In a historic act, Unicamp approves a motion in defense of science and education

A motion in defense of science, education and university autonomy aimed at Brazilian society was unanimously approved this Tuesday afternoon (15) in an unprecedented event held at Unicamp's Basic Cycle. The document was prepared, in consensus, by representatives of the Rectory, Unicamp Teachers' Association (Adunicamp), Unicamp Workers' Union (STU), Central Directory of Students (DCE) and the Unicamp Postgraduate Association (APG) .

On a historic day, as rector Marcelo Knobel mentioned at the opening of the Extraordinary University Assembly, thousands of people who make up Unicamp's internal community raised their hands in one of the most exciting moments of the event. It is the first time in 53 years of history that Unicamp has called for a movement of these proportions. The mobilization marked the unity of academic entities around a common cause. Several entities from the academic community were able to demonstrate during the event, which brought together around eight thousand people, according to Campus Surveillance.

The extraordinary assembly was held in the context of a drastic reduction in federal resources allocated to financing scholarships and other research aid, essential for thousands of Brazilian students and for the sustainability of the national Science, Technology and Innovation system. The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) this year recorded a deficit of R$ 330 million, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), of R$ 800 million, and the Innovation and Research Financing Agency (Finep ) is paralyzed by the lack of resources necessary to honor commitments made. “No country in a financial crisis cuts resources in education and science, on the contrary, these are the areas that allow for recovery and economic development”, says the rector of Unicamp, Marcelo Knobel. According to the organizers, the assembly was marked by unity of the entire community academic in defense of the public university. 

“The participation of academic entities in defining the text of the motion expresses the union of everyone around a common cause,” said Knobel. According to him, the motion addresses the community's concern with the recent attacks suffered by public universities. “In this worrying scenario for the country, we also need to unite to preserve university autonomy as a constitutional principle”, he added.

The proposal to promote an extraordinary university assembly began to take shape following an initiative by undergraduate and postgraduate students, through various academic centers, the Central Student Directory (DCE) and the Postgraduate Association (APG). , who in August filed a document asking for an act to discuss the attacks suffered by universities.

Watch a report about the act carried out in the Basic Cycle

Watch the vote on the motion

Read the approved Motion in full. 

MOTION FROM UNICAMP TO SOCIETY

15/10/2019

The academic community at Unicamp expresses its indignation at the repeated attacks against education and science perpetrated in Brazil in recent months, and calls on society to unite in defense of a free, secular, socially referenced and quality public university.

At this worrying moment in national history, characterized by an unprecedented economic and political crisis, it is vital that public universities reaffirm their value and highlight the importance of autonomy in fulfilling their mission.

As we know, the primary mission of universities like Unicamp, maintained with resources from taxes, consists of training highly qualified people, developing impactful research and making the knowledge they produce available to society through extension and assistance activities.

At the same time, public universities are expected to follow the academic, scientific, technological, social and cultural transformations of the contemporary world, seeking ways to promote diversity and social inclusion in their communities, to increase the transparency of their processes and meet sustainable development objectives.

None of this is possible without observing the principle of autonomy, guaranteed to public universities by article 207 of the 1988 Federal Constitution. Attacking autonomy means preventing them from making their own choices, which are fundamental to the creation and maintenance of a stimulating environment , challenging, creative, dynamic and, above all, respectful of people and diversity of opinions.

The obstacles that have been imposed on public universities – whether through direct budget cuts, reduced resources directed to funding agencies or pressures of an economic, ideological or social nature – put the structure of the national system of science, technology, innovation at risk and teaching, leaving the country subject to regression and obscurantism.

The arguments on which the recent attacks are based, strongly marked by anti-intellectualism and a profound contempt for scientific knowledge, reveal a mistaken view of the function of higher education and science. The resources that public universities need to carry out their core activities can never be seen as a cost to the State, but rather as an investment in the country's future.

In Brazil, as in all developed countries, research at universities is mostly financed by the State, through its funding agencies. Interrupting the flow of resources to these institutions constitutes a mistake that will prevent the country from facing and resolving the major social and economic challenges that arise.

Likewise, criticism of specific areas, such as the humanities and the arts, demonstrates an absolute ignorance of the fundamental role that the search for knowledge plays in the development of critical and creative thinking, as well as in the formulation of public policies aimed at social development, reducing inequalities and respecting diversity.

In view of all this, it is up to Unicamp to join other institutions that seek to react to the attacks against public universities and, consequently, to the violent process of dismantling national systems of higher education and science, technology and innovation.

The academic community at Unicamp reaffirms, here, its commitment to defending the freedoms of professorship and free associative and student organization. It is necessary, at this moment, to care for the invaluable heritage that public universities represent for Brazil. A consistent mobilization is urgently needed to prevent the fruits of so many years of investment by society as a whole from being put at risk by a policy that ignores both the past and the present, and also threatens the country's future. To this, we need to react!

See clip produced by RTV Unicamp

See photo gallery from the event