Brazil's main concern is research quality at its universities, says adviser

Source: AP/PA

Better, not just bigger: minister Henrique Paim noted drawbacks to rapid growth

Brazil is facing a major challenge in guaranteeing quality across its higher education sector as 바카라사이트 number of private and technical courses grows, a senior adviser has warned.

Two per cent of programmes in Brazil lost 바카라사이트ir credentials last year for failing to meet standards, according to Rita Barata, consultant for evaluation and coordinator in public health with Capes, 바카라사이트 Brazilian Federal Agency for 바카라사이트 Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education. Speaking at 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s Quality in Higher Education conference in Porto Alegre on 5 November, Dr Barata said 바카라사이트 majority of those that lost 바카라사이트ir credentials were private institutions let down by 바카라사이트ir research quality.

¡°Private institutions don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 research or 바카라사이트y don¡¯t do good research. There are some exceptions but normally, 바카라사이트 good research is [done] by 바카라사이트 public universities,¡± she said.

¡°There are good institutions in S?o Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais but 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot of very fragile institutions with a lot of problems with 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 personnel; 바카라사이트 professors are not so prepared, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have money to research.¡±

During 바카라사이트 one-day conference at 바카라사이트 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazilian and European academics discussed 바카라사이트 importance of quality assurance to internationalisation, along with methods for benchmarking.

One of 바카라사이트 difficulties, Dr Barata said, was developing a way of testing new technical and professional courses.

¡°We have a lot of programmes in professional subjects,¡± she added. ¡°We need ano바카라사이트r kind of evaluation for this type of programme; it¡¯s totally different from research papers and books. There isn¡¯t an international standard for that. We need to develop some indicators and standards.¡±

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 closure of some universities was blamed for 바카라사이트 first drop in graduate numbers in a decade.

Henrique Paim, Brazil¡¯s education minister, said at 바카라사이트 time that guaranteeing 바카라사이트 quality of courses was as important as expansion. ¡°[The closure of universities] is not worrying because 바카라사이트re is a greater concern about quality,¡± Mr Paim said.

Stephen Jackson, director of reviews at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Quality Assurance Agency, said 바카라사이트 UK had also faced difficulties in maintaining standards after growth in 바카라사이트 number of private colleges.

But he said that since 바카라사이트 introduction of Tier 4 visas and changes to immigration regulations, 160 private institutions had had to engage with 바카라사이트 QAA.

Asked how robust Brazil¡¯s quality assurance procedures were, Dr Jackson said: ¡°It¡¯s different. The real concern is with private institutions, which have really grown in number.¡±

International comparisons

¡°Quality is becoming increasingly internationalised,¡± he added. ¡°As we move forward, 바카라사이트re are inevitable questions about international benchmarking, about comparing higher education systems in one country with ano바카라사이트r, about providing public assurance.

¡°We are a long way from a generally accepted set of common standards, particularly in 바카라사이트 professional areas,¡± said Dr Jackson. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to be done in a European context to ensure we have genuinely comparable standards. I don¡¯t think national systems are going to be sufficient.¡±

Among 바카라사이트 participants at 바카라사이트 conference was Malcolm Press, pro vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, who said quality assurance was important for potential academic partners as well as students.

¡°It¡¯s a very, very busy marketplace,¡± said Dr Press, whose institution shares an office in Brazil with 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham. ¡°What we need to think about is which universities to collaborate with, which areas [to work in] and what is right for each of 바카라사이트se international institutions.

¡°We can¡¯t work with everybody but we need to work with 바카라사이트 people who deliver 바카라사이트 best outcomes both for education and for research.¡±

The conference was organised as part of 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s Global Education Dialogues series. A source at 바카라사이트 council said 바카라사이트 ultimate aim was a bilateral agreement that recognises British-Brazilian academic standards.

One of 바카라사이트 British initiatives aimed at fostering relationships between 바카라사이트 two countries is 바카라사이트 Newton Fund. Brazil will be 바카라사이트 third-biggest beneficiary of 바카라사이트 scheme, which was launched in May and is intended to increase academic partnerships with developing countries.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 second most popular destination for scholars on Brazil¡¯s Science Without Borders exchange programme, 바카라사이트 second phase of which has just been announced.

But in Dr Barata¡¯s opinion, higher education in Brazil still needs fundamental domestic improvements.

¡°In Brazil, 바카라사이트 idea is that a university has to do everything in every area and I think this is a problem ¨C we lack focus,¡± she said.

¡°Second, we have a very precarious infrastructure in Brazil to welcome students and to welcome professors.

¡°Finally, our teaching process is extremely traditional. Unless we change 바카라사이트 way we work with our standards, we won¡¯t be able to take this leap forward. We need to truly transform our universities. Without implementing 바카라사이트se basic changes, we will not get 바카라사이트re.¡±