The Ilum School of Science offers an acclaimed full-time bachelor’s degree program at no cost to students, who are immersed in CNPEM’s research environment from the very first semester. This is how Ilum intends to train our country’s future scientists.
Our objective is to train students who are prepared to seek solutions for the future in a world where the big questions are progressively less restricted to one topic and more multidisciplinary.
At Ilum, students are encouraged to take an active role in the teaching and learning process, with full guidance and support from their teachers in activities and projects.
Learning built on curiosity and the will to discover the world through science. If you are always looking for answers, this is the place for you.
No memorizing formulas or rote learning of concepts: applying knowledge in projects is key to a well-rounded education.
The scientist of the future must be ready and able to share their experiences and look for solutions in a team, whether acting as the leader or being led.
A course where a solid foundation in theory and experimentation occur side-by-side from the beginning, in Ilum’s modern laboratories and the lively research environment at CNPEM.
Students are housed in fully equipped studio apartments at no cost. The Ilum School of Science covers rent, condominium expenses, and utilities (water and power). The apartments offer standard student housing for two students each, and are furnished. Students who live in Campinas must justify their need for housing.
Free transportation is provided between student housing and Ilum and CNPEM.
All students receive a computer for their own use, on the Ilum campus or anyplace else. The applications used each semester will be installed, configured, and licensed on all devices.
Meal allowance: Lunch will be provided, along with a meal card to assist with expenses for breakfast, dinner, and meals on weekends and holidays.
English classes (from beginner to advanced) are offered to students.
We were pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the high standards and technical level of all the facilities and equipment at Ilum, as well as the faculty (which is highly qualified and consists of scientists and researchers with doctorates and postdoctorates), the classes offered, and the benefits provided to the students who are admitted. Educational initiatives…
I was lucky to learn about the plan for the Ilum School of Science and see its early steps. Besides the pedagogical innovations, which are so crucial to shape modern scientists with a multidisciplinary spirit, what caught my attention was its purpose: to directly contribute to the development of science and technology in Brazil.As a…
Having initiatives to train young people who are better prepared and motivated to accept the challenges society presents us is one of our most important missions to advance in the right direction. It is not enough to just educate, we need to educate well; it is not enough to just state information, we must train…
Having the opportunity to study in an environment like Ilum, where the students and professors are side by side, is very unique in higher education in Brazil. I’m certain that this experience will shape professionals who are very different from the status quo, and that this indeed is the future. Doing this within an ecosystem…
When I see the infrastructure offered at Ilum, not just the school’s own facilities but also access to the CNPEM facilities, I imagine how these students will benefit as they work on their projects, with not only the equipment and workshops available to them but also a team of teachers and specialists who are just…
Ilum is an innovative initiative that offers young people a new, rich itinerary for science education. Teaching and learning take place within an active methodology environment with total immersion in the everyday research activities at CNPEM, a center that works at the cutting edge of science conducting research and developing instrumentation. And because it is…
Ilum offers a unique learning environment where students take an active role. The curriculum was carefully planned to shape professionals qualified to carry out the science of the future. Instead of conventional expository teaching, the content is presented through interactive activities that involve debate, problem solving, and digital resources. Hands-on classes use laboratories that are…
Since its founding, CNPEM has carried a strong tradition in the scientific training of young talent through its schools and internship opportunities, such as the summer scholarship program. Going even farther and creating an interdisciplinary higher education program in science, technology, and innovation with an innovative teaching model seemed audacious and extremely challenging, but its…
In my opinion, one of the essential requirements for a scientific life is courage. Courage, curiosity and caring. Ilum, and the students who dedicate their lives to this idea, represent pure courage: courage to make it happen and then become part of the process so that everyone learns together. It’s like building wings when you’re…
The Ilum School of Science was born with an innovative and modern educational concept to meet Brazil’s need to train scientists that are well qualified in science and technology. The students begin their academic career focused on the learning needed to solve future problems in the areas of the environment, energy and health. They will…
If I were in school right now, I would be going nuts to get into Ilum. We live in a world that is so disruptive that transformations are very frequent. What will make this leap possible for Brazil to increase competitiveness is technological development. Training professionals who have the scientific know-how and an entrepreneurial and…
Brazilian undergraduate science education has a new star: Ilum. A model in which the student is more than just a player, they take the leading role in their own development. A model in which students don’t just talk about research, they conduct research. A model in which students want to learn, because they use what…
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Science is extraordinary, and through it we seek to understand and in many ways even transform the world that surrounds us. Ilum appeared on the Brazilian scene as an incredible proposal where every day interdisciplinary studies, research, practice and experience shape future scientists who will be able to take the lead in well-founded actions to…
The dream of many young people begins to come true: being scientists, researchers, taking an active role in their own education. Ilum, an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in science, technology and innovation at CNPEM, emerged to provide an opportunity to these future scientists. With an innovative model, active teaching methodology, emphasis on group work, and classroom…
Learning about Ilum and CNPEM was very impressive for our students. This school is innovative for proposing learning methodologies that encourage (among other things) the development of competencies like teamwork, creativity, and enthusiasm for research, with the work guided by a highly qualified teaching staff. The laboratories are also very eye-catching, because of the modern…
Students at the Ilum School of Science had the opportunity to take a deep dive into one of the most promising topics in modern science during a visit by the Brazilian physicist Eduardo Mucciolo to the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo. Mucciolo, a professor in the Department of Physics…
Leonardo Barchini visited laboratories, talked with students, and stated that the integration of theory and practice makes the School of Science a benchmark for higher education in Brazil The visit of the Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini, to the Ilum School of Science reinforced the recognition of the institution’s innovative model of interdisciplinary education, linked…
The Knowledge Workshops from the Ilum School of Science, the higher education institution of CNPEM (Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials), began on Saturday, April 11, marking the start of another edition of the program that brings elementary and high school students closer to the scientific world. In 2026, the initiative presents new…
Three students from Ilum School of Science, the higher education institution of CNPEM (Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials), took part, during their academic break, in immersive internships at research institutions in different regions of the country. Selected by the Aristides Pacheco Leão Program for the Promotion of Scientific Vocations (PAPL), of the…
