Counselor of the Endowment Fund of the University of São Paulo (USP), Professor Djamila Ribeiro visited the Institute of Brazilian Studies (IEB) at USP last Thursday (24) for a meeting with patrons and scholarship students from ‘USP Diversa’, one of the institution’s endowment funds that she supports.

Ribeiro was welcomed by students who work directly with the organization and treatment of IEB’s historical collections. She emphasized the importance of this initiative for the students’ academic development. “I was deeply moved to see them here, so young, having the opportunity to receive an excellent education thanks to the work supported by the Fund,” said the professor, who represented the Board at the event, alongside other counselors, such as the president Hélio Nogueira da Cruz, and potential donors to the ‘USP Diversa’ Fund.

The IEB, founded by Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda in 1962, is an integration body of USP dedicated to critical reflection on Brazilian society through the articulation of different fields within the humanities. Today, it is one of the leading centers for the preservation of personal archives of prominent Brazilian intellectuals, such as Mário de Andrade, Anita Malfatti, Milton Santos, Graciliano Ramos, João Guimarães Rosa, Alice Canabrava, among others.

The organization and expansion of access to these documents rely on the work of scholarship students from ‘USP Diversa’, an endowment fund exclusively dedicated to the student permanence scholarship program. Thanks to this support, students have the opportunity to work within the archives alongside specialized professionals.

Living memory and the education of new intellectuals

Beyond safeguarding history, the work developed at the IEB offers students a tangible experience with Brazilian intellectual memory. Elisabete Marin Ribas, an employee of the Institute’s Archive, highlighted the social role of these collections. “They serve the society they are part of. Through close contact with the documentation of great names, our students recognize themselves as belonging to our History and our Culture,” she said.

The documentalist also emphasized the essential role of the ‘USP Diversa’ Fund in enabling the active participation of students in the organization of the collections, “democratizing access to knowledge and strengthening diversity within academic spaces.”

According to Elisabete, support funds for student permanence are much more than financial resources for students who need assistance to overcome the challenges at the start of their careers.

“Funds like ‘USP Diversa’ are programs of hope. They help preserve the past, stimulate and challenge the present, but most importantly, shed light on the future of our young intellectuals,” she stated.

Elisabete also recalled that it is precisely the Endowment Funds dedicated to student permanence that enable students from diverse backgrounds to receive financial support, participate actively in university spaces, and benefit from their rich academic environments.

“It is through the expansion of admission and permanence programs, which embrace the diversity of our students, that places such as personal archive repositories like the IEB not only welcome and educate young intellectuals but also learn from, are updated by, and are energized by the youth and all the powerful qualities they bring,” she emphasized.

Connection with history

During her visit, Djamila Ribeiro had the opportunity to handle historical documents, such as the original manuscript of Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s poem “In the Middle of the Road” and a letter from Mário de Andrade to the visual artist Anita Malfatti.
“A magnificent experience to see these archives so closely, such essential work for preserving our memory,” wrote the philosopher on her social media.

Djamila also gifted the attendees with copies of Where We Stand (the English edition of Lugar de Fala, published by Yale University Press), reaffirming her commitment to spreading ideas and fostering accessible critical thinking.

Legacy for the future

Luciana Maria Chalita Campos, Manager of Institutional Development of USP’s Endowment Fund, also highlighted the impact of ‘USP Diversa’ on the intellectual development of students.

“The ‘USP Diversa Fund’ was created with the goal of ensuring that talent is not interrupted by a lack of resources, so that these brilliant young minds can study with dignity and take full advantage of what USP offers. We are pioneers, being the first endowment fund specifically dedicated to student permanence at a public university in Brazil,” she said.

Luciana also pointed out that ‘USP Diversa’ adopts a model where the donated money is not spent immediately. Donations are invested, and only the yields are used. In other words, the principal remains intact, generating resources year after year.

“This mechanism ensures the Fund’s sustainability and longevity, allowing the yields from donations to continuously finance permanence scholarships. Thus, donors have the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy that will be carefully managed to support future generations of students,” she concluded.