Established as the Dentistry School of Diamantina in 1953, The Federal University of Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri or UFVJM) is a public university in Diamantina, Minas Gerais in Brazil. It gained university status (and its new name) in 2005.
UFVJM is a public educational institution composed of five campuses in the cities of Diamantina (main campus), Janaúba, Teófilo Otoni and Unaí, all located in the north of the state of Minas Gerais.
It has approximately 9,500 students distributed in more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programmes, which are spread through 11 schools and institutes. The programmes are focused on the main fields of engineering, humanities, agricultural and health sciences.
The Federal University of Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations, with an admission rate of 70-80 per cent.
Diamantina (population of 45,000) is a city in southeastern Brazil known for the 18th and 19th century wooden mansions lining its narrow streets.
As its name suggests, it was a centre of diamond mining in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Diamond Museum displays artefacts from the city’s diamond mining past - the region, Minas Gerais, means "General Mines" in Portuguese, and was the site of huge gold rush in the 18th century.
A well-preserved example of Brazilian baroque architecture (especially the blue and white Metropolitan Cathedral of Santo Antônio da Sé), Diamantina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Diamantina is also a gateway to the waterfalls, wildlife and cave paintings of Biribiri State Park, to the north.
