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Founded in 2006, the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), based in Sao Paolo, Brazil, focuses on sciences and technology. It holds three values - inter-disciplinarity, excellence, which is defined as rigour, and creativity and social inclusion. UFABC is the only Brazilian institution which only hires academics with PhDs.

The university is free of charge and its degrees last three to five years. Students can choose between two first BA programmes - Bachelor in Science and Technology, or a Bachelor in Sciences and Humanities. They can choose around half of the courses, and have to take the other half of compulsory classes. Afterwards, they can pursue another more specialised undergraduate or graduate degree, or join the work force.

Every year, admissions to the university are extremely competitive, and the university makes strides to accept students from minority backgrounds and poorer communities.?

In 2011, UFABC was the only university in the country with impact factor in scientific publications above the world average. The university is involved in research with the Large Hadron Collider and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, and collaborates with the Max Planck Institute, Paris Sud 11 University, the Australian National Acoustic Laboratories and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan, amongst other research institutes.

UFABC¡¯s spaces are situated across the ABC region, the industrial belt of the Brazilian capital city, in Santo Andre and Sao Bernardo do Campo. Its student led clubs and societies range from athletics, chess, basketball, swimming, soccer, martial arts and aerospace research to choir, theatre, film and anime.

The university offers internships in over 100 companies including?IBM, Nestl¨¦, Globo Organizations, General Motors, Ford, Siemens, Honda, Sun Microsystems and Pirelli.