The Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul or UFMS) was founded in 1979, after the state of Mato Grosso was split and the southern part became Mato Grosso do Sul.
This Brazilian public university has seven campuses: Campo Grande, Aquidauana, Corumbá, Coxim, Paranaíba, Três Lagoas and the most recent - Chapadão do Sul. It aims to improve education and incentivise towards research and extension activities.
It has been an active participant in the preservation of the natural resources of Mato Grosso do Sul, especially the fauna and flora of Pantanal, where it is located.
The university owns Morenão, a football stadium which opened in 1971 and has a capacity of 45,000 people. Although it is primarily used by professional football teams, it is also used for some of UFMS' academic research. It also owns the Hospital Universitário Maria Aparecida Pedrossian (HUMAP) which was set up at the same time as the university and is 36,000 square metres in size. HUMAP admits over 800 people per month and supports the development of undergraduate and postgraduate research.
The campuses are across a mix of urban and rural terrains. Campo Grande, the main campus, is in the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The city is nicknamed "Cidade Morena" ("Swarthy City" in Portuguese) because of the reddish-brown colour of the region's soil. The city has its own culture, with a mix of several ethnic groups - from the Japanese Okinawa prefectures, the Middle East, Armenia, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain and Paraguay.
