Anima Education has joined forces with a Sao Paulo-based real estate investment manager to invest in student housing in Brazil.

The listed Brazilian private school operator has partnered with VBI Real Estate to invest up to R$800m (€132m) to develop a portfolio of up to 5,000 beds over the next seven years.

The partnership – which also involves student housing operator Uliving, a company associated with VBI – will facilitate housing for more than 330,000 students from the educational institutions of Anima Education, connecting the campuses to Uliving residences.

The buildings will be dedicated to undergraduate, graduate, masters and doctoral students in addition to researchers and professors linked to the Anima Education ecosystem.

Juliano Antunes, the CEO and co-founder of Uliving, Juliano Antunes, said: “Our goal, since the beginning, was not only to offer an exclusive experience in an unexplored and not yet professionalised market, but also to promote the sense of community to young people in Brazil and around the world, stimulating the exchange of experiences in such an important phase of the student’s life – elements that help in the formation of the human being and the professional.”

Marcelo Bueno, CEO of Anima Education, said: “This partnership is totally unprecedented and exclusive in Brazil, we are offering our students the possibility of having a complete and innovative university experience, which will provide connections and learning that go beyond the classroom.

”The proposal is totally in line with the company’s DNA in enabling our students to be in contact with what exists as most modern and innovative services in the educational market, contributing to their integral development.”

Specialist market research and advisory firm Bonard acted as adviser to Anima Education.

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