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National Council for the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education Institutions
Conselho Nacional das Instituições da Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica (CONIF)

UNEVOC Centre (National Body) since 2016

The National Council for the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education Institutions (Conif) carries out technical and strategic actions to foster public education at a high level of excellence. It is a forum for discussing, proposing and promoting policies for the development of vocational and technological education, research and innovation.

The Council gathers the leaders of 38 Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology, 2 Federal Centers of Technological Education, and Pedro II School, which encompass a total of 661 campuses located in 578 municipalities in Brazil with about one million students enrolled and over 75,000 permanent staff (including faculty and technical-administrative staff).

The institutions have the social commitment to offer excellent free public vocational education to young people and workers, from the country and the city. Articulated with local productive arrangements they enable the effective access to scientific and technological achievements, through the offer of vocational qualification in several areas of knowledge; promote applied research and innovation; act strongly in the technological extension; cover several levels and modalities of vocational education, from the basic to graduate school, including teachers’ formation, based in its own educational project.

Politically and administratively, Conif acts as an instance to the debate and the defense of public vocational and technological education and aims at enhancing, strengthening and consolidating its 41 associated institutions.

As a representative entity of the Federal Network institutions it acts with different society’s representations, national and international partners, Legislative Power and, frequently, it helps the Ministry of Education (MEC, in Portuguese) in the planning of actions and projects destined to the evolution of Brazilian vocational education.

Mission

To strengthen the Federal Network's Institutions, through political coordination and representation initiatives aimed at enhancing high quality vocational, scientific and technological that is public and socially approved.

Objectives

• Foster integration, strengthening and consolidation of federal institutions of vocational, scientific and technological education;
• Promote actions to define policies ensuring the free, public and inclusive character of the institutions that compose the Council;
• Represent the group of affiliates.

Regular tasks

It is responsible for leading and supporting the Network, besides working continuously for improvements in infrastructure and labor conditions to the public workers, with the objective of maintaining the recognized learning excellence attributed to the institutions, which offer free vocational education in several levels and modalities.

The Council also promotes strategic and effective actions to strengthen the internationalization of the EPCT Network, narrowing relations with other countries and solidifying technical cooperation.

Focus and interest