quinta-feira, 31 de outubro de 2019

The Brazilian educational system and its relationship with strengthening economic competitiveness


Introduction
Graduate programs are essential to increase and consolidate cognitive spaces, without which innovations, at the speed required by society, would not happen. In the Amazonian environment, these programs have led to the density of highly trained critical mass, offering, especially to universities, but also to other segments of economic activity, professionals with the vision of opportunity to amazon a development perspective aligned with international expectations. Despite being an auspicious scenario,  of the 237 graduate programs of federal universities in the northern region of the country (GeoCAPES Source, 2018),    56,  9% are classified at CAPES level 3,  32,06%  level4,  8,8% level 5 and  2,1% level 6. These figures expose the need for more agency for the strengthening and Thickening of universities, whose main task is the formation of leaders. So if advanced training programs are not at the highest levels of the classification, think of the planetary Amazon, or put it at a level of leadership seems still distant, but not unenforceable. There are universities in the region, however, as is the case of the Federal University of Pará, where of the 116    programs    34,48% are classified at capes level 4,  12,93% at level 5 and3,44% at level 6, figures attesting to the intensity of the programs,  the  requirements can be desired as models for  other  Amazonian universities.
The structural grids of graduate programs are analogous throughout the national territory; reflect the departmentalization of scientific reasoning that dominated the 20th century, that is, Cartesian analytics and logical positivism (Coelho, 2017). In addition, the disciplines offered, in most programs, have not undergone updates related to current demands  (innovations, IT tools, entrepreneurship,  etc.) , considering that programs are generally formatted by university professors who, for the most part, are not  seeking  greater  interactions with the productive sector, resulting in programs aligned with purely academic demands, being, in most cases,  anachronistic in relation to  socioeconomic advances. This situation leads to an absence of entrepreneurial vision so that graduates always wait for public tenders, which are increasingly rare, generating a contingent of graduates who are deprecated in their dreams and in opportunities.
THE CURRENT PARADIGM
The science of the 21st century is drawing much differently from that of the last century, by implication,  first, of the current  complexity of scientific issues,  and second because of the new computational technologies that are making scientific work more predictive, more quantitative,  more quickly delivered and  with  petabytes of data collected by systems technological technologies, forcing    multidisciplinarity  and transdisciplinarity, meaning  mutual exchange rate and interaction of various knowledge in a reciprocal and coordinated way  , with the attempt to approach methodologically to integrate results, even if  the interests of each discipline remain, but seek solutions of their own problems through the articulation with other disciplines, in addition to the translation of these disciplines, where natural sciences, human sciences are called to compose  the so-called  translational science  . This solution seeks to many challenges, integrating multidisciplinary scientific research, ethical, social and legal aspects, considering that scientific activity is eminently social, besides promoting the exchange between science basic and applied, moving the results to (Guimarães 2013)society. What is emerging is a new paradigmatic model, being called complex systems theory (COELHO, 2017). Now the disciplines are not only  linked,  but intertwined, that is, according to Lima (2006), the creation of  countless  possibilities of perception of truth about a given phenomenon,  as a consequence of the high complexity of the contemporary world and the  incoherence  of confinement in unique systems, as  proposed by Descartes, Newton and other . In fact, we are in a new era where data collection is no longer performed personally, but sensors scattered on the planet's surface send gigantic quantities of data per second, and the job of the researcher today organizes and interprets masses of data using computational tools. As Prigogine (1996)states,  we are entering a new period where the formulation of the laws of nature is not established in certainty, but in the possibility, given the great complexity of the natural world.
With considerations, it is necessary to rethink the educational system withthe whole, and in particular, the Brazilian graduate programs, whose contents still reflect the twentieth century.  What is being proposed is the reconnection of compartmentalized knowledge, a perspective of overcoming the   Cartesian process of the last century. According to  Santos  (2008)  is being built a new pedagogical theory that of complexity and transdisciplinarity for which it is already noticed a number  of adherent educators, especially in higher education.
In the Amazonian case, the individual research model still persists, with some exceptions for activityin groups, whether institutional or trans-institutional. Regional scientific administration  (through institutions, including promotional institutions), still   recalcitrant in the formulation of policies that stimulate the formation of multidisciplinary groups, in order to achieve research with innovative bias, to improve the living of society, in addition to increasing actions that favor the growth of the regional and/or national economic system.  It is urgent to create inclusive regional scientific research programs based on the development prospects of the Amazonian states, structuring infrastructure interstate, meaning sharesmento of equipment,    teams, and    Results.  The consequence would be the formation of multidisciplinary groups, and expected gain to materialize the innovative environment proper to translational research. In this type of environment, graduate programs would tend to resize their contents, and would certainly open up window opportunities for broad partnerships, including portions of the business sector. From this perspective, it is important to show examples where private initiative contributes significant resources for research and development (R&D), as is the reality in the United States, where the fraction of gross domestic product dedicated to R&D is 2.73%, with the private sector bringing 63% of that appeal. 
Returning to the new paradigm, transdisciplinarity is an excellent way to stimulate new connections between knowledge, but also between sectors of society. The translation of knowledge gives rise to a new interpretative dawn that goes beyond the horizon of disciplines enhanced by the use of quantitative tools, showing new layers of reality.

