Dean wants Unicamp to play a leading role in the national debate

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Upon completing one year in office, the rector of Unicamp, Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, proposes dialogue with different segments of the internal and external community and guarantees that he will work to make the University increasingly open the society. According to him, you have to dare.

“We must open up to more permanent and closer relationships with society as a whole. And we need to do this ecumenically," she said.

For the rector, the University needs to expand its points of contact with social movements but also with companies and the world of politics. “We should not be afraid of this opening. We can affirm our values, even though we have different views.”

Meirelles believes that Unicamp, like universities in general, should aspire to a leading role in national discussions. “We have to be a place for reflection on Brazil’s problems”, he assesses.

In this interview to Unicamp website, he harshly criticized racist, xenophobic or intolerance demonstrations. He also recalled that Unicamp has been at the forefront of scientific and technological development aimed at sustainability.

The rector also made a positive assessment of the resumption of in-person activities after the pandemic and sees the future of the University with hope.

Read the main excerpts from the interview below.

Unicamp prepared a Charter for Science and Education, to be delivered to political agents, which emphasizes the strategic role of universities and makes itself available to cooperate in the construction of the Brazilian nation. What could be the role of Unicamp in this process?

Meirelles - Unicamp has a tradition of formulating and influencing public policies in the most diverse areas. In some of them, with direct involvement in science and technology research; in others, in the establishment of State policies itself.

We can remember our role in the area of ​​economic policies, for example, or educational policy. Unicamp was important in the issue of school meals; He had an active participation in the Comunidade Solidária program, Fome Zero and, later, in the formulation of Bolsa Família. It was also at the origin of the national alcohol program and the implementation of biodiesel in Brazil

This is a tradition that can and should be resumed. Unicamp should be a place for reflection on Brazil's problems.

In addition to addressing topics such as financing, in order to guarantee the academic and administrative autonomy of universities, the Charter raises issues that are currently relevant to Brazilian society as a whole, such as the inclusion of graduates from public schools and students from different backgrounds. ethnicities, such as blacks, browns and indigenous people. This is an issue that Brazil is facing, but only recently. Unicamp has made progress in inclusion, but I would say that the biggest challenge today is the question of the permanence of those who were included.

We also talk in the Charter about the issue of public health. The role, dramatically highlighted during the pandemic, of university hospitals and their relationship with the SUS. This service structure needs to have better financing from the State.

I would also highlight something that today seems crucial, the so-called trinomial or tripod of sustainability. It has a foothold in environmental sustainability; another, socially, in the sense of justice and inclusion; The third pillar is economic, that is, the issue of governance.

These three pillars are very well represented in the 2030 agenda and in the 17 sustainable development goals (ODS) of the United Nations (UN)). In our assessment, these concerns can encourage a spirit of cooperation within the Brazilian community as a whole.

Like mr. evaluate the receptivity of governments to this type of agenda?

I noticed a great receptivity from the academic community. I also feel a great impact on civil society entities, which have a similar perspective, and on a significant part of the corporate world.

These demands are welcomed by the São Paulo government, but dialogue with the federal government is more difficult. I hope this changes. I hope that this manifestation of the academic community, through the Charter, will help to generate a more collaborative spirit.

We know the controversies surrounding vaccination, for example. It is essential from the academic community's point of view, because it is based on scientific knowledge. And there is no possible consensus between scientific activity and the spirit of denial.

Scientific activity is not based on guesswork, but on evidence, on surveys, on formally conducted studies. This is a point where we cannot retreat.

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Rector Antonio Meirelles during the Alesp hearing: "Defending the public university forces us to dialogue with society as a whole"

How to act in an unfavorable environment, like the one that exists today?

We have to act based on all the differences that exist at the University. It is from this cauldron, from this simultaneous agreement and tension that a university is built. It has its particularities, but it values ​​democracy and inclusion.

However, we have de dare more. We must be willing to establish more permanent and closer relationships with society as a whole. And we need to do this ecumenically.

By this I mean that we have to get closer to social movements, but also to big companies. And we have to talk to the world of politics.

Defending the public university forces us to dialogue with society as a whole. We can't be afraid of that. We can affirm our values, even between different views.

The Impacts ranking, by the British consultancy Times Higher Education (THE), classified Unicamp among the 200 universities most committed to the 17 UN SDGs. What assessment did you make? makes about this ranking and what is its expectations for the coming years?

I believe that if our reality were reflected in a more reliable way, we would have an even better rating. But it was a very good rating, which recognizes our dedication to research associated with sustainability and also understands that we are in an accelerated process of implementing sustainability principles on our own campuses.

We have a history of involvement in all things renewable. Renewable energy, for example, finds several support points at Unicamp. I would say that few universities contribute like Unicamp to scientific and technological development aimed at sustainability.

In an unprecedented move, Unicamp installed the Academic Refuge program this year. How important is this type of initiative?

I studied at a university, Unicamp in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which had many foreign professors, and this was important for my training. In Food Engineering itself, we had several professors coming from countries in Latin America and other regions. Many were refugees, who went through difficult situations under authoritarian regimes.

