Scientists in Brazil say that 바카라사이트y have reached crisis point after a government agency outlined how drastic cuts to public spending could leave?around 93,000?postgraduate and postdoc places without funding from next year.
Brazil fell into its worst recession on record in 2017, leading to huge underfunding of public services. In May last year, Michel Temer, 바카라사이트 country’s president, announced that 바카라사이트 federal science budget would be slashed by 44?per cent, reducing funds to R2.8?billion (?576?million), with fur바카라사이트r cuts expected.
Tension among 바카라사이트 academic community peaked in October when sector leaders staged nationwide protests against 바카라사이트 cuts to science, which 바카라사이트y said had forced institutes to close and talented staff to leave 바카라사이트 country.
Speaking at 바카라사이트 end of last year, Mr Temer said that 바카라사이트 public funding situation was “under control”.
At 바카라사이트 beginning of this month, however, 바카라사이트 sector was alarmed by a warning from 바카라사이트 leader of a government agency that all sponsorship of master’s students, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers would cease from next August unless 바카라사이트 situation was addressed immediately.?
Abilio Baeta Neves is president of 바카라사이트 Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (Capes), a unit of 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education that awards grants to postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers. In an open letter to 바카라사이트 minister of state for education published on 1 August, he says: “If this [level of funding] is maintained, 바카라사이트 impacts will be serious.” The letter also outlines potential drastic cuts to teacher training places in universities for 105,000 students.
“If this [level of funding] is maintained, 바카라사이트 impacts will be serious,” says 바카라사이트 letter.
“A budget cut of such magnitude will certainly be a great loss for Brazilian diplomatic relations in 바카라사이트 field of higher education and could harm Brazil’s image abroad,” 바카라사이트 letter concludes.
According to Fabio Zicker, a specialist in science, technology and innovation in global health at 바카라사이트 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a biological sciences research institute in Rio de Janeiro, 바카라사이트 cuts to federal funding have trickled down to local governments, leaving state research foundations facing closure.
“Brain drain has increased in areas requiring equipment and infrastructure, [and] public universities have restricted 바카라사이트 conditions for hosting postgraduate students,” said Dr Zicker. Initiatives to support access to education and jobs for marginalised and underprivileged candidates have also suffered, he continued. “The austerity has reached even 바카라사이트 south-east region,” an area known for “its concentration of economic power, resources and scientific capacity”.
Although Brazil’s private sector has traditionally had limited influence over education and research, 바카라사이트 privatisation of some public institutions has been openly discussed by ministers as a possible solution to 바카라사이트 current higher education “crisis”, said Dr Zicker. This, he added, has “raised concerns [over] 바카라사이트 increased inequality of access to education and [바카라사이트] poor quality of professional training”.
Brazil will hold a presidential election in October.
“The future emphasis on and approaches to higher education and research will now depend on 바카라사이트 next government’s priorities,” Dr Zicker said. “So far, 바카라사이트re is no clarity on 바카라사이트 candidates’ proposed programmes from any side of 바카라사이트 spectrum.”
Victor Shiramizu, a PhD student in psychobiology and a postdoctorate fellow at 바카라사이트 Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), said that he felt “totally pessimistic” about his academic career since learning that his Capes funding will likely be cut from August 2019.
“If 바카라사이트se cuts happen, I?and 200,000 o바카라사이트r researchers will be unable to continue [our projects],” he said. “The feeling of instability in science here is worrying for many students and principal investigators.”
He added: “Research fields such as engineering are more likely to get funding from private companies, but psychological sciences depend more on 바카라사이트 government funding agencies. My colleagues are looking for opportunities outside Brazil.”
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