Extension, as its name implies, is the extension of knowledge by the University to the society as a whole, while seeking to gather information and demands that help the academy to engage with the reality around it.
In national terms, University Extension is always associated with teaching and research, and is defined as an interdisciplinary, educational, cultural, scientific, and political process that promotes transformative interaction between the University and other sectors of society.
University Extension also denotes academic inclusion practices with a view towards promoting and guaranteeing democratic values, equity, and the development of society in its human, ethical, economic, cultural, and social dimensions.
This work is done through actions developed by professors, administrative and technical staff and students. The actions are divided, basically, into Programs, Projects, and Courses. At UFOP, the Dean of Extension and Culture Office (Pró-Reitoria de Extensão e Cultura - PROEX) acts as the organ responsible for registering, evaluating, supporting, and spreading these initiatives.
The Extension works must follow a few important characteristics, such as:
- Initiatives must be directed to the external community.
- Actions must seek to involve different areas of knowledge, they must have an interdisciplinary aspect to the project.
- Proposals should not lose sight of their academic focus, as they may become welfare activities without extension. Such actions can be taken by either UFOP sectors or with external entities.
