The Theological Institute of São Paulo (ITESP) was born when several religious congregations felt the need to impart to their members a theological formation that would be in keeping with the spirit of the Vatican Council II. In this light, it was indispensable to join the forces of several religious institutes to reach this goal.

To achieve this objective, in 1971 there were contacts among those in charge of the formation program of the congregations involved. The result of these efforts was a first agreement between the Congregation of Scalabrinian Missionaries, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and the Congregation of the Divine Word. With a common agreement the Theological Institute of São Paulo (ITESP) was born for the purpose of giving candidates to the priesthood a specific theological formation. The first agreement, signed by the major superiors of the aforementioned Congregations, made it possible to begin activities in February 1972. It has been a partnership that gave good results. In 1981, the Institute received the pontifical accreditation and was affiliated with the Ateneo Sant'Anselmo of Rome. This recognition grants the students of ITESP the baccalaureate in theology. In 2000, the sponsoring Congregations of ITESP formed a non-profit organization recognized by the government, named the "São Paulo Association for Higher Studies."

Purpose:  SIMI is an international institute of higher learning promoting the research and study of human mobility with criteria of interdisciplinary evaluation. It has in mind the formation of academically expert professionals highly qualified in theological and interdisciplinary specialization in the world of migrations.

Students: SIMI is for those - students, researchers and activists - who desire to specialize and/or update on various aspects of human mobility, which is one of the greatest challenges to Church and to civil society in our day.

Promotion: SIMI promotes the method of reference and dialogue among the various disciplines. It emphasizes aspects of human mobility, of inter-cultural relations and of inter-religious dialogue. It collaborates with the "Federation of the Scalabrinian Centers of Migration Studies," and with academic institutions of international renown. It gives priority to the intercultural and interdisciplinary study plan and method, both in the teaching staff and in the students enrolled in the program.