ABSTRACT
The process of establishing higher education in the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais in the 1960s, occurred two or three decades after its establishment in other regions of the state. During this period, the discourses on the region ranged from its great potential for development to a mark of social and economic backwardness. Thus, through historical research, we sought to investigate the historical conditions, based on the analysis of official documents and the written press, which contributed to the implementation of higher education in the North of Minas Gerais. It was possible to conclude that the onset of the process of regional economic development, impelled by state actions in order to form citizens who could make a contribution to the process of industrialization and be adapted to the consequent urbanization, culminated in the establishment of the first university courses, which were all for the training of teachers.
KEYWORDS
higher education; historical research; Northern of Minas Gerais; regional development