RIO DE JANEIRO — University deans and education experts in Brazil expressed their concern Thursday about the future of academic research after the education ministry announced it had blocked all forthcoming scholarships for master’s and doctoral students.
Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, a foundation linked to the country’s education ministry, said Wednesday it had shut down the system awarding new higher education scholarships as part of a wider effort to slash public spending.
While Brazil’s government claims it is implementing the budget cuts across the board and in an equal way, some say the latest move could be politically motivated.
Far right President Jair Bolsonaro has vowed to oust “leftist ideology” from education, which he says is ruining the country’s academic environment. Bolsonaro and Education Minister Abraham Weintraub have argued in favor of letting students film teachers during class time, in an effort to fight the alleged leftist indoctrination.
The scholarships for master’s and doctoral students had helped many students with living costs over the course of their studies. Scholarships that had already been awarded will not be withdrawn, officials said, but it will impact those that were already in the application process.
Antonio Claudio, dean of Fluminense Federal University, said Thursday the move compromised the universities’ ability to do academic research.
“It was already very difficult,” Claudio said, mentioning the recently announced 30% budget cut for all federal universities in the country.
