Conference Facilities
The IACS comprises several buildings located nearby. Its administrative headquarters is a historic mansion that currently hosts university extension projects and specific laboratories. The cluster of buildings situated on the Gragoatá Campus now serves as the primary space for teaching and research activities. The institute accommodates approximately 5,000 students, 50 administrative staff, and 150 active faculty members, in addition to several lecturers, interns, fellows and visiting professors.
The eleven buildings include a medium-sized auditorium, a movie theater, an exhibition gallery, an amphitheater, sound and video studios, computer labs, and several dozen classrooms. All classrooms are equipped with lighting, air conditioning, chairs, a computer, and a multimedia projector. The university provides internet access through the eduroam system, and some areas also offer wired or Wi-Fi connectivity.
Together with the Department of Media and Cultural Studies, to which it is affiliated, the Communication Graduate Program (PPGCOM) occupies approximately 400 square meters, including classrooms and laboratories, as well as multipurpose rooms and shared spaces with neighboring departments and programs. It is also possible to use adjacent facilities from other units, such as larger presentation halls, Milton Santos Auditorium, which accommodates 150 people, and the NAB Auditorium, located on another campus 10 minutes away, which seats 210.
UFF has extensive experience in hosting international events, and the PPGCOM plays a leading role in this effort. The program has a strong tradition of international research collaboration and maintains partnerships with institutions such as the University of Tübingen, the University of Lausanne, among many others.
In 2024, the program hosted the annual event of the National Association of Graduate Programs in Communication, the most important academic conference in the field in Brazil. The event brought to its facilities more than 500 researchers, including international participants, for four days of intensive programming. The opening lecture, delivered by Professor Sahana Udupa from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, took place at the Niterói Municipal Theater—a fancy and distinguished 19th-century venue known for its rich cultural programming. In October 2025, IACS and the Communication Graduate Program will also host the annual meeting of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)—the first time the conference will be held in the Global South. Over 600 researchers from around the world are expected to attend, setting a strong precedent for the upcoming International Society for Humor Studies conference.
