The Office of The Rector

Mackenzie Presbyterian University (MPU) legally constituted as a university in 1952, already counted at the time of its creation with a critical mass of the most significant. It counted on an educational experience accumulated over more than eight decades in higher education, beginning with the creation in 1876 of his first university course, Philosophy and, ten years later, with the foundation of Mackenzie College with a focus on engineering.

Since the beginning, our institutional policies guided the concern with a solid scientific formation allied to the vision of the need to consider the socioeconomic reality, both regional, national and international in the formation of our students. These historical assumptions have made MPU an institution known for its strong insertion in scientific-cultural, historical-social and technological innovation.

At the contemporary university, more than ever, it is imperative to train professionals with a high academic-professional level, able to interact with science and technological knowledge in order to produce innovation and contribute to social and economic development of the country, in the perspective of improving the quality of life of society and the full exercise of citizenship.

In the academic-pedagogical ground, presented in our Institutional Pedagogical Project, the ground zero is the formation of the professional as an active participant committed to the historical, cultural, social and political process of education for the exercise of citizenship. In this context, the teaching-learning process, in its 44 undergraduate courses, focuses on student protagonism, interdisciplinary and the valorization of activities of analysis and synthesis of knowledge. In these courses the students' professional skills and abilities are developed, aiming at their better employability as well as attitudes that can make difference in the future professional performance. In this context, social responsibility is valued through the development of university extension activities, inherent to the institutional worldview based on Christian principles and values.

On the other hand, the university, in its primary responsibility to produce knowledge and scientific development, has its highest point in research. Without research and a strong and respected graduate program, new discoveries in contemporary university hardly occur. In this context, MPU currently offers e 08

Doctoral Degrees, 09 Academic Master's and two Professional Science Master's Degree all of which are well evaluated and recommended by CAPES (the Brazilian federal government agency, under the education ministry, responsible for quality assurance in postgraduate courses in Brazil). In this way, it offers a substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge through scientific, cultural, technological and production management.

In addition to the aforementioned stricto sensu graduate programs, MPU also offers about 60 specialization and MBA courses aligned with the knowledge demanded by the job market.

Thus, committed to an advanced institutional pedagogical project, MPU is regarded as an institution committed to excellence in teaching, research and university extension

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Benedito Guimarães Aguiar Neto
Rector - Mackenzie Presbyterian University