President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday (Jul 8) signed a law creating the Federal University of North Tocantins (UFNT), based in Araguaína town, a detachment of a campus of the Federal University of Tocantins Foundation. Programs, students, and positions at the Araguaína campi will be transferred to UFNT. Branches will also be created in the towns of Xambioá and Guaraí.
“This is the first [university] in our administration and it will take a different form—but good different—as how public education is seen in our country. Tocantins deserves it,” the president said on his social media.
Maranhão, Piauí, and Pará
The creation of UFNT was approved in Congress on June 12. On the occasion, Senator Kátia Abreu said the university will make a difference not just for the young people of Tocantins, but also for those in the south of the states of Maranhão, Piauí, and Pará.
UFNT has already approximately 20 thousand students, 50 classroom-based undergraduate programs, bachelor and licentiate degrees, and technological courses.