16/06/2023

The press highlights government support for IMPA Tech.

The federal government will invest R$ 16.7 million in the implementation of IMPA Tech, IMPA's first undergraduate course, scheduled to begin activities in 2024, in Rio de Janeiro. The amount was announced this Thursday (15), during the ministerial meeting. The day before, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, and with the director-general of IMPA, Marcelo Viana. The news was the subject of reports in newspapers such as O Globo, Valor Econômico and Extra.

The plan foresees expansion over the following three years with an additional 100 students each year. With this, the projected budget is R $ 22.9 million in the second year, R $ 41.7 million in the third, and R $ 55.9 million in the fourth. The funds will be used to hire teachers and staff, and to pay student scholarships.

The support from the federal government was celebrated by the mayor of Rio, who is responsible for the construction of Porto Maravalley – a technology hub that will house IMPA's new undergraduate course, as well as companies and startups. The works, financed by the municipal government, total R$ 40 million in investments.

“IMPA Tech, the mathematics faculty, will be funded with federal resources. Last year we launched Porto Maravalley, which will operate in a warehouse in Porto Maravilha! Together there will be a startup hub and the first undergraduate course from the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics, the Brazilian MIT! We will prepare the best minds in Brazil to build a great country! The works are in full swing and will be ready in October!”, highlighted the mayor on social media, thanking President Lula. See the post here.

With activities scheduled to begin next year, IMPA Tech will use students' performance in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools) as part of the selection process for undergraduate programs. One hundred students will be selected annually to join the course, which will emphasize mathematics, computer science, data science, and physics.

The Director-General of IMPA highlighted the importance of the project for the country. “We are very pleased with the receptiveness of President Lula and his ministers to the IMPA Tech proposal, which has a twofold objective. On the one hand, to expand the reach of OBMEP, one of the most comprehensive and successful public policies in the Brazilian educational landscape, to the university level. On the other hand, to give back to Brazilian society the investment made, offering excellent training to demonstrably talented young people, enabling them to use mathematics as a powerful tool in economic development and wealth creation.”

Media coverage

The federal government's financial support for IMPA was highlighted in the newspapers Valor Econômico , O Globo, Extra , and also on the website of the MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation).

O Globo highlighted the resources that will be allocated to undergraduate programs and emphasized that the college will be "an anchor for the Porto Maravalley program, focused on the development of technology startups," with the goal of reaching 400 students in its fourth year of operation.

Furthermore, the newspaper provided details about the project that will cover the accommodation costs for students from all over the country who move to Rio de Janeiro.

"The idea of the Special Secretariat for Concessions and Public-Private Partnerships (Secpar) is to negotiate daily rates in nearby hotels or in apartments that are being built in the Porto Maravilha region," highlighted the newspaper, which also revealed that 40 companies have already contacted the city hall expressing interest in the space.

In an interview with Valor Econômico, President Lula emphasized that IMPA Tech will benefit award-winning students from public schools.

"We are going to create a mathematics college in Rio de Janeiro so that, with each [mathematics] Olympiad, we can send 100 award-winning students to this school. I think it's a dream come true for these kids who work so hard. And the vast majority are poor children from public schools," said the president.

The newspaper also highlighted another post by the mayor of Rio on social media celebrating the partnership between the municipal and federal governments and IMPA.

"Let's prepare the best minds in Brazil to build a great country! The works are in full swing and will be finished in October."

The MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) highlighted that the selection of students for IMPA Tech will take into account the students' performance in OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools) and that the project continues a highly successful educational policy.

“We have access to great talents from all over Brazil. We know who the Obmep medalists are and where they are. And we have noticed a great interest from these medalists in pursuing the study of applied mathematics. This initiative meets that desire,” Marcelo Viana told the ministry's communications team.