The rector of Unicamp, Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, said on Tuesday (10), at the opening of the XNUMXth Oils and Fats Congress, that the biggest challenge facing academia today is finding an efficient way of relating to the outside world.
According to him, universities and research institutes are capable of generating new development perspectives for the country, but to do so, they need to open up to dialogue with society.
"The great challenge of universities and research, science and technology institutions is to open up to the world outside their walls", said the rector in the opening lecture of the congress, promoted by the Brazilian Society of Oils and Fats (SBOG) , an entity that has been developing research in the field of oils, fats, derivatives and raw materials for the food sector for almost three decades.
The event, which brought together professionals working in the industry, professors, researchers and students, had the support of institutions such as Embrapa, the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and Unicamp.
In the opening lecture - entitled "Science and Technology in Brazil: challenges and perspectives" -, Meirelles recalled that there is no record in the history of a country that has developed without science and technology. "Without this, we will forever be a developing country," he said.
His assessment of the impact of science and technology on society is based on his experience at Unicamp. He exposed the problems that public universities have faced in recent years and defended their academic and budgetary autonomy.
He also warned of the need for the academic world to be proactive in approaching society. "A theme that we must embrace with emphasis is the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. We must be able to bring society together around a policy that is economically correct and socially inclusive, that confronts the issue of social injustice and addresses the issue environment with due importance", he assesses.
"There are conflicts in these things, but we have to find the points of overlap. The challenge is to discover where the groups meet and define policies that can solve society's problems. It is up to the University to face this challenge."
Therefore, the rector believes that the university needs to open up. "The country needs to develop and science, technology and higher education are decisive in this process. But this development has to be environmentally correct, socially fair and economically viable", he argued.
"The company needs to make a profit, but it cannot make a profit by harming the environment, or excluding people from development. This is the agenda that we must take to the world of politics", he states.
Meirelles recalled that Unicamp prepared a letter for science and education and intends to deliver the document to all candidates for the presidency of Brazil who are willing to visit the University. The letter is available for consultation.
