Faithful to its mission

Foto: Bruno Todeschini

What has driven us throughout these 70 years? What kind of changes have we made over this period of time and what are the changes that we expect to make in the present and in the future? This special edition revisits our history, celebrates our legacy and reinforces our commitment to remaining faithful to the mission initiated by Br. Afonso, founder of PUCRS. It will also keep us on the lookout for what society expects as a response to major contemporary issues. It is not only about providing training to competent professionals, but about providing genuine human excellence by showing respect to life and human values. As an institution that keeps an eye to innovation and development, we have become a vector in strategic alliances promoting local and global development. In view of all of that, we are very proud of being featured in two important university rankings: in the QS BRICS University Rankings 2019, a list of universities from the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa –, PUCRS appears as the #1 private university in the south of Brazil and the 3rd in the country overall; in the 2018 edition of Folha University Ranking (RUF), compiled by newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, PUCRS fatures as best private university in Brazil, for the second year in a row. Considering all private institutions, the institution stays atop in the category Research, and second in Innovation and Internationalization. We do not usually realize how far we have come because our everyday actions are guided by determination. This version of PUCRS Magazine, in English and Spanish, is for you to learn what we do to educate and change. In features all the challenges in innovation, the partnerships and international initiatives that bring us closer to other countries all over the globe, the research projects as well as our undergraduate and graduate students. Enjoy the reading!

Br. Evilázio Teixeira
President of PUCRS