The Federal University of Piauí was founded in 1971 as a public university serving the north-eastern state in Brazil. It is located in Teresina, in the state of Piauí. It was built on a range of isolated previously-existing institutions teaching law, philosophy, dentistry, medicine and public administration.
Its mission is to "promote the elaboration, systematisation and socialisation of philosophical, scientific and artistic and technological knowledge appropriate to contemporary knowledge and social reality, forming resources that contribute to the local regional and national economic, political, social and cultural development".
Its main campus, located in Teresina, is home to the faculties of technology, health, humanities, natural science, education and agriculture and offers around 100 degree courses. Other campuses can be found in Bom Jesus, Floriano and Parnaiba. There are also technical colleges in Bom Jesus, Floriana and Teresina supplying courses in nursing, computer science and agriculture. The Distance Education Centre, which was created in 2006, offers numerous programmes to give students the options of distance learning.
The university also boasts a university hospital, two veterinary hospitals, a publishing house and its own radio station. It is one of the main research centres in Brazil's north east region.
Students are recruited via the national SiSU selection system, based in part on the national ENEM high school examination.
The university has partnerships with universities across the world and provides courses to help students improve their English.
Alumni include Wellington Dias, who was elected to his fourth term as Governor of Piaui in 2018, and Regina Sousa, his deputy since 2019.
