Fundão–landfillanduniversity

Image description: The image is a detailed map of a coastal area, with several structures and routes marked. On the left, there is an island surrounded by water, with buildings and streets visible. In the center, a large area with many clustered buildings stands out, possibly a university, as indicated by the text "Cidade Universitária UFRJ." On the right, there is another, smaller island, also with structures. In the bottom right corner, the words "BAÍA DE" are written. At the bottom of the map, there is a black vertical line dividing the image.

Construction of the University City of what was then the University of Brazil began at the turn of the 1940s into the 1950s. It took place through the landfilling of the several islands of the Inhaúma micro-bay and their unification with Ilha do Fundão.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white postcard showing an aerial map of islands. From left to right, the islands are named: "cabras," "baicu," "fundão," "pindal do frança." In the center is the island "catalão." To the right are "bom jesus," "sapucaia," and "pinheiro." In the bottom left corner, there is a caption that reads: "ARQUIPELAGO ONDE SERÁ LOCALIZADA A CIDADE UNIVERSITARIA - JULHO 1945."

On the one hand, the construction of the university on the shores of Guanabara Bay altered the flow of the sea currents and caused greater sedimentation along the shores, resulting in serious impacts on the ecosystem and on the way of life of the fishermen who lived in the surrounding area. On the other hand, the landfill works and the construction of the centers, institutes, and colleges were yet another element drawing labor to civil construction, which contributed to the population growth of the region, with many workers settling in the territories of Maré.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a complex of buildings under construction, located near the sea. On the left side, we see a road cutting through the terrain, leading to the main area of the complex. In the center, there is a large building with several side structures and metal roofs. On the right, there are more construction areas and a large body of water. In the background, we see an island with dense vegetation.

The Universidade do Brasil became the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and is one of the country's leading universities. Located right next to the Maré complex, UFRJ is still symbolically inaccessible to many of its residents — at least as students, since many mareenses still provide maintenance services at the Cidade Universitária.

Nowadays, access to public universities is more democratized, and many residents of the favelas of Maré - and other marginalized territories of the city - are taking up spots in undergraduate and graduate programs. This is thanks to collective mobilization, the creation of community pre-college prep courses within the territory, and some laws on access to education created starting in the 2010s.