Balance 2023 SoU Science – 12/22/2023 – Sou Science

In this year 2023, the Center for University, Society and Science Studies completed 2 years of existence. While it is still very young, we researchers have the impression that a lot of time has passed. There were many activities, contacts, reflections, data deliveries, proposals and, mainly, alliances with all sectors of Society in search of Quality Higher Education and Science at the service of the well-being of the Brazilian People. Especially in these times of pandemic, of scientific denialism taken to extremes and of budget cuts experienced during the Bolsonaro period.

SoU_Ciência is a multidisciplinary research center for Science Dissemination, formulating Public Policies and based at Unifesp. It is made up of researchers from Unifesp and also from other universities, with a history of research, innovation and management in Higher Education and Science, Technology and Innovation (CT&I). It has a high-level Scientific Committee, with national and international representation and a Society Council, in which entities directly or indirectly linked to science and education and organized social movements participate.

Since 2021, we have been producing analyses, diagnoses and proposals in the area of ​​Higher Education and ST&I, considering their socioeconomic and environmental benefits, expanding the coordination between University, Society and Governments, with the aim of supporting decision-making and impact assessment on public policies and guaranteeing rights. And during this period there were several deliveries in concrete and strategic terms, which demonstrate the benefits of the university and scientific system in the technological, economic, social and cultural development of the country, especially when inclusive and focused on democracy and Life.

The year 2023 was marked by an important moment in the recent history of our country and SoU_Ciência also reflected this. Since the 2022 Presidential election and the end of a government that attacked public universities, that denied science and the pandemic and that cut budgets to absurdly dramatic levels, Public Education and Science were able to breathe.

The first semester was marked by knowledge of the new paths and policies to be developed by the government that was beginning and which carried out a partial budget recomposition for federal universities, an adjustment in research and postgraduate scholarships, the resumption of the National Fund of Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) and Finep in supporting research projects and Brazilian institutions working in Science.

For SoU_Ciência, it was a boost in institutional relations with structures of the Brazilian State that had not occurred before. In particular, the partnerships established with the Secretariat of Institutional Relations of the Presidency of the Republic, for which SoU_Ciência presented data and possible subsidies to the Council.

We started important partnerships with the Ministry of Education, based on a project developed and already underway together with Inep and which will bring important data on the expansion of Private Distance Higher Education, on the need and forms of regulation of courses at these institutions, as well as such as the study of graduates from all Brazilian undergraduate courses. The partnership with the Ministry of Health was also important, where we initiated several actions that should be leveraged in 2024, such as programs to combat scientific denialism, in addition to the presentation of the Pandemic Crimes Panel, which will collaborate with the future Memorial of the Pandemic, announced by the Ministry.

Continuing previous studies of Brazilian public perception of science, universities, scientists, research institutions, financing, SUS and vaccines, we carried out the eighth survey carried out by SoU_Ciência in partnership with Instituto Ideia. It was a survey that generated important and more recent data on Brazil’s current challenges related to the promotion and defense of rights, collective health and democracy. There were 53 questions that made up the structured questionnaire and addressed Brazilian public perception about: (a) vaccination in general, against Covid-19 and children; (b) infection and illness with Covid-19, types of treatments and the so-called “early treatment” or “covid kit”; (c) mourners, victims of Covid-19, assessment of the government’s conduct, justice, accountability and reparation for crimes in the management of the pandemic, and (d) possible actions to ensure that this tragedy is not repeated in the country. Some results can be seen here.

It is also important to highlight the partnership with Finep in which a project, which has just been approved and supports the Financing Panel, started in 2022 and contains several modules, including the Federal Universities module and the Science Financing module. Data was presented, not only in detail in the Panel, but also in the form of the Cube and which gained wide repercussion this year. This is because studies were carried out in a historical series from university to university, in values ​​adjusted for inflation and which highlighted the great losses that occurred during the four years of Bolsonaro’s government. Public universities in general and research institutes will still have a difficult time ahead in rebuilding their budgets and infrastructure. But the work is being done and it is a relief to hear from current leaders that “Science is back”. We have a lot ahead of us and we must look to the next steps.

In 2023, SoU_Ciência made two large deliveries in terms of data panels, with the Expansion Panel and indicators such as SoU_Estudante. In addition to the Financing Panel, already mentioned, with details on items such as maintenance, infrastructure, payroll and student assistance. Details and reflections were also presented in the bulletins, a new feature that can be used by everyone who accesses them. One of the principles of SoU_Ciência is to work in line with Creative Commons and with open data. In this sense, there were countless materials, animations, quality information and very much in line with the most important events in the sector.

There were many Communication actions, using social networks, publications of animations and panels, in addition to participation in various activities, interviews and our Blog (link), now completing the second year of publications in weekly columns.

For the year 2024 we have important deliveries to be made, especially with regard to the “Student Trajectory in Graduation, quota profile” where we intend to present the Quota Panel and we will show the advances made from the previous legislation and now moving towards the implementation of the new law approved in 2023. More data will be presented to discuss and show the “Post-Higher Education Trajectories” bringing an analysis of graduates, that is, how and where the graduates are in socioeconomic terms. New modules will also come from the Financing Panel, especially to show the applications of the FNDCT and other Science units that are part of the various structures.

Among the new panels, we also highlight the Pandemic Panel, which will be an important record, prepared with family members, entities, experts, demonstrating and reflecting on what happened in the most critical moments of Covid-19, so that we do not forget and so that we are firm in the affirmation that our public universities, as well as public health institutions, were fundamental in a period when the Brazilian population needed them most.

We will carry out new opinion surveys, to relate “Society’s Perception in relation to Public Universities and Science”, always with a view to joint construction and offering elements for the formulation of new Public Policies. Our most direct way of listening to Society and now together with the Social Movements that are part of our Society Council and with which we will develop Education, Science Dissemination and Citizen Science strategies.

We are happy with another year of work and many prospects for the very near future, in presenting more evidence that can contribute to policies aimed at improving our country.

We would like to thank all partner institutions, in particular: Fundação Tide Setubal, Instituto Serrapilheira, Andifes, Finep, Inep, ABPN, CNPq and CAPES for their past and future support, without which the work could not have been carried out or continued. To our universities and research institutes, to collaborators, scholarship holders, teams, as well as to ExLibris and Académica for their support in Social Communication.

We wish you a Happy 2024! With lots of Education and Science!

Note: The SoU_Ciência Blog will take a break until January 5th.