The communication effort on the role of the public university in Brazil must be intensified before society at this time of budgetary siege, ideological attack and open hostility on the part of the federal government, said philosopher João Carlos Salles this Wednesday (9), during the conference “The University Crisis”. President of the National Association of Directors of Federal Higher Education Institutions (Andifes) and rector of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salles emphasized that, between 2014 and 2018, the 63 federal universities suffered a decrease of R$1,7 billion in current expenses involved, which led the system to experience a dramatic situation.
“The image that public universities are a nuisance must be combated, obviously, and I think we need to better show our work, this is one of the flaws that perhaps our universities have. Some do this better, others don't”, declared Salles in an interview, highlighting that it is necessary to better communicate the results and dialogue with society to show the quality of the work that has been done. The conference is part of the cycle “The Brazilian Crisis”, carried out by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IdEA) at Unicamp.
At the helm of Andifes since July, the UFBA rector delved deeper during the lecture into the proposals for the Future-se Program, announced by the Ministry of Education (MEC) three months ago. The program was presented by the MEC as an alternative to budget shortages and provides for private financing for federal universities and the actions of social organizations, putting university autonomy at risk.
According to the president of Andifes, almost 40 universities have already formally opposed the proposal and no institution has officially signed on. Yesterday, the Federal Public Ministry filed a lawsuit asking the MEC to carry out a new public consultation on Future-se due to non-compliance with minimum legal requirements.
“The project does have new and interesting things. But the interesting things are not new. And new things are nothing interesting. What could be interesting is a mechanism for raising own income that would not hit the ceiling – today, universities raise funds, but if it goes beyond what is foreseen in the budget, this goes to the Treasury, it does not stay with the university, the which is a major disincentive to fundraising and entrepreneurship.”
The program proposed by the MEC, explains Salles, provides for an adhesion mechanism that implies the renunciation of university autonomy and essential academic values. According to the dean, this adherence occurs when a contract is signed with a social organization, giving up the management of major areas, such as governance, entrepreneurship, research and innovation and internationalization.
“Future-se is, in effect, a notable example, even caricatural, firstly: of indistinction between the public and the private, as in its proposal to extend to private institutions the possibility of revalidating diplomas, contradicting the LDB [Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education]. Second: private precedence, as in the apparently shrewd use of the Rouanet Law to raise funds for museums and cultural facilities, since it is, in truth, a terrible distributor of public resources”, criticized Salles.
Among other points of concern about the science and technology system, the rector of UFBA cited the federal government's idea of allocating a greater portion of resources to universities of excellence, accentuating regional disparities, the intention of merging the National Council for Scientific Development and Technological (CNPq) with the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) and to extinguish the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), which would be absorbed by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).
Questioned by journalist Paulo Markun, moderator of the conference cycle “A Crise Brasileira”, about who the allies of federal universities are against this deliberate strategy, Salles replied that it should be public opinion, but that has not been the case because “the university has communicates poorly with society.” On the other hand, he argued that Congress has presented itself as an “interesting space for confrontation”.
Regarding the need to expand dialogue with society, Salles praised Unicamp's initiative, on behalf of rector Marcelo Knobel, to hold a general assembly in defense of science and public education, on the 15th. The president of Andifes also suggested the creation of a network that places state universities as allies of federal universities to discuss national issues.
Knobel, who was part of the opening panel of the conference – alongside the president of the IdEA Scientific and Cultural Council, Carlos Vogt – was completely in favor of the idea of union. During the debate, Knobel asked the UFBA rector whether Future-se was not just a “trial balloon” presented with the intention of diverting attention from more important issues. “It is true that this 'trial balloon' may not be sustainable, and, after all, it will depend on us, on the institutions that decide to join or not. But there is a broth of ideas that are repeated all the time”, replied Salles.
“The Brazilian Crisis” is an initiative that aims to bring important names from different areas of knowledge to Unicamp as a way of stimulating the discussion of current topics in search of diagnoses and solutions for the various crises that afflict the country's life. Every month, the event features a lecture by one or two experts, covering relevant topics with space for debate with the public.
The first conference took place on September 18th, with economist Luiz Gonzaga Belluzzo, retired professor from the Unicamp Institute of Economics, speaking about “The Economic Crisis”. Lectures by educator Mozart Neves Ramos (“Education”, on October 23) and diplomat Rubens Ricupero (“International Relations”, on November 6) are confirmed for this year. Registration for the conference with Mozart Ramos can be made at IDEA website.
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Educator Mozart Ramos discusses “The Education Crisis” on October 23
Belluzzo defends a critical look at the Brazilian crisis that considers the external situation
The Brazilian Crisis - Invitation by Carlos Vogt
General Registry - The University Crisis
Unicamp Reporter: At Unicamp, João Carlos Salles, rector of UFBA and president of Andifes, discusses the university's crisis
