The Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ) was installed on April 21, 1987 as the Foundation of Higher Education of São João del-Rei (FUNREI). In the year of 2002 it was transformed into University.
Today the UFSJ is present in 5 municipalities.
The Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ) was instituted by Law 7,555 of December 18, 1986, as a Foundation for Higher Education in São João del Rei (Funrei), resulting from the meeting and federalization of two institutions: the Don Bosco College of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, whose activities began in 1954, maintained by the Province of St. John Bosco; and the Municipal Foundation of São João del Rei, maintainer of the Faculty of Economic, Administrative and Accounting Sciences (Faceac) and the Faculty of Industrial Engineering (Faein), whose activities began in 1972 and 1976 respectively.
On April 19, 2002, Funrei was transformed into a university by Law 10,425, adopting the acronym UFSJ, elected by the academic community. The UFSJ is a public legal entity, financed by the Public Power, linked to the Ministry of Education, which has its headquarters and forum in the city of São João del Rei, and has educational units in Divinópolis, Alto Paraopeba and Sete Lagoas, all in the State of Minas Gerais. As a federal institution of higher public education, the UFSJ ensures the autonomy of scientific, didactic, administrative, disciplinary and financial and patrimonial management.
The Federal University of São João del-Rei is governed by the following principles: I. ethics; II. Democratic management; III. public education, under the responsibility of the Union; IV. freedom and excellence in teaching, research and extension, as well as the dissemination and critical socialization of knowledge without discrimination of any kind; V. pluralism of ideas and pedagogical conceptions; SAW. universality and interdisciplinarity of knowledge; VII. indissociability between teaching, research and extension; VIII. respect for the dignity of the human person and their rights; IX. exercise of justice and well-being of the human being; X. transparency in institutional actions; XI. valuation of education professionals; XII. cultural, scientific, artistic, technological, social and economic development of the region, state and country; XIII. commitment to solidarity among peoples, the defense of human rights and the preservation of the environment.
The objectives of the UFSJ are: I. to stimulate the development of scientific spirit and critical reflection; II. encourage scientific and technological research and cultural production; III. promote widespread dissemination of cultural, scientific and technical knowledge, both those that constitute the patrimony of humanity, and those produced by the Federal University of São João del-Rei; IV. encourage continuous scientific, cultural and professional improvement. Art. 6o In order to achieve its objectives, the UFSJ proposes to: I. train and collaborate in the continuous training of graduates, in the different areas of knowledge, in order to become fit for insertion in the world of work and for participation in development of Brazilian society; II. to study the problems of the contemporary world, in particular the national and regional ones, in order to contribute to the search for solutions to them; III. establish with the community a relationship of reciprocity, through which the University can make available to it, through courses and specialized services, the technique, culture and results of the researches to be carried out; IV. expand and strengthen the University’s links with institutions of Basic Education, especially public ones; V. to broaden and strengthen the University’s network of information and communication technologies and facilitate access to it by the internal and external community, in accordance with the law; SAW. improve the culture of evaluation and accountability of its activities to the internal and external community.