BIG DATA

Information technologies are causing a new way of interpreting reality and the search for innovation by correlating large amounts of data, or the task of extracting knowledge from large amounts of information. It's called  Big  Data. In the case of research in Biology, the use of computational tools is allowing the verification of more unbelievable correlations that begin to be appreciated not only as more informative and plausible but also as a causal explanation  (LEONELLI, 2014).
"The achievements of the 'biology of the  Big  Data' require integration of skills in various fields, many of which were not part of traditional education in biology". Because of the vast opportunity for(Treasure 2012)analysis, certainly, the role of Uantitativa Q Biology will grow substantially in the future. Therefore,  students will need adequate training to understand modern biology implements, both in training courses and in advanced programs.  Schatz (2012) predicts the growth of computational biology with the adhesion of professionals versed in quantitative and statistical techniques for the interpretation of data equities, as is already happening in several parts of the world. The author also points out that within teaching there is tension about how much effort to use in quantitative education since the time spent on these topics is likely to require a corresponding reduction in other more traditional topics.
In the Brazilian case and particularly in the Amazonian environment, students do not acquire density in quantitative computational techniques and this is a challenge for the assembly of educational programs, considering that they should include principles of probability and statistics, information theory, population genetics, chemical kinetics, molecular biophysics, biological sequence analysis and introduction to computer science and programming. In reality, it is a revolution that seems to be beyond national possibilities, but it is required. However, it is the condition without which we will not move towards world-class science. Not that there is no highly performing computational infrastructure in Amazonian institutions, but in the field of Biology, there is a lack of training for professionals in the area, besides that the reasoning that biologists do not require expertise in mathematics.
On the other hand, Leonelli (2013) pointed out that  the field of biology produces extensive pluralism and a huge variety of data from collection protocols and diversified computational methods, making it essential to format levels standardization, accessibility, and visibility of existing data, with a view to reusing and large-scale analyses, considering  the epistemic pluralism that characterizes research in life sciences. And in this sense, students should be trained in the protocols being adopted worldwide, or we will produce dwarves scientists.
There is still no regional academic environment for the introduction of Biology  Quantitativa. There is no news that the Foundations of Support to the  Amazonian Research have programmed conclaves, in which the presence of the avant-garde big data is expected. Paradoxically, we live with the most advanced technologies, in everyday use, through smartphones. We are frantically bombarded by results of Google-sponsored statistical analysis resulting in market harassment that constringes us every second. But the local academy has not yet reflected on the subject to create possibilities for using masses of data. Although websites such as Linkedin,  Research  Gate, Google Scholar,  Mendeley, among others, are daily demonstrating the massive use of data, regionally there are no incentives in research institutions for the installation of the environment necessary for Big Data. However, it is the current model for the construction of knowledge,  an important change in the scientific method,  a substitution of the process of formulating a hypothesis that leads to  experimentation  and subsequent analysis of results,  pit formulation of hypothesis and the search for response in the database  ( EMMOTT et al., 2006).
The integration of theories, experiments and models has itself of the central target in science, thus computing is a significant part of the new needs imposed by science. While computing has evolved, experimental sciences have also evolved and have become able to collect a larger amount of data.  Step by step,  computational instruments are coming out of the condition of support tool, becoming something basic for interaction, interpretation of results and improvement of scientific methods,  change and the way science is  conducted, especially when you want applied results.

