The foundation of the University of Vale do Itajaí – Univali - on March 21st 1989, was a natural step in the history of higher education in Itajaí and neighboring towns. The origin of the university dates back to 1964, when the Sociedade Itajaiense de Ensino Superior – SIES (Itajaí Society for Higher Education) signed, on September 16th, the official documentation to set up its first two schools: the School of Law and Social Sciences and the School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters. On September 22nd, the SIES, a private institution, was converted into a government-owned authority through a municipal law.