CRUESP Announcement 04/2020
CRUESP, after a virtual meeting held on 23/03/2020, expresses to the community and society enormous concern about the worsening of the pandemic that has spread throughout the world and is spreading throughout the country. This appalling scenario motivates us to reiterate, as we have been doing since the beginning, our willingness to collaborate in all necessary actions, making our hospital infrastructure and our teachers, researchers, employees and students available to society and the authorities. Our experts and healthcare personnel are already collaborating with the population and with all levels of government, and we will continue to do so.
Committed to society and working to combat the pandemic, we followed the recommendations of the authorities and implemented quarantine in our universities in the form of Decree No. 64.881, of March 22, 2020. We are preparing, disseminating and systematizing studies and information within all technical and ethical parameters to guide decisions and to correctly inform the population. Many of the activities are being carried out via teleworking, to allow universities to remain active and productive.
When making the decision to suspend face-to-face activities, maintaining only those essential ones that cannot be interrupted, we authorized that teaching activities at all levels could be carried out remotely, when possible. To this end, we are providing methodologies and technologies that allow teaching activities to occur with the quality that has always marked our stories and our commitments. Likewise, it is important that, as far as possible, research continues to be carried out, as long as the quarantine criteria are met.
Brazil needs qualified professionals in all areas and this pandemic has shown, unequivocally, that these professionals and students are in public universities and public laboratories. We need to continue training students, researching with quality and relevance, producing science, innovation, knowledge, culture and arts.
Our hospitals are available to authorities to serve communities that do not have health insurance. It is therefore necessary that they are adequately equipped to provide appropriate care to people, whilst protecting the lives of our doctors and employees. We are in permanent dialogue with the government so that we can resolve these difficulties and face the challenge that lies ahead. Based on what is happening in other countries, we know that it is huge, but we have had all types of solidarity, with round-the-clock support from people, companies, the third sector, volunteers, in short, who understand the difficulty of the moment and are willing to to help. On behalf of our universities, we greatly appreciate this collaboration.
In our decisions, the guarantee of the physical and mental safety of the university community prevails and, at the same time, the observance of the diversity of opinions and the internal heterogeneity of each university, understanding the exceptional situation we are experiencing. We continue to look for versatile and flexible ideas and solutions to minimize the impact of the quarantine on our activities, and quickly adapt to the pandemic situation and new legislation, which is changing daily.
This critical moment requires assertiveness in decisions. Thus, the Rectors of CRUESP act by listening to the community, observing the current moment, future perspectives, and the trust that society places in this true heritage that constitutes the three Universities of the State of São Paulo.
CRUESP counts on the understanding and collaboration of the entire university community.
March 24 of 2020.
Council of Rectors of São Paulo State Universities
