O impacto da expansão e interiorização da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora Campus Governador Valadares no desenvolvimento econômico local

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impacts of the expansion and decentralization of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora – Governador Valadares Campus (UFJF-GV) on local economic development from 2006 to 2021. To this end, the Synthetic Control Method was used, which allows for the estimation of the causal effects of public policies by comparing the treated unit with a synthetic control group built from municipalities with similar socioeconomic characteristics. The data were obtained from official sources, such as the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS), covering indicators such as GDP per capita, average remuneration, and formal employment ties. The results show that, from the establishment of UFJF-GV in 2012, Governador Valadares performed better than its synthetic counterpart. It is concluded that the presence of the university significantly contributed to boosting the municipality’s economy, acting as an agent of regional development.