page_title: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
section_title: Present day
hierarchical_section_title: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro / History / Present day
caption_attribution_description: Português: A Ponte do Saber é uma ponte estaiada localizada no Rio de Janeiro.
context_page_description: The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro or University of Brazil is a public university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UFRJ is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and research. In terms of scientific, artistic and cultural productions it is recognized nationally and internationally due to the great teachers, researchers, reviews and assessments made by international agencies. In 2017 QS World University Rankings ranked UFRJ as the best Brazilian federal university, as well as the third best university in the country occupying the seventh position among institutions of Latin America. In 2016 and 2017 the Ranking Universitário Folha ranked UFRJ as the best university in Brazil and the best Federal University in the country. The Center for World University Rankings published in 2017 UFRJ as the second best university in the world in Zoology field.
  Brazil's first official higher education institution, it has operated continuously since 1792, when the "Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho" was founded, and served as basis for the country's college system since its officialization in 1920.
context_section_description: The UFRJ keeps an "open-doors policy" regarding foreigners who arrive at it to disseminate or accumulate expertise; this also allows for internship or job opportunities for its teaching staff in different institutions and areas of research. International interexchange and partnerships are profuse, leading to reformist tendencies that most of times successfully coexist with the university's strong traditional ties.
  The UFRJ adopts the Roman goddess Minerva - patroness of the Arts and all professions; also associated with knowledge and intellectuality - as its mascot, and many sculptures depicting the goddess are seem scattered throughout the institution. In 2000, the rectory requested to the Federal Justice that the university's name was changed back to "University of Brazil", as the old name has been changed by an arbitrary decree during the country's years of military dictatorship. The request was deferred, so it is correct to address the university by either names.
  
  The university manages an ambitious program for extension courses, consisting mostly in providing full-time education to financially debilitated non-students of varying education backgrounds. Besides, the UFRJ contributes heavily to Rio de Janeiro's public health with its nine college hospitals, providing for over one thousand vacancies, and its deep integration with the State's health treatment network. In 2010, the institution achieved a "very good" evaluation and a maximum score in the Ministry of Education's General Index of College Courses ("Índice Geral de Cursos", or IGC in Portuguese). Its clear emphasis on research alludes to the personal motto of one of its most famous and distinguished scientists:
  In a university, one teaches because one researches.
  — Carlos Chagas Filho
caption: Ponte do Saber ("Knowledge Bridge") is one of the main access points to the campus at Ilha do Fundão ("Backyard Island").
exif: {"Image Make": "NIKON CORPORATION", "Image Model": "NIKON D700", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Ver.1.02", "Image DateTime": "2012:12:04 19:32:43", "Image Artist": "", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image Copyright": "", "Image ExifOffset": "2424", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 2, 0, 0]", "Image GPSInfo": "38988", "Image XPKeywords": "[48, 0, 52, 0, 49, 0, 50, 0, 50, 0, 48, 0, 49, 0, 50, 0, 32, 0, 112, 0, 111, 0, 110, 0, 116, 0, 101, 0, 101, 0, 115, 0, 116, 0, 105, 0, 97, 0, 100, 0, 97, 0, 0, 0]", "Image Padding": "[]", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "300", "Thumbnail YResolution": "300", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "39158", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "2651", "Thumbnail YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/13", "EXIF FNumber": "5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "1250", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2012:12:04 19:32:43", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2012:12:04 19:32:43", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "2", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "23/5", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "52", "EXIF SubSecTime": "92", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "92", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "92", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2784", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1848", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "38950", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CVAPattern": "[0, 2, 0, 2, 0, 1, 1, 2]", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Manual Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "153/100", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "78", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF GainControl": "High gain up", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "0", "EXIF Padding": "[]", "EXIF OffsetSchema": "4098"}