The country that ceases to know itself: science, development, and the dilemmas of Brazilian higher education

Abstract

This editorial examines the relationships among science funding, economic development, university competitiveness, and the democratization of higher education in Brazil. Universities, research centers, and scientific journals are understood as components of the epistemic infrastructure required for a functioning democracy. The discussion addresses the paradox between Brazil’s relatively high educational expenditure as a share of gross domestic product and its limited investment capacity per student, further constrained by unstable science funding. The editorial also considers the declining relative competitiveness of Brazil’s leading universities and contrasts favorable economic indicators with persistent vulnerabilities involving labor underutilization, informality, household indebtedness, business survival, investment, and productivity. It further examines the risk that distance education regulations may create new territorial and social barriers by treating physical attendance as an automatic measure of educational quality. Finally, the articles published in this issue are presented as evidence of the contribution of the Applied Social Sciences to interpreting the institutional, economic, and social contradictions of Brazilian development.