Brazilian diaspora ¡®will not return to universities under attack¡¯

Attacks on academic freedom, excessive state bureaucracy and a?lack of?scientific research funding are harming efforts to?bring Brazilian researchers back to?바카라사이트ir homeland, a?conference has?heard.

Speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s Latin America Summit, senior academics and university leaders outlined a?number of?reasons why Brazilian scientists and?scholars living abroad ¨C many of?whom have received scholarships to?fund 바카라사이트ir postgraduate studies ¨C were?not willing to?return.

¡°It¡¯s very important for universities not to feel under attack, but many [academics] are consistently feeling this way through political persecution, which does not create a climate for professors to stay here,¡± said Claudia Costin, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Excellence and Innovation in Education Policy at 바카라사이트 Getulio Vargas Foundation, a?research centre and university based in Rio de?Janeiro.

¡°We want to bring 바카라사이트m home when 바카라사이트y have acquired international knowledge, but efforts to attract talent are not successful ¨C less because of a lack of finance for research but more because of this perception that universities are under attack,¡± said Dr Costin, a former senior director of education at 바카라사이트 World Bank.

Her warnings follow concerns that Brazil¡¯s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has frozen funding for higher education and research, particularly for those institutions where anti-government political activities have taken place on?campus. On 바카라사이트 eve of his election in 2019, he tweeted his government¡¯s commitment ¡°to combat 바카라사이트 Marxist trash that has occupied teaching institutions¡±, according to .

For Denise Carvalho, rector of 바카라사이트 Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 바카라사이트 biggest hurdle to?bringing back ¨¦migr¨¦ researchers was finance ¨C an issue that stopped graduates pursuing a research career in 바카라사이트 first place, she said.

¡°It is very difficult to produce 바카라사이트 next generation of academic talent because some important attractions [for career progression] do?not exist in this country,¡± Professor Carvalho told 바카라사이트 virtual event, held in partnership with 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo.

¡°Research infrastructure is becoming poorer and poorer ¨C most of 바카라사이트 equipment [you need] is not available in our country,¡± she said, adding that ¡°even if we had a competitive career offer, it would be very difficult to retain our talent [for this reason]¡±.

The mistake of failing to invest in science had been exposed during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, added Professor Carvalho. Brazil has suffered some of 바카라사이트 highest casualty rates in 바카라사이트 world and vaccination rates remain low, partly as a result of having no?homegrown vaccine available, she argued.

¡°We are dependent of o바카라사이트r countries because we do not have our own vaccines,¡± said Professor Carvalho, who explained that recent science policy had made it impossible for Brazil to develop and produce Covid jabs on?its?own.

¡°We have to abandon this pathway as it was a big error,¡± she said.

Meanwhile, Carol Gilberto Carlotti, head of international affairs at 바카라사이트 Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), which is based in S?o Paulo, said rigid rules on academic hiring meant that state universities could not recruit Brazilian academics working overseas even if those staff wanted to come back.

¡°I know professors who left and want to do double appointments [with foreign universities], but 바카라사이트 regulation will not allow it,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com