The president of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), Denise Pires de Carvalho, gave the inaugural lecture “Postgraduate studies and national development”, on the morning of this Wednesday (5), in the Auditorium of the Institute of Geosciences (IG). During the presentation, the doctor and professor argued that "There is no possibility of growth without science, technology and innovation." He stated that expanding access to undergraduate and graduate education, while maintaining the quality of training, is an indispensable condition for Brazil's development.
Received by Rector Paulo Cesar Montagner, General Coordinator Fernando Coelho, and Pro-Rector of Graduate Studies Cláudia Morelli, The president of CAPES highlighted the performance of Unicamp, which achieved first place among Brazilian universities with more than 50 graduate programs in the 2021-2024 Quadrennial Evaluation, with 81% of its programs receiving grades of 5, 6, or 7., the highest standards of the national postgraduate evaluation system.
“You are an example of a higher education institution, both in undergraduate and graduate studies and in extension activities, bringing the university closer to society. Unicamp is a beacon of light for our country,” said Carvalho.
The rector of Unicamp emphasized that maintaining excellence requires constant innovation. According to Montagner, the University's performance results from the daily work of its academic community and its continuous commitment to the quality of education and research. "Excellence is not an isolated act. It is the expression of what we do every day. And when we do well, the next day we want to do better."
Coelho emphasized that the University's academic excellence qualifies it to collaborate in improving public policies aimed at postgraduate studies. "The excellence of Brazilian postgraduate studies was built by public universities like Unicamp, in constant dialogue with CAPES. This is a national asset that needs to continue to be strengthened," added the general coordinator.
Morelli emphasized the importance of dialogue between the University and CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) for strengthening the national postgraduate system and stated that the University's results reflect a collective effort. "Building an increasingly strong postgraduate program depends on this close contact, in which we can listen to CAPES, understand its challenges and guidelines, and also share our experiences.", stated the vice-rector.
Unicamp as a reference
Throughout her inaugural lecture, Carvalho emphasized that expanding access to higher education and postgraduate studies is one of the main ways to promote social mobility. At the same time, she pointed out that the expansion of the system needs to preserve the quality of the courses, a characteristic that, according to her, distinguishes Brazilian postgraduate education. "The great challenge is to expand access while maintaining quality. And we are able to do this thanks to the Capes evaluation system."
During the presentation, the president stated that Unicamp's experience served as a reference for recent changes in the distribution policy of scholarships from the Academic Excellence Program (Proex). According to her, the agency began to consider the percentage of excellence programs in institutions to expand the autonomy of the vice-rectorates in the management of scholarships. "Unicamp was our guiding light," she stated.
Another topic discussed was the internationalization of research. Carvalho presented Capes Global, a new program structured around cooperation networks between Brazilian and foreign institutions, created to expand opportunities for academic mobility. According to her, the proposal breaks with the traditional model, concentrated in a few universities, and allows researchers from different regions of the country to participate in international research networks.
Carvalho also presented initiatives aimed at strengthening open science, funding scientific publications, and building a National Agenda for Human Resources Training., developed in partnership with state research funding agencies to guide the creation of new graduate programs in areas that are strategic for the country's development.
In closing his keynote lecture, Carvalho emphasized that scientific advancement depends on cooperation between institutions and countries. "The science of Brazilian researchers is Brazilian because we have a homeland. But science has no homeland."
Carvalho also participated in a meeting at the Pro-Rectorate for Graduate Studies (PRPG) on Wednesday afternoon and will give a lecture tomorrow. “Reflections on a project for the university of the future” following a meeting with professors and members of the Unicamp Academic Women's Network.
