The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) participated, this Thursday (24), in the first ordinary meeting of the Implementation Commission of the Federal University of Sport (UFEsporte). The meeting took place at the Ministry of Education, in Brasília, and brought together representatives of the federal government, higher education institutions and entities from the sports sector. On the occasion, the ISD was represented by the manager of the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (Anita), Lilian Lira Lisboa.
Created by Law No. 15,457 of July 3, 2026, UFEsporte aims to train professionals for the management of public policies, administration of sports entities, and specialized trainers in high-performance athlete development. The first meeting aimed to initiate the technical and pedagogical planning of the new higher education institution.
In addition to the ISD, the meeting was attended by the Secretary of Higher Education, Marcus Vinícius David; the National Secretary of Paralympic Sport, Fábio Augusto de Araújo; and the National Secretary of Sporting Excellence, Iziane Castro Marques. Professor Fernando Marinho Mezzadri from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) was elected president of the commission. Professor Israel Teoldo da Costa from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) will serve as vice-president.
The group is responsible for drafting the statutes, general regulations, institutional pedagogical project, and organizational structure of the university, as well as defining the courses that will comprise the institution's initial offerings.
Established by MEC Ordinance No. 639/2026 and updated by MEC Ordinance No. 705/2026, the collegiate body is composed of 28 members, 23 of whom are full members and five are alternates. The structure includes representatives from the Secretariat of Higher Education (Sesu) and the Executive Secretariat of the MEC, the Ministry of Sport (MEsp), the National Association of Directors of Federal Institutions of Higher Education (Andifes), the National Sports Council (CNE), and the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), as well as professors and researchers in the field of Sports Science and appointees from the Presidency of the Federal Senate.
The ISD is represented on the committee by Anita's manager, Lilian Lira Lisboa, and the Institute's general director, Reginaldo Freitas Júnior. “For the ISD, being part of the Implementation Committee of the Federal University of Sport is also an opportunity to place rehabilitation and para-sports at the center of this construction. The Institute's experience with people with disabilities shows us, daily, the potential of sport as a tool for rehabilitation, autonomy, and social participation. We hope to contribute to a training that articulates science, care, inclusion, and sport, recognizing para-sports as a strategic field for transforming people's lives,” highlighted Lilian Lira Lisboa.
According to the plan presented for the institution, academic activities are scheduled to begin in the second semester of 2027, with five undergraduate and five postgraduate specialization courses. Within four years, the forecast is to reach 11 undergraduate courses and up to 3,000 students. The academic curriculum should cover areas such as sports science, physical education, sports management and marketing, sports medicine and rehabilitation, and sports nutrition.
Among the guidelines foreseen for the institution are actions related to the inclusion of people with disabilities in Paralympic sports and access to formal education for athletes in career transition. The proposal also includes actions related to equality between men and women in sports, equal opportunities and remuneration, and the fight against discrimination.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization of the Federal Executive Branch, supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the intervention of the Ministry of Sport. It encompasses the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, both located in Macaíba. The ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research, and outreach activities, as well as contributing to a more just and humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
With information from the Press Office of the Ministry of Education.