Unicamp was also responsible for bringing back teachers who had to leave Brazil due to the military regime, and this already in the 1970s, a period that was still closed.

Therefore, it is a vocation that is part of our history. The refuge initiative has advantages for both sides. The professional gains an escape route from a difficult situation, but the institution also gains from their knowledge, their knowledge, their culture. The University, in fact, is a place that needs diversity.

Like mr. evaluate the resurgence of manifestations of xenophobia, racism and religious intolerance that is taking place in Brazil and in much of the world?

These demonstrations that occur in the country, in the world and sometimes right here, around our campuses, are contrary to the advancement of civilization. They create borders and ignore the humanity of different people. They are typical of those who cannot live with diversity.

This is something very negative, and which unfortunately characterizes the moment we are living in. But I hope they don't will become viable. All of this causes us concern, but we believe it is something restricted to a group of people.

We defend the building of bridges, the search for dialogue. I am confident that the spirit that will predominate in our society is the aggregating spirit, which is certainly that of the university. A generous spirit, which strengthens understanding between different religious, political and origin options. An inclusive spirit.

Unicamp runs programs with national and international coverage. But how is the University's relationship with the Campinas region, which is most closely linked?

I will give two examples of what Unicamp has done in the Campinas region, which may have repercussions in other parts of the country.

Through the "Elza Berquó" Population Studies Center (Nepo), coordinated by professor José Marcos Pinto da Cunha from the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH), Unicamp is today involved in the Integrated Urban Development Plan (PDUI) of Metropolitan Region of Campinas (RMC). Together with the RMC Council, which covers 20 cities, Unicamp is organizing the hearing process for the development of this plan for our region.

Another example of partnership in public policies is a meteorological radar for climate monitoring, which should contribute to the development of the agricultural sector in the region. We are very close to facilitating cooperation with the Campinas Metropolitan Agency (Agemcamp) for the installation and operation of the radar. Agemcamp would provide the resources to purchase the equipment, which would be operated by Unicamp.

Unicamp intends to resume work on the Laboratory Theater of the Institute of Arts (IA). Have resources already been reserved for the work? 

The money already exists. It is in the budget for the execution of complementary projects, since the structure of the theater is ready, but electrical and hydraulic projects are missing, in short, all the details of the internal occupation. But as the project involves a large volume of resources, we had another initiative, which was to create a Multi-Year Investment Plan (PPI). What's the idea? We were unable to carry out a project like this within a year. So, we need to foresee, in the budget, resources to be spent over a longer period, from two to four years.

But there is also the possibility of mobilizing resources from the Incentive Law, right?

In this case, two happy events occurred. One was the greater availability of the budget, which allowed us to make this decision. The allocation of resources has been done and, if we do not have an extra source, the construction of the theater will be completed with resources from the company itself. University.

However, in a parallel initiative, the IA management sought resources from the Culture Incentive Law and obtained the license, with a full discount.

Our challenge, now, is to promote a campaign that motivates the community interested in the arts, inside and outside Unicamp, as well as the companies themselves that invest in cultural activities.

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Students on the first day of the resumption of in-person academic activities on March 14

After almost two months, what is your assessment of the resumption of in-person activities at the University?

First, a personal assessment. I'm very happy to walk around and see the University alive. We took office in the third week of April last year and it was really sad to see the empty campuses. A university without the presence of its employees, professors, researchers and, above all, its students, It's a sad environment.

In our opinion, the feedback was very positive and well done. We worked hard to make it safe. Today, we have practically all activities taking place in person.

What a balance Mr. is this your first year at the helm of Unicamp?

I see the future with great hope, because we have already managed to resolve some issues. For example, those relating to the resumption, which was a very difficult task. We managed, from September last year, to start the progressive return of faculty and staff to the University. We have now resumed, quite successfully, face-to-face teaching activities.

We also had important achievements internally, in terms of our careers. We recovered the progression of teachers, researchers and employees and the possibility of offering salary adjustments, which improved people's income. These things contributed to creating a favorable climate.

I feel there are good prospects for the future in terms of achievements. There are still some knots. For example, the difficulties faced by a public body in carrying out works. Our challenge is to discover how to improve processes, apply budget resources well and renew the University.

We also need to think about replacing our staff. We had losses of teachers and staff. We are looking for solutions, always being careful not to compromise the budget.

What has your experience in the role been like?

I remain excited. It is a positive challenge, an interesting experience. It is a complex community, with a wide variety of themes and perspectives. I want to face the challenge of uniting the community around ideas and I believe this is possible.

Read more: 

“As a dean, I aspire to break down walls”

"We see the future with great hope"

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Audio description: Outside, frontal and bust image of a man standing, in the center of the image, looking at the camera, in a posed photo. Behind him, a vertical sign, about 2 meters high, which prominently reads Rector, on a white background and in black letters. Further back, there is a sequence of horizontal glass windows, in an exposed brick wall, and some small trees. He wears a dark blue suit and tie. Image 1 of 1.

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Writer and columnist, the sociologist was president of the National Association of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences in the 2003-2004 biennium