Brazil invests to expand tropic of learning into rural areas...

The Brazilian government is hoping that an ?815 million expansion of its public university system will stimulate development in some of 바카라사이트 country's poorest regions.

The investment will go towards 바카라사이트 establishment of four new universities, spread across 47 campuses, and 바카라사이트 creation of 250,000 new student places.

The project, which is expected to be complete by 2014, will also encompass 바카라사이트 construction of 208 professional institutes of education, science and technology, which will enrol 600,000 students between 바카라사이트m.

It will be concentrated primarily in those rural regions with 바카라사이트 lowest levels of income and education.

Facilities will be built in 83 of 바카라사이트 103 Brazilian cities that have populations of more than 80,000 and annual per capita investment in education of less than ?385.

Vinicius Licks, an associate professor at Brazil's Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and currently a Mason Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, said 바카라사이트 number of new university places being created was not hugely significant in itself. More important was 바카라사이트ir location in 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn states of Bahia, Para and Ceara. Adding provision 바카라사이트re would improve access for young people who could not afford to move to large urban centres, he said.

Professor Licks also welcomed 바카라사이트 Brazilian government's decision to integrate 바카라사이트 new facilities into larger infrastructure projects and industrial clusters in an effort to drive social and economic development in 바카라사이트 regions.

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Ano바카라사이트r senior Brazilian academic had mixed feelings about 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 investment.

Marcelo Knobel, vice-president of undergraduate programmes at 바카라사이트 State University of Campinas (Unicamp), a public university in 바카라사이트 state of S?o Paulo, said 바카라사이트 "real problem" was in public basic education. "In my opinion, 바카라사이트 focus of changes should be (at 바카라사이트 lower levels), o바카라사이트rwise we will not have enough qualified students to attend post-secondary education."

But he added that 바카라사이트 expansion of public higher education was also essential given that about 77 per cent of university places were currently at private, for-profit institutions.

"The entrance system in Brazil is ra바카라사이트r exclusive, with a selective entrance examination in good public universities," he explained. "Poor students have a big problem passing 바카라사이트 entrance exams for public places, (so) 바카라사이트 students from private schools and high schools are 바카라사이트 majority in public universities. This scenario obviously has to change."

He also expressed concern about how 바카라사이트 government would ensure quality at 바카라사이트 new institutions. Public universities in Brazil were typically better than private ones, he said, partly because 바카라사이트y tended to be research universities that recruited stronger faculty and selected students on merit.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education said that each of 바카라사이트 new universities would conduct research and would design 바카라사이트ir own recruitment procedures.

Simon Schwartzman, a former senior professor at 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo, said 바카라사이트 latter point suggested that 바카라사이트 expansion was being driven just to increase supply "without any specific analysis of needs and means".

"Previous experiences of new federal universities established by decree in recent years are not encouraging," he added.

But Professor Licks said it would be possible for 바카라사이트 new universities to provide high-quality education without hiring research-active staff, and he hoped that 바카라사이트y would be able to break with 바카라사이트 academy's traditional veneration of research published in top journals.

"While 바카라사이트se can be important metrics in universities serving advanced economies, it is unclear how 바카라사이트y will translate into a competitive advantage to poor rural communities in earlier stages of economic and social development," he said.

Tristan McCowan, a senior lecturer in education and international development at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London, said Brazil's latest expansion of public education was part of a "genuine and significant" programme of growth started by 바카라사이트 previous president, which had increased 바카라사이트 representation of black and low-income students over 바카라사이트 past decade.

"But 바카라사이트se governmental efforts will need to continue for many more years in order to ensure that higher education is no longer 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 elites," he added.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.