The Protected Data Access Services Center (Sedap) was inaugurated at the Unicamp Library System this Monday (February 2nd). Located in the Engineering and Architecture Area Library (BAE), the room is the result of a partnership with the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) and aims to enable secure access to the Institute's educational databases for academic research.
The Director of Educational Studies at INEP, Maria Teresa Gonzaga Alves, explained that the service will be responsible for regulating and operationalizing access to databases produced by INEP, in accordance with current legislation, especially the Access to Information Law and the General Data Protection Law. "The objective is to enable the development of academic research and studies of various kinds, ensuring that this access is secure," she stated.
Alves highlighted that the service is intended for researchers, individuals, and institutions, offered in secure and monitored rooms, structured to guarantee the responsible use of protected information. “In recent years, Sedap has undergone a consistent process of modernization and expansion. The implementation of centers in partner institutions, such as Unicamp, represents an important advance in democratizing access to educational data, expanding services to the scientific community and reducing logistical costs,” he emphasized.
The Vice-Rector for Undergraduate Studies at Unicamp, Mônica Alonso Cota, representing Rector Paulo Cesar Montagner, highlighted the importance of using qualified data for university management and the formulation of educational policies. “Education is a complex field that demands analyses based on secure and reliable data. This initiative strengthens not only research but also institutional decision-making,” she stated.
Until 2023, Sedap served an average of four researchers per week. "Currently, that number has reached around 40 researchers, highlighting the growth in demand and the relevance of educational data," added Alves, who emphasized important advances in the infrastructure of the rooms, with software updates, improved organization of research directories, expansion of available space for projects, and standardization of databases in more accessible formats.
“The inauguration at Unicamp is part of a strategic agenda of Inep, which includes the expansion of centers in all regions of Brazil, the strengthening of technological infrastructure and the use of new tools to support the analysis and management of projects developed at Sedap,” added Alves, who participated in the inauguration ceremony representing the president of Inep, Manuel Palácios da Cunha e Melo.
The director of the Unicamp Library System (SBU), Oscar Eliel, emphasized that the Center represents more than just the delivery of physical infrastructure. “Today we are inaugurating not only a room with tables, computers, and systems. We are delivering a secure bridge between raw educational data and quality public policy. Access to sensitive data has always been a challenge for researchers and public managers, due to security and confidentiality requirements. Researchers often found themselves facing a veritable technical labyrinth when trying to investigate the country's reality securely. Sedap emerges as a response to this demand, being able to guarantee the privacy of citizens without compromising the quality of analyses and research.”
“Having this room inaugurated here at Unicamp, through the Unicamp Library System, is very gratifying and befits a University like ours. The vision is that this Center, which we are inaugurating today, will be the cradle of high-impact studies, capable of transforming the reality of classrooms and education policies in Brazil, ensuring that every hour of research translates into real improvement in the lives of students and teachers,” Eliel concluded.
Professor José Luiz da Costa, advisor to the General Coordination of Unicamp (CGU), emphasized that the initiative reinforces the university's tradition in knowledge production and the responsible use of data. “We celebrate this initiative, which symbolizes something very relevant for the University: the strengthening of evidence-based research, the commitment to responsible science, and institutional advancement in the qualified use of strategic information. Unicamp has a history marked by scientific excellence and its direct contribution to national development.”
At the end of the ceremony, the inaugural plaque was unveiled, and the guests were able to explore the new space.
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