UNIVERSITY OF SAO PAULO

Dr. Ricardo Uvinha

Vice Dean and Full professor at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo (EACH/USP)

Leader of interdisciplinary Group of Leisure Studies

Former president and founder of Brazilian association for leisure studies – ANPEL

Currently founder of World Leisure Academy

Email: uvinha@usp.br

Anyone wishing more information about the university or the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities is invited to contact Doctor Ricardo Uvinha (contact details above) or visit the following homepages

University of São Paulo: https://www5.usp.br/

School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities: http://www5.each.usp.br/

The Universidade de São Paulo (USP) is the major institution of higher learning and research in Brazil. The university is continuously working on furthering its teaching, research and extension in all areas of knowledge. Among the public universities in Brazil, the USP has the highest number of positions for both undergraduate and graduate programs, dedicated to all areas of knowledge and distributed in varied teaching and research units. Similarly, the university counts with almost 100,000 students with no tuition fees (including international students).

The USP has various campuses throughout the cities in order to develop its activities. Likewise, teaching units, museums and research centers are located outside those spaces and in different municipalities.

The programmes that the university offers regarding leisure are coursed at the Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo (EACH), which aims to promote a strong interaction with the communities of the East zone. Besides cultural and sports activities, it proposes to develop various extension programs, such as advanced courses and research projects aimed at solving local problems.

Leisure and tourism

The bachelors in Leisure and Tourism works several areas

• Tourism planning
• Event organization
• Entertainment
• Cultural actions
• Gastronomy
• Hospitality
• Historical and cultural heritage
• Sustainable development
• Use of leisure spaces and equipment

Due to Brazil’s participation in events of great international standing, the market is expanding, creating opportunities in agencies and tourism operators, hotels, airlines, cultural and sports centers, public/private parks, third sector institutions, and activities in public administration.

These include:

• Graduate Program in Physical Activity Sciences (MSc)
• Graduate Program in Tourism (MSc and PhD)

The University of São Paulo (USP) now offers a Tourism PhD program for students that want to become leading researchers. In this program, tourism is approached in multiple perspectives, including public policies, business management, and humanistic studies. Tourism is frequently studied in association with topics like leisure, hospitality, events, and mobility.

The Tourism PhD program brings together several of the most influential tourism thinkers and researchers of Brazil. PhD candidates have to attend classes and to carry out a research project in order to present their thesis in 3-5 years. Most classes are in Portuguese, though some courses are in English.

As for the research areas regarding Tourism and Leisure, the university focuses on the following two:

1. Tourism knowledge and trends
2. Tourism process and innovation

All courses at the University of São Paulo are free of charge and there is no tuition fee. The no-charge policy applies also to foreign students. The application for admission is open once a year.