Founded in 1941, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, PUC-Rio, has always been committed to excellence in teaching and research. Throughout its existence, PUC-Rio has occupied a leading position in Brazil, being one of the first universities in the country to maintain full-time faculty, conducting research and teaching undergraduate and graduate students seamlessly. The large investments in education and research, such as the creation of the first university computing center in the country, in 1959, alongside a faculty with solid training and experience, has led to national and international recognition for the quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs of PUC-Rio.
In this context, the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DEM) was founded in 1948. Since then, it has trained highly qualified engineers, who have occupied prominent positions in Brazilian society. In 1964, demonstrating the pioneer character of the institution, the Department initiated a Master’s program in Mechanical Engineering, in the fields of solid mechanics and thermal science. In 1965, the first Master’s dissertation in Mechanical Engineering in Brazil was defended in the DEM.
The DEM is recognized as one of the leading departments in the country, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The DEM has always achieved the maximum grade attributed to a mechanical engineering graduate program in Brazil by the evaluation conducted every four years by CAPES, a federal agency of the Brazilian Ministry of Education.
The DEM research areas cover a wide range of activities in, both, basic and applied areas of Mechanical Engineering, distributed in Applied Mechanics, Thermal Science, Oil and Gas Production and Energy. The DEM also works on interdisciplinary topics in collaboration with other departments of PUC-Rio. The activities of the department are supported by the excellent infrastructure offered by its education and research laboratories, which offer a modern environment for conducting experimental and computational studies. Moreover, the tight integration between the various departments of PUC-Rio offers researchers the opportunity to use a broad infrastructure housed in laboratories from other departments.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering is part of the Center of Science and Technology – CTC of PUC-Rio (https://www.ctc.puc-rio.br/en/). This center is ranked as one of the best in the country, encompassing four departments of basic sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Informatics), five engineering departments (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial Chemical and Materials)
Along the years, the DEM has conducted several research projects in cooperation with industry in Brazil and abroad. These joint projects display strong scientific and technological content, exposing students to relevant problems from industry, facilitating their integration into the job market. Also, these cooperation agreements are a key source of funds for maintaining the research infrastructure updated and at high standards.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering maintains cooperation with several institutions in Brazil and abroad for collaborative research and exchange of students. This interaction has taken place at different levels, with the exchange of visiting researchers and research projects being conducted in partnership, offering students the opportunity for internships and PhD sandwich programs. International cooperation agreements are maintained with universities and research centers in Argentina, France, Chile, Canada, Norway, Germany, England and the United States.