Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ)

With origins linked to agricultural education, the Rural University diversifies its profile and today offers courses in all areas of knowledge The history of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) has its roots in the Higher School Janeiro (UFRRJ) has its roots in the Higher School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (Esamv), created on October 20, 1910 by Decree 8,319. Signed by Nilo Peçanha, then President of the Republic, and by Rodolfo Nogueira da Rocha Miranda, Minister of Agriculture, the document established the foundations of agricultural education in Brazil. The first headquarters of Esamv was installed in 1911, in the palace of the Duke of Saxe, in the Maracanã neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro, where the Celso Suckow da Fonseca Federal Center for Technological Education (Cefet) currently operates. The first director was the agronomist Gustavo Dutra. Officially opened in 1913, ESAMV operated for two years in Deodoro, a neighborhood in the North Zone of Rio, where its agricultural experimentation and practice field was located. Closed due to lack of funds, it merged with the Bahia Agricultural School and the Pinheiro Theoretical-Practical Middle School and resumed its activities in March 1916. That same year, the first class of agricultural engineers was formed, with only two students. The following year, the first four veterinarians graduated from the School graduated. In 1918, Esamv was transferred to Alameda São Boaventura, in Niterói, where the Rio de Janeiro State Botanical Garden is located today. Two years later, the institution gained another course: Industrial Chemistry. In yet another move, the School established itself in Praia Vermelha in 1927. In February 1934, Decree 23,857 divided Esamv into three institutions: the National School of Agronomy (ENA), the National School of Veterinary Medicine (ENV), and the National School of Chemistry. The ENA was subordinate to the now-defunct Directorate of Agricultural Education, part of the National Department of Plant Production; and the ENV was subordinate to the National Department of Animal Production, part of the Ministry of Agriculture. The National School of Chemistry, transferred to the former Ministry of Education and Health, would later become the School of Chemical Engineering of the current Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) – formerly the University of Brazil. In March 1934, ENA and ENV had their common regulations approved and became standard institutions for agricultural education in the country. Two years later, another division took place: the Ministerial Order of November 14, 1936 made them independent schools, with the approval of their own regulations. In 1938, Decree-Law 982 changed the institutional framework again: while ENA became part of the recently created National Center for Agricultural Education and Research (CNEPA), ENV was directly subordinate to the Minister of State. The Rural University is born – The CNEPA was reorganized in 1943 by Decree-Law 6,155, of December 30. The Rural University was born, bringing together the ENA and ENV; Advanced Training, Specialization and Extension courses; and School and Sports services. A year later, the new CNEPA bylaws unified the new Advanced Training, Specialization and Extension courses, in addition to creating the University Council (Consu). In addition to consolidating courses and services, the University took steps to transfer its campus in 1948 to the banks of the old Rio-São Paulo Highway (now BR-465), the current headquarters of UFRRJ. In 1963, the Rural University was renamed the Federal Rural University of Brazil. At the time, its structure was composed of the following sectors: the national schools of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine; the schools of Forestry Engineering, Technical Education and Family Education; in addition to the high school courses of the technical schools of Domestic and Agricultural Economy (Ildefonso Simões Lopes School). The current name – Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro – came with Decree No. 60,731, of 1967. Since 1968, UFRRJ has been an autarchy (an autonomous, auxiliary and decentralized entity of the public administration). It began to operate with a more flexible structure to accompany the university reform that was being implemented in the country. With the approval of its statute in 1970, the University expanded its areas of teaching, research and extension. In 1972, it began the system of courses on a credit basis. Within ten years, new undergraduate courses emerged. In 1966, a higher education course in Chemistry was created. In 1968, the schools of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine became undergraduate courses. In 1969, undergraduate courses in Natural History, Chemical Engineering and Agricultural Sciences were launched. In 1970, five more undergraduate courses were launched: Geology, Animal Science, Business Administration, Economics and Accounting. In 1976, undergraduate courses in Physical Education, Mathematics and Physics were launched. Business Administration was the first night-time course, created in 1990. The following year, undergraduate courses in Food Engineering began.