ENCE
ENCE celebrates its 73rd anniversary as a reference in statistical training
March 06, 2026 05h00 PM | Last Updated: March 09, 2026 12h21 AM
The National School of Statistical Sciences (ENCE), IBGE's higher education institution, celebrates its 73rd anniversary today. It has established itself as a national reference in statistical training and in the production of knowledge directed to the demands of the State and society.
In the anniversary celebration, the Deputy General Coordinator of ENCE, César Marques, revisited the institution's history and projected the challenges ahead. “ENCE celebrates and reaffirms its position on the national stage. Since the creation of ENCE, Brazil and the world have gone through a number of transitions and crises. We celebrate the past, but we continue working for the future of the institution,” says César Marques.
ENCE was the home of the first Bachelor's degree program in Statistics created in in Latin America. Since then, the institution has trained more than two thousand professionals who were later hired by in universities, public agencies, companies, and research centers in Brazil and abroad. In addition to undergraduate studies, the School offers lato sensu postgraduate programs (specialization in Environmental Analysis and Territorial Management) and stricto sensu postgraduate programs (master's and doctoral degrees in Population, Territory, and Public Statistics).
According to the general coordinator of ENCE, Jorge Abrahão, the mission of the institution goes far beyond the courses it offers. “The National School of Statistical Sciences' mission is to promote knowledge, training, and continuous updating, integrating higher education, research, extension, and capacity building". As part of the IBGE, Abrahão adds, the School “trains professionals and researchers in statistics, demography, and geosciences, contributing to the technical and scientific strengthening required for the production and use of official information in Brazil.”
Training in civil service
As Abrahão recalled, ENCE also plays a strategic role in the training of civil servants. Through the Training and Improvement Coordination (CTA), the School develops and executes actions aimed at IBGE employees mainly, but also serving professionals from other government agencies and society.
These initiatives include extension courses, capacity-building programs, and training activities intended to strengthen the technical skills of the Brazilian State. During large statistical operations, such as national censuses, the CTA's role becomes even more prominent in to prepare thousands of professionals engaged in the production of official information.
Modernization and academic expansion
ENCE's path is also marked by a continuous process of modernization. The creation of the specialization program in 1997 and of the master's program in 1998 broadened the School's academic scope. The doctoral program, approved in 2014, increased research possibilities at the institution.
Recently, the School has included new themes and methodologies to teaching and research, such as data science and the analysis of large volumes of information. Abrahão highlights the training initiatives carried out through the IBGE Virtual School, which expand the reach of the knowledge produced by the institution.
According to the general coordinator, technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), remote sensing, and the integration between statistical and geospatial databases have come to play a central role in the School's activities, in addition to "experimental studies aimed at the improvement of methods and modernization of statistical production."
In this scenario, since 2021 ENCE has coordinated the Regional Hub for Big Data in Brazil, supporting the United Nations Global Platform, an initiative focused on the development of innovative methods for the production of official statistics.
Integration with the IBGE
One of ENCE's main distinguishing features is its direct connection to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). This relationship allows for the integration of academic training with the practical experience of professionals employed in the production of official statistical and geospatial data.
As it celebrates its 73rd anniversary, ENCE reaffirms its commitment to adapting to technological transformations and the new demands of society. According to the School's general coordinator, the future involves further strengthening teaching, research, and innovation. "The prospects involve expanding academic training, consolidating ENCE as a reference in scientific research, and intensifying strategic training and the development of census-related skills."
