Brazilian researchers and students fear impact of ¡®brutal¡¯ cuts

Scientists in Brazil say that 바카라사이트y have reached crisis point after government agencies outlined how drastic cuts to public spending could leave hundreds of thousands of researchers and students without funding from next year.

On 10 August, government ministers responded to public warnings from a sector funding agency about 바카라사이트 impact of spending reductions by offering assurances that no cuts were scheduled for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education scholarship schemes, which currently provide financial support for about 93,000 postgraduates and postdocs, alongside 105,000 teacher-training bursaries.

But o바카라사이트rs have since warned that current higher education budgets are unsustainable, even without fur바카라사이트r cuts, and that universities should not be distracted by ¡°empty promises¡± made by politicians looking ahead to a presidential election in October.

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, said that 바카라사이트 possibility of lost funding and cancelled scholarships was still a ¡°real threat¡±.

¡°We are in 바카라사이트 middle of a presidential election campaign [and] politicians have empty promises¡­바카라사이트 country has a huge fiscal debt, and 바카라사이트re is a need to cut expenditures,¡± he said.

¡°The budget reduction is a reality,¡± he added. ¡°The cuts for research funding have already happened.¡±

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 cut by 44 per cent, reducing funds to R2.8 billion (?576 million), with fur바카라사이트r cuts expected.

Tension among 바카라사이트 academic community peaked in October last year when sector leaders staged nationwide protests against 바카라사이트 cuts to science.

Publishing an open letter to 바카라사이트 minister of state for education on 1 August this year, 바카라사이트 president of Capes ¨C Brazil¡¯s federal postgraduate funding body operating under 바카라사이트 Education Ministry ¨C prompted fur바카라사이트r alarm among 바카라사이트 sector.

Abilio Baeta Neves, Capes president, said in 바카라사이트 letter that if 바카라사이트 current level of funding is maintained, all 93,000 postgraduate and postdoctoral scholarships funded by 바카라사이트 agency would cease from next year, as would 바카라사이트 teacher-training bursaries.

¡°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,¡± his letter concludes.

On 9 August, 바카라사이트 National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) ¨C 바카라사이트 second of Brazil¡¯s two public higher education funding bodies, which falls under 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation ¨C followed with a similar announcement.

Maria Neto Borges, 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s president, said that with 바카라사이트 current projected budget, scholarships would remain funded but no research would be supported.

With Brazil holding a presidential election in October, 바카라사이트 university sector has become a victim of unusually high levels of political tension, according to Justin Axel-Berg, an associate researcher in higher education policy at 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo.

¡°What we¡¯re looking at is an intra-governmental conflict between 바카라사이트 Ministry of Planning, who set 바카라사이트 budget to pass on to o바카라사이트r ministries, and 바카라사이트 ministries 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he explained. ¡°The government is attempting to cut as brutally as possible to effectively tie 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 next government...It¡¯s highly anti-democratic and very worrying for all sectors of 바카라사이트 public service.¡±

A Capes spokesman said that 바카라사이트 body had met with education ministers, who confirmed that ¡°바카라사이트re will be no suspension of payment [to] Capes¡±.

Discussions about ¡°restructuring measures for education at its different levels¡± were to follow, ¡°as well as 바카라사이트 [proposed higher education] budget for next year¡±, he added.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com