07/31/2023 – 23:19
Rectors of public universities headquartered in Rio de Janeiro expressed, this Monday (31), public support for the management of Luciana Santos in charge of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). It is yet another reaction from the scientific community to the possibility of changes in the ministerial team.
The fear of a change in the portfolio was born after the appearance of news about demands from Centrão parties for space in the government. Occupying posts in the first echelon would be one of the conditions to guarantee support for the Planalto Palace.
Related news:
The manifestations of the deans of the universities of Rio de Janeiro took place at the opening of a lecture by Luciana Santos given in an auditorium at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) with the title “New Times for Science and Technology in Brazil”. The space, with 500 seats, was occupied and part of the public, made up of students and researchers, watched standing. The minister took stock of her management and also spoke about future projects. On leaving the event, she said that she was not informed about any plan to change the leadership of the portfolio and commented on the situation, recalling the proximity between her party and President Lula’s party.
“I have always said that in whatever government there is a need to have a composition. Now we, from the PCdoB, have been historical allies of the Workers’ Party since 1989. We believe that we have an effective contribution to make in this historic moment of recovery of the country. It is in this sense that I am trying to assert that responsibility that President Lula gave me. And we will continue to work, ”he said.
In his speech, the rector of UFRJ, Roberto Medronho, assessed that the previous government implemented a “devastating” and “denial” policy, contesting the effectiveness of vaccines and promoting ineffective treatments. According to him, the management of Luciana Santos and the other bodies linked to the MCTI, such as the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) and the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (Inpa), have rescued the bet on scientific development.
“This ministry, for us, is gold. I understand and support the need for governance. We are in a democracy and it is necessary to make compositions to form a majority in Congress and approve the main agendas. All this I understand perfectly. But Health, Education and Science, Technology and Innovation should not be areas that can be negotiated. The time for denying science is over. Minister, we are at your side because we trust and believe in your work”, he said.
There was also a manifestation of support from the rector of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Roberto de Souza Rodrigues. He is the current president of the Forum of Rectors of Public Institutions of Education of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Friperj) and spoke on his behalf. The entity brings together representatives from ten public institutions such as UFRJ, UFRRJ, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), North Fluminense State University (UENF) and the Federal Center of Education. Technology (Cefet-RJ). “We are grateful for the work that has been done and we hope that this work continues so that together we can rebuild the country”, said Rodrigues.
Faced with speculation that the portfolio headed by Minister Luciana would be one of the targets of these captions, the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC) and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) even expressed concern in a note released two weeks ago. The minister also received support during the 75th SBPC Annual Meeting, which ended on Saturday (29).
Last week, on the Conversation with the President program, broadcast by Canal Gov, Lula commented on negotiation for the participation of government parties. According to him, there will be individual negotiations with each caption. “I don’t want to talk to Centrão as an organization, I want to talk to the PP, the Republicans, the PSD, the União Brasil. That’s how we talk. And it is normal that, if these parties want to support us, they want to participate in the government”.
Balance
In her lecture, Luciana Santos also criticized the previous management of the folder, during the government of Jair Bolsonaro. “Studies and research were paralyzed with a narrative of disqualification, laboratories and scientific equipment were scrapped and researchers were threatened and persecuted”, she said. She recalled measures that had already been taken under her command, such as the readjustment of master’s and doctoral scholarships by 40%, the launch of research notices worth BRL 590 million, the opening of a public tender for the MCTI after 13 years of the last edition and the recomposition of the National Scientific and Technological Development Fund (FNDTC).
Luciana Santos also highlighted the reduction in interest rates on innovation projects financed by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). In May, President Lula sanctioned Federal Law 14,592/2023 and authorized the use of the Referential Rate (TR), replacing the Long-Term Rate (TLP). With the change, the final cost will be lower for companies that take out loans to invest in technological innovation.
“Less interest means more resources for research and innovation, more people working, more development, more quality of life. When competitive interest rates are applied, the productive sector of the economy rapidly makes credit flow. In our case, he is the one who innovates. This demonstrates that this rate practiced by the Central Bank is unacceptable”, analyzed Luciana, reiterating criticism of president Lula against the current levels of the Selic Rate.
The minister also spoke about Pro-Infra, a program that was announced last week and will be aimed at recovering and expanding research infrastructure at universities and scientific institutions. In all, R$ 3.6 billion will be allocated, which can be used to equip the laboratories. The resources, according to the minister, will help reverse the scrapping scenario and rescue the institutions’ production capacity.
Luciana Santos was also questioned about the lack of social security for postgraduate scholarship holders. The subject was raised by a student, who reported being helpless when she had an accident and had to leave her studies. The minister noted that the guarantee of social security and labor rights is an old request of the National Association of Graduate Students (ANPG) and that the topic is under discussion internally in the government.
“It is something that we are working on in order to be able, also according to the possibilities, to give the adequate answer”. According to her, another project that is also under debate involves full-time science activities in the second shift of school, with the aim of stimulating a scientific career among young people from an early age.
#Minister #Luciana #Santos #receives #support #rectors #Rio