cooperação brasil-Índia: dinâmicas e perspectivas

8/19/2019 Cooperação Brasil-Índia: Dinâmicas e Perspectivas

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Cooperação Brasil-Índia:dinâmicas e perspectivas

Edgard Leite (org.)

Programa de Estudos Indianos

Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Editora Verve/2014


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Copyright © 2014 Edgard Leite (org.)

REVISÃO Patrícia Mota Freitas

CAPA E PROJETO GRÁFICO Carolina Camargo

FOTO DE CAPA Mitul Kajaria

PRODUÇÃO EDITORIAL Patrícia Barbedo

DADOS INTERNACIONAIS PARA CATALOGAÇÃO NA PUBLICAÇÃO (CIP)

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Prospects for academic interactionbetween Brazil and India Edgard Leite*

Te internationalization of higher education has been understood

as an academic action of crucial importance in an increasingly

integrated or globalized world, from an economic or culturalperspective. According to Lutjen-Lub, it is dened as a “systematic

eff ort aimed at making higher education more responsive to the

requirements and challenges related to the globalization of societies,

economy and global markets” (Lujten-Lub: 34).

As Neal Holly puts it, “international departments are among the

fastest growing institutions in universities” (Holly: 109). Tere have

been strong pressures on international cooperation departments, and a

great deal of the academic eff orts in Europe and in the United States is

intended to give continuity to similar demands in an efficient manner.

In Europe, an important landmark was the “Bologne Declaration”

in 1999, which established specic theoretical and methodological

parameters for the internationalization process of higher education

in the European Community. As a matter of fact, it is consideredto be of great strategic relevance (Lujten-Lub: 41). Such conceptual

presuppositions have enjoyed global development and acceptance.

Universities worldwide have been following this trend of increasing

internationalization, which responds, above all, to realities not

previously theorized, but rather spontaneous, which ultimately bridge

the gap between diff erent countries, both near and distant, as well as

economic zones.Such approximation has been the cause of problems that call for

a global theoretical approach, mainly in issues involving university


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teaching, research and extension processes within an internationalizedsociety, as well as their role in the internationalization movement itself.

At least three great processes can be identified, which

directly affect universities: the first is the mobility associated to

the globalization process, involving both students and teachers.

The second refers to the growing collaboration in research and

education among higher education institutions. Finally, the third

is the strong tendency for the development of higher education in atransnational scale, i.e., in which educational activities travel from

one country to the other. This last movement is equally related

to “education markets liberalization” initiatives foreseen by the

World Commerce Organization and the GATT (Lujten-Lub: 9).

Such problems must be faced by university managers in Brazil, an

emerging economy that has legitimate aspirations to play a more

influential role in the international scenario, and which is also

involved, in varying degrees, in this process, both from a national

and university perspective.

De Wit distinguishes between two basic strategies in this eld,

which are to be developed by universities: organizational strategies,

i.e., those focused on issues involving “governance, operations,

support and human resources services”, which include “an activeinvolvement by university personnel and organizations and support

for international agreements and sabbatical projects” (Lutjen-Lub: 44)

(De Witt, 1995), as well as program strategies, such as those aimed at

interchange programs, joined development projects or international

events (Idem).

In Brazilian universities both strategies have been developed in

a more or less efficient manner. Tey seek, according to academicpeculiarities and demands, to eventually accomplish them both ad

hoc and systematically, or developing them from a marginal and, in


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some circumstances, central perspective (Davies: 16) (Lutjen-Lub:44). Anyway, there has been growing support to these activities by

CAPES and CNPQ in the last decades (Laus and Morosini, 2005: 159)

and distinct institutions have been developing policies in this eld.

Internationalization actions must take into account OECD

recommendations in this respect (OECD: 221+), which translate

into four great crucial political goals: rst, mutual, intercultural andinternational understanding, that is, the establishment of a deep

association between cultures and the strengthening of links among

countries, both by means of activities focused on student mobilization

programs and other academic partners, as well as efficient policies for

specic assistance in the area. Tis shall give rise to the strengthening

of mutual relations and, mainly, the creation of mutual opportunities.

A second goal is the attraction of qualied workers who can

“become qualied immigrants in the recipient country” and “stimulate

competitiveness in the higher education system, both considered to be

crucial for the economic development in a knowledge economy (OECD:

223). Such perspective obviously takes into account the context of high

competitiveness in the world’s higher education, before which Brazil

faces great barriers to participate, due to a series of economic, culturaland legal difficulties that thwart the necessary absorption of foreign

qualied workers. Such goal is of crucial importance when it comes to

North-South relations, with mutual advantages for both sides. If we take

into account the South-South relationship, however, we also deal with

work markets which we can think of in a similar way. Policies pertaining

to the import or export of qualied workers, which are part of policies

for international approximation conceived as strategically relevant, canhave a relevant meaning to both parties involved, in a way that opens up

new opportunities and perspectives for development.


