Angelo Vanhoni: the university should promote academic interchange and cooperation among Latin-American countries

The Committee on Education and Culture approved on Thursday (3), the Bill 2878/08, from the Executive Power, which creates the Federal University for Latin-American Integration (Unila), in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná.

Unila will be bilingual (Portuguese/Spanish) and will have its campus installed in a border region (Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil), marked by cultural diversity, near the Binational Hydro Electrical Power Plant of Itaipu.

According to its rapporteur, Deputy Angelo Vanhoni (PT-PR), the university should promote the academic interchange and solidary cooperation among countries from Latin America, especially the members of Mercosul.

10,000 students
"Those involved in the process of establishment of Unila will have the opportunity to experience the learning of two languages, and to build interactions based on the recognition of inherent characteristics and mutual respect”, he explained.

Their goal is to have 10,000 students in graduation, master’s and doctorate courses, and around 500 professors. Its annual budget is estimated in R$136,000,000 and other Latin-American countries may financially cooperate.

For Vanhoni, the new university will help in the accomplishment of the National Education Plan, which provides for an enrollment of at least 30% of the population from 18 to 24 years old in university education until 2010.

Procedure
The Project – which has already been approved by the Committee on Labor, Administration and Public Service, will still be analyzed by the Committees on Finances and Taxation; and on the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship, which have termination power. The leader of PT, Deputy Mauricio Rands (PE), required that it be deemed emergency procedure, which has still not been voted by the House.

Report - Sílvia Mugnatto
Editing - Newton Araújo Jr.
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda