, in 'Consolação' campus
School of Philosophy, Communication, Letters and Arts of PUC-SP, located near the main campus.
Faculty Course Campus
School of Social Sciences Geography Perdizes
History Perdizes
International relations Perdizes
Social sciences Perdizes
Social work Perdizes
Tourism Perdizes
School of Phylosophy, Communication, Letters and Arts Art: History, Criticism and Curatorship Consolação
Communication of the Body Arts Perdizes
Communication in Multimedia Perdizes
Letters: Spanish language (Licenciate) Perdizes
Letters: English language (Bachelor) Perdizes
Letters: English language (Licenciate) Perdizes
Letters: French language (Licenciate) Perdizes
Letters: Portuguese language (Licentiate) Perdizes
Philosophy Perdizes
Social communication: Journalism Perdizes
Social communication: Publicity and propaganda Perdizes
Superior of technology in Conservation-restoration Consolação
School of Law Law Perdizes
School of Administration, Economics, Accountancy and Actuarial sciences Administration Perdizes
Administration Santana
Administration Barueri
Actuarial sciences Perdizes
Accountancy Perdizes
Accountancy Santana
Economic sciences Perdizes
Economic sciences with emphasis in international trade Barueri
Superior of technology in Marketing Santana
Superior of technology in International trade Santana
Superior of technology in Environmental management Santana
School of Human Sciences and Health Speech therapy Perdizes
Physical therapy Barueri
Psychology Perdizes
Psychology Barueri
School of Education Pedagogy Perdizes
Pedagogy Santana
School of Exact Sciences and Technology Computer science Consolação
Electrical engineering Consolação
Biomedical engineering Consolação
Industrial engineering Consolação
Mathematics (Licenciate) Consolação
Physics (Bachelor/Licenciate) Consolação
Superior of technology in Digital games Consolação
Technology and Digital media Consolação
School of Medical Sciences and Health Biological sciences Sorocaba
Medicine Sorocaba
Nursing Sorocaba

Admission

Like other Brazilian universities, students are admitted by an entrance exam called vestibular which consists of two tests containing questions on languages, science, math and history. The vestibular of PUC-SP also selects students for other colleges and universities in the state of São Paulo (Examples: Faculty of Medicine of Marília (public institution), Faculty of Medicine of ABC and the Faculty of Law of São Bernardo do Campo).

Notable professors and alumni

Professors

Economy school
Education school
Law school
Philosophy school

Sociology school

Arts and Letters school

Alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ Foundation Day
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Relatório de Administração" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Fundação São Paulo. March 13, 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  3. ↑ "Ranking do jornal Folha de Sao Paulo" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Uma história da PUC-SP" (in Portuguese). PUC-SP official website. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  5. ↑ "Entenda a crise na PUC-SP". Folha Online. March 10, 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "PUC-SP cancela 7 de seus 10 cursos novos" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. 26 July 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  7. ↑ Takahashi, Fábio (30 December 2005). "PUC-SP continuará a demitir docentes" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  8. ↑ Takahashi, Fábio (28 December 2005). "Professores da PUC aceitam cortar salário para evitar demissões" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  9. ↑ Klinger, Karina (17 February 2006). "PUC anuncia mais demissões; alunos e professores protestam" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  10. ↑ Takahashi, Fábio (29 October 2006). "PUC acaba com déficit após seis anos" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  11. ↑ 3ª mais votada em eleição, Anna Cintra é nomeada reitora da PUC-SP. Lordelo, Carlos; Nascimento, Cristiane; Dolzan, Marcio; Vieira, Luiza. O Estado de S. Paulo. 13 November 2012. Accessed on 13 November 2012.
  12. ↑ Nova reitora da PUC-SP descumpre promessa e assume cargo mesmo tendo sido a menos votada. Nascimento, Cristiane; Vieira, Luiza. O Estado de S. Paulo. 13 November 2012. Accessed on 13 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "Cardinal challenged over university appointment". The Tablet. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  14. ↑ Locatelli, Piero (14 November 2012). "Dom Odilo desrespeita escolha da PUC e alunos entram em greve" (in Portuguese). CartaCapital. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  15. ↑ "Alunos da PUC-SP decidem manter greve na universidade" (in Portuguese). R7. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  16. ↑ Boarini, Julia (30 November 2012). "Estudantes impedem nova reitora de entrar em campus da PUC-SP". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 December 2012.

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