AIMING AT INNOVATIONS

Statistics by the  Scimago  Journal  & Country Rank  (2018) show an h  index  (citations of Brazilian scientific papers in the papers Brazilian scientific sciences of 530, corresponding to 40,512 citations, while the  H index of the United States was 2,222, corresponding to 528,530 citations in the same period. The figures reflect the impact of knowledge produced in the country on the body of world knowledge. It is still low perhaps because of anachronism in assimilating the updates that are happening in the centers of greater cognition. It is not common sense the theme of The  Big  Data, in addition to the almost non-existent use of the translation of knowledge, the need for the formation of groups of multidisciplinary research, which makes the knowledge produced more restricted.
Brazil produces 0.1% of the world's(UNESCO 2015) patents. This percentage shows how our scientific performance does not favor national economic growth.  It is necessary to change the framework of educational programs at different levels for young people to think about innovations.
In the case of graduate partnerships with the various social sectors should offer windows for discussions on research foci. Of the  237  graduate programs in northern Brazil,  none reflects in their disciplinary grids the industrial-technological impediments or the desires of the communities where are inserted.  At the origin of the proposals of the programs, there was no interface with society, in order to prioritize contexts that were of collective interest. Issues such as transportation, food security, mineralogy, energy, communication, health safety, among others, are almost obvious demands, but which have gone unnoticed or tangentially addressed when formulating educational programs, especially graduate programs.  Thus, the formation of high-cognition human capital, in turn, gives rise to knowledge that is of stricter applicability, making information generated the ornament for the academy and not solutions to the demands of the segments of society. From the above, it is justified why the low patent index in Brazil and in particular for the Amazon region is justified.
In general, Brazilian researchers are not involved with companies, an important step to  transform knowledge  into economic increase;  also, research institutions do not have, with some exceptions, excellent Technological Transfer Centers, a fact that makes it difficult to think innovation,  the  rapid protection of knowledge  and  consequent  opportunism for transfers to companies  (DIAS & ALMEIDA, 2013). There is also the understanding that basic research and applied research are separate categories, a divergence that distorts the relationship between science and technology (C&T). However, it is a fact that Biotechnology has been improving the relationship between C&T, since it forces the adherence of basic research with the applied,  resulting in the approximation between academia and companies.
Of course, in addition to the role of teaching and research, graduate studies, driven by the great transformations of post-industrial society and the market advancement brought by the process of globalization, needs to achieve a context that visualizes the great commercial and financial blocks, in order to give size to graduates on the intensive use of  information networks, on changes in the market and on the opportunities that are demanding  changes in professional qualifications  (MARTINS AND ASSAD 2008).
The theme of the construction of high-cognition human capital to act in the innovation process and consequent partnership between academia and companies, aiming at positive changes in the economic sector,  still lacks debate and inclusion in the agendas of research institutions in the Amazon. For this reason, fosterers should indicate opportunities for the emergence of this debate, stimulating the academic environment towards innovations. It should also be a subject in the discussion forums of decision-makers at the heart of academies. What cannot continue is the current facies of the education and research system, which complains of few investments. To remain as it stands, there will be no government response because of the little return on economic strengthening. However, it is necessary to be aware that national research needs to be related to the strengthening of economic competitiveness. We are talking about academic capitalism, which is already a reality in developed countries  (MARTINS E ASSAD,  2008). According to  UNESCO  (1999):
"[...] Higher education should develop business skills and the sense of initiative should become the main concern of higher education in order to facilitate the employability of graduates and graduates who will increasingly be called to leave the situation to seek work to assume above all the function of creating work."
In this context, entrepreneurship assumes a vital interest. Today, with the shrinking of the national state and the reduction of formal jobs, entrepreneurship is seen as a way to ensure the graduates of universities. It is necessary to create a new teaching model in order to contribute to the realization of entrepreneurial education, offering students tools and potential for the creation of work, as it is in developed countries.  

References

Coelho, Gabriel Bandeira. “Ciência, sociedade e complexidade: da disciplinarização do conhecimento à emergência de programas de pós-graduação interdisciplinares no Brasil.” Revista Brasileira de Pós-Graduação, 2017: 1-22.
Dias, Cleber Gustavo, and Roberto Barbosa de Almeida. "Scientific production and technological production: transforming scientific work into patent applications." Einstein  11 (2013): 1-10.
EMMOTT, Stephen et al. (orgs.). Towards 2020 Science.  Cambridge, 2006.
Guimarães, Reinaldo. "Translational Research: an interpretation." Science and Collective Health  18, no. 6 (2013): 1731-1744.
Leonelli, Sabina. “Global data for local science: Assessing the scale of data infrastructures in biological and biomedical research.” BioSocieties, 2013: 1-30.
Leonelli, Sabina. “What difference does quantity make? On the epistemology of Big Data.” Big data & society, 2014: 1-11.
LIMA, Gilson. "Sociology in complexity." Sociologies  8 (2006): 136-148.
Martins, Carlos Benedito, and Ana Lúcia Delgado Assad. "Graduate studies and human resources training for innovation." Brazilian Graduate Journal  5 (2008): 322-352.
PRIGOGINE, I. The end of certainties: time, chaos and the laws of nature. São Paulo: UNESP, 1996.
Santos, Akiko. "Complexity and transdisciplinarity in education: five principles to rescue the missing link." Revista Brasileira de Educação  13, no. 37 (2008): 71-83.
Schatz, Michael C. “Computational thinking in the era of big data.” Genome Biology 13 (2012): 117.
SJR, SCImago (n.d.). SCImago Journal & Country Rank [Portal].  s.d. www.scimagojr.com.
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UNESCO. UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030.  Paris: UNESCO, 2015.

 


Artigo publicado em  https://www.webartigos.com/ em 25 de outubro de 2019

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