The governor of the state of Bahia Jerônimo Rodrigues was this Wednesday (23/03), at the Malês campus of the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia (Unilab), in São Francisco do Conde, where he met with the community academic at the university. The governor watched a performance of dance and music by the students and reaffirmed his support for Unilab/the Malês campus. He also pointed out that he will dialogue with leaders at the federal level, so that the works on the headquarters of the Malês campus are resumed, guaranteeing the expansion of the university.
“Unilab has a role of interiorizing the higher education policy in the state of Bahia, it is not in the capital or in the big city. In addition, the public involved with the courses offered by Unilab – which are of importance for the region of the state of Bahia -, is made up of many poor, black and black students, in addition to students from sister countries, the diaspora and Africa. So I’m here today to mark a symbology of a governor who is interested in partnering with Unilab. And, together with the Board, I want to plead for the [ao presidente] Lula the emergence of the recovery of the buildings and, naturally, the expansion of the courses”, stated Jerônimo Rodrigues.
For director Mírian Reis, the presence of governor Jerônimo Rodrigues signals the recognition of the importance of teaching, research and extension activities that the Malês campus promotes in Bahia, and beyond, considering the Portuguese-speaking African countries. “By placing himself as an ally in the fight for the completion of our work, Jerônimo also rekindles hope in our community, as we understand that it is possible to go back to planning our consolidation and expansion, opening new courses and expanding our institutional mission for Brazil and to Africa. His presence symbolizes the new times, in which public, free, democratic and inclusive education is once again valued. It is good to know that we have more and more allies in the defense of our campus. Malês resists!”, says the director.
The dean of Unilab Roque Albuquerque points out that since taking over as secretary of education, the current governor Jerônimo Rodrigues has already shown himself to be committed to education as a whole and, on some occasions, sought partnerships with Unilab. “As governor, we are happy with your sensitivity and your commitment to all public universities. He knows the specific needs of Unilab, of the Malês campus and, for us, it is a source of great pride to know that we were visited by the governor of the state of Bahia, a great partner and friend for whom we have great admiration and wish success”, said Albuquerque .
Political leaders from the Legislative Assembly of Bahia also attended the Malês campus, such as deputies Olívia Santana and Rosemberg Pinto, who also declared their support for Unilab and for the expansion of the university project.