Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná

PUCPR traces its foundation to 14 March 1959, when the Universidade Católica do Paraná was founded in Curitiba. The foundation brought together several existing educational and cultural institutions, including the Círculo de Estudos Bandeirantes, the Faculdade Católica de Direito do Paraná, the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas do Paraná, the Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Curitiba, the Escola de Serviço Social do Paraná, the Escola de Enfermagem Madre Léonie, and the Faculdade de Ciências Econômicas.

In 1973, the university became associated with the Marist Brothers, who assumed its administration through the Associação Paranaense de Cultura.

The title of Pontifical University was granted in 1985. PUCPR states that the concession made it the sixth Catholic higher education institution in Brazil to receive the pontifical title.

Research and innovation

PUCPR conducts research through its academic schools, graduate programmes, laboratories and applied research units. The university has a Research Ethics Committee responsible for reviewing research involving human participants.

The university's innovation ecosystem is known as Hotmilk. Hotmilk is described by PUCPR as its innovation ecosystem and operates in areas such as open innovation, corporate education, startup connections and innovation consulting.

PUCPR's Fazenda Experimental Gralha Azul, located in Fazenda Rio Grande, is used for teaching and research activities connected to areas such as veterinary medicine, agronomy and animal science.

Health and affiliated facilities

The Hospital Universitário Cajuru is linked to PUCPR's health-related academic activities and to the university's schools of Medicine and Life Sciences. The hospital is part of the Marist health network and provides care through Brazil's public health system, the Sistema Único de Saúde.