The Coordination of Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Nuclei (Cocen) launched last Monday, the 4th, the Cocen Interdisciplinary Program. Created by coordinator Ana Carolina de Moura Delfim Maciel, the program foresees a series of actions in different formats, such as workshops, lectures and conferences. The objective is to draw the attention of the internal and external public to the activities of the Centers and Nuclei and to promote reflection on interdisciplinarity in research.
To open this project, the linguist and poet Carlos Vogt, rector of Unicamp between 1990 and 1994 and currently professor emeritus at the Institution, was invited. Vogt has also served as president of the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp, 2002-2007) and as secretary of Higher Education for the State of São Paulo (2009-2010). Also present were the general coordinator of Unicamp, Teresa Atvars; the dean of research, Munir Salomão Skaf; and the dean of undergraduate studies, Eliana Martorano Amaral.
In his lecture, Vogt addressed the topic: “Ethical and Social Pragmatism: Culture, Development and Humanism”, with a particular focus on the issue of knowledge. For him, the current conception we have of science in its most varied forms is marked by the transformations of the Renaissance and the scientific revolution, which culminated in humanism, that is, man's belief in himself. Thus, humanism would be the basis that underlies all modern knowledge.
The linguist launches a supposed paradox, that “all the knowledge we have today is based on the invention of ignorance”. And he explains: “Cultural ignorance is the necessary element for us to constantly believe that there is always more to know and that we need to remain attentive so that we can develop knowledge.”
Vogt also addressed Brazil's situation in the knowledge scenario, outlining a panorama that ranges from the heritage of the colonial and slave past, the cultural identity of Latin America, to the current importance of knowledge and information for development. For him, the biggest challenge today is to transform knowledge into wealth and wealth into knowledge, that is, adding value to knowledge. Vogt believes that it is necessary to encourage the progress of science without losing sight of established ethical references.
The professor also briefly reported on the creation of the Unicamp Research Centers and Nuclei in the 80s, focused, from the beginning, on inter and multidisciplinary research. “The products of this research have always tried to respond, from an epistemological point of view, to a movement in search of knowledge that was multiplying through the aggregation of different fields”, he comments.
At the end of the event, participants visited Cocen's headquarters and were able to see an exhibition of posters of scientific initiation research produced with the guidance of researchers from the Centers and Centers.
