The Federal University of Itajubá - UNIFEI, founded in November 23, 1913, under the name of Electrotechnical Institute and Itajubá Mechanic - IEMI, by personal initiative of lawyer Theodomiro Carneiro Santiago, was the tenth School of Engineering to settle in the country. Since then the IEMI stood out in the training of professionals specializing in energy systems, particularly in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity The then Institute was officially recognized by the Federal Government on January 05, 1917. The course was initially for three years, and last for four years in 1923 and 1936, was reformulated and equated to the Polytechnic School of Rio January and taking the name of the institution was changed to Electrotechnical Institute of Itajubá - IEI on March 15 of that year. On January 30, 56 the IEI was federalized.