The Federal University of Pernambuco was established in 1946, born out of the Faculty of Law of Olinda (which still exists as a faculty within the university today).

The university operates three campuses in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, with largest being in the coastal city of Recife. The Recife campus hosts the bulk of the university’s academic and recreational facilities, and students have easy access to the city itself.

Recife is a major city in Brazil, with vibrant nightlife and a system of canals and bridges that have led some to dub it “the Brazilian Venice”.

The smaller university campuses can be found in more rural parts of the state further inland, intended to expand to reach of the university outside of urban communities. The university offers nearly 100 undergraduate courses, with over three quarters of these being on the Recife campus.

These courses are spread across 12 academic centres and cover a wide range of subjects. As well as undergraduate courses, the university also has a number of postgraduate offerings allowing students to further specialise in their chosen field of study. In addition, a number of students choose to make use of the university’s foreign exchange programme, and study abroad as part of their degree.

The Federal University of Pernambuco has a number of famous alumni, including the actor Irandhir Santos, the mathematician Ruy de Queiroz, as well as the politician Christovam Buarque.