UNAERP – The University of Ribeirão Preto was the first higher education institution from the region of Ribeirão Preto. It was founded on June 1st in 1924 as Society School of Pharmacy and Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, by a group of idealist health professionals, intellectuals and educators, since its implementation with the aim of promoting the social, educational, cultural development of then rich capital of coffee, nowadays the main sugar-alcohol industry pole. From that visionary initial project, the trajectory of Unaerp hard its strong expansion by the late 1950’s, when Professor Electro Bonini (1913-2011) chaired the management.

During the 1920’s, the region of Ribeirão Preto already displayed prominence as the most prosperous in the State of São Paulo. The Coffee Eldorado drew migrants from an array of regions of the country and also immigrants, mainly Italian. Along with the richness promoted by the coffee production, the city would grow in all sectors. Commerce, art, culture, education and health had found its development and the only schools of Ribeirão Preto – the conceited State College and the providential Accounting College – had no sufficient places for the children of the city who craved for expanding their horizons. It was necessary to sprout in the ex-province, higher education institutions that could foster the most capable professionals in the interior of the state, generating a native academic elite.

In that context, it was founded the institution , that in 1928, with a new statute it came to be AERP – Learning Association of Ribeirão Preto, sponsor of UNAERP – Ribeirão Preto and Guarujá Campus. From that initial visionary project, it was consolidated an institution with strong academic tradition and one of the most important and conceited Brazilian universities.

In 1959, Professor Electro Bonini chaired the management of Learning Association and implemented advancements and new courses. With the Law School "Laudo de Camargo", created in 1961 and the Social Service, Industrial Chemistry and Business Management courses, which were implemented afterwards. During the 1970’s, AERP also offered Social Communication, Physical Education, Chemical Engineering, Fine Arts and other bachelor degrees.

With this expansion, it was imperative an edification of a campus that would host the already existent courses and new projects that predicted the continuous growth of the institution. The new campus of UNAERP in Ribeirão Preto had its inauguration in 1971, in the neighborhood of Ribeirão Preto, in an area comprehended by 120.000 square meters. Along with the campus, more courses were joined culminating in the transformation from a system of isolated faculties to a federal learning system. It was the embryo of a university projected to be an institution rooted in its community and culture, fully identified with the people and the problems of their region, without preceding the dimension of universality.

Recognized as a university in 1985, UNAERP was officially named as University of Ribeirão Preto and hosted Professor Elmara Lucia de Oliveira Bonini, who already had a position in the directory of the Institution and conjointly with Professor Electro, had conducted the process of acknowledgment. In the instance of the acknowledgment, the University already invested in research concerning the human, social, environmental and biotechnological sciences. These investments grew along with UNAERP, which from the 90’s, it has been implemented new courses, leveraging concomitantly research projects and services for the population. At that moment, it has been launched the Medical School, Nursing, Phonoaudiology, Computer Engineering, Tourism and others.

In 1999, the tradition of UNAERP in Ribeirão Preto as an education center allowed the installation of a Campus in Guarujá, coast of the State of São Paulo, where it was also the first university. Installed in an area of 30 thousand square meters in the neighborhood of Enseada, through a partnership with Fernando Lee Foundation, the campus has ample infrastructure and resources that offer the necessary conditions for teaching, research and extension, allowing the knowledge construction and practical simulations to develop the competencies and skills for professional practice, in the Humanities, Technologies and Health areas. Since its implementation, UNAERP Guarujá has maintained close interaction with the community through the Social Projects Center actions and free assistance programs to the population. Click here to know the history of Guarujá Campus.

Today, UNAERP is one of the biggest poles of higher education of the State of São Paulo and counts with bachelor and associate degrees in the health, humanity and STEM fields delivered by in-class course and online classes, professional, academic masters and doctorate degrees accredited and assessed by CAPES/MEC with an average of 5 and 4. The HEI keeps research projects with the self-financing and one of most important organs of leverage as CNPq, FAPESP, FINEP and CAPES, and it also has certified groups by CNPq which the results of this institutional political science are patent registration and copyright assignment.

Integrated to its regional community, UNAERP also maintains a constant exchange with the society in its surroundings, extending to population its academic production. UNAER networking of community services delivers more than 500 annual services to community through its extension programs. The axis of extension and delivery of service are possible due to the permanent investment in laboratories of cutting edge technology, faculty formation and qualified technical staff, on-line information system and implementation of facilities. In a whole, such actions enable multidisciplinary learning, research and extension programs.

Along this centennial history, UNAERP has delivered degrees to millions of students and each year it has been increasing its contribution to students, professors, staff and community. They are initiatives that empower students and professional formation that enable professors and researches to the excellence of academic practice and extend services, orientation and trustworthy support. This is the path and mission of University of Ribeirão Preto that was born and gifted in order to to interact with its community and propitiate knowledge and its accessible benefits to all.