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A third goal is to enable an increase of

nancial income generationat universities. Obviously, in the Brazilian case, as the university system

participates in the internationalization process, most of which has a

public nature, the issue to be dealt with is similar to the prospects faced

by France or Scandinavian countries where there are impasses regarding

this topic (OECD: 229). It shall be observed that our student export

programs imply gains for many foreign institutions. It is clear that the

internationalization processes at any rate, even when not focused onimmediate gains, imply an increase of costs for recipient countries,

which somehow must be made up for. However, it can be defended

that since the State continues to give support to foreign students and

professors, it is given to understand that somehow they must generate

nancial gains to society as a whole. Tis is obtained from a general

policy for improvement of qualication and knowledge applicability.

Tus, for us, the fourth goal is particularly relevant, “more relevant

in emerging economies” (OECD: 229), which is enabling a higher

capacity-building of local work force. Tis perspective undoubtedly

allows us to think in more objective terms of greater national demands

that can be met by means of internationalization policies. Unlike the

third objective, however, this fourth goal is better understood in terms

of long-term policies, which are given support at a national level andinvolve diff erent technical and professional perspectives that are

pertinent to the country’s development. It calls for long-term alliances

among countries and blocks, as well as consensus on joint integration

and development processes.

Why India? As Kemal Gürüz puts it, “India is currently the third

largest higher education system in the world, with many institutionswith impeccable credentials” (Gürüz: 218). And, though India is not a

priority destination for international students, with reception rates


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kept stable throughout the last decades, this does not mean it willnot become one in the near future. Tis is due, in a large extent,

to the high quality of its workforce. We shall note that India has

an active and growing ow of students to foreign countries. It is,

in fact, a historic movement, which is crucial for Indian academic

identity and dates back to the 19th century. Between 1995 and 2004,

the number of Indian students in foreign universities increased from

3.190 to 123.559 per year (Gürüz: 217) and it keeps growing. India,together with China, responds to one-fh of international students

in the world.

If we take into account the fact that such ow occurs mainly, in

order of preference, to the United States (in which Indians make up

the largest contingent of foreign students (Gürütz: 173), Australia,

the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand and Canada, we can

conclude that Indian university students’ professional qualication

level is in keeping up with the standards of their country of choice,

which occupy the top positions in the world university quality rank

(Gürüz: 217). Moreover, India counts on a highly developed technical

education sector (OECD (b): 44). From the perspective of scientic

production, India had in 2004 a total of 2.1% of the articles published

in the world (at that time, Brazil had 1,4% of all scientic articlespublished in the world) (OECD (b): 41). Tus, one can nd in India

high quality professional expertise of international level in a society

that faces social dynamics and strategic challenges similar to those

faced in our country (Leite, 2012).

In 2003, when a mixed Brazil-India committee met in New

Dehli, several issues related to education were discussed, especially

those referring to higher education and, from that moment on, inseveral multilateral forums (IBAS, BRICS, BASIC, G-4 and G-20),

Brazil stressed the need of a “Strategic Brazil-India Partnership”. Such


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positioning has given rise to a series of agreements and understandingsin the higher education and scientic cooperation areas. Tus, we

shall consider that university internationalization towards India,

among other destinations abroad where several academic interests

ow, is one of Brazilian society’s needs, and is justied both in terms

of academic interests and national strategic goals.

From a perspective of mutual and intercultural understanding,there is already a resolution in terms of integration with both India

and other BRICS countries in a network of intellectual mobility that

favors the creation of joint opportunities.Te creation of “intercultural

competences” is one of the underlying goals of internationalization

of higher education, and India in particular is, as Ranjini Manian

and Shobba Naidu well put it, a country shaped by plurality and

interculturality: “the average Indian can have many simultaneous

identities” and is equipped with competences to coexist with them

“not only in a peaceful but in a productive manner as well” (Deardoff :

239). For a society like the Brazilian one, which is relatively isolated

in linguistic terms, India presents a signicant space for the growth of

a fundamental competence for a modern development of University,

i.e., intercultural competence. In this respect, it must be noted thatthe main problem involving this specic movement towards the

internationalization process is the linguistic barrier.

It is common knowledge that “English has become a central

element of the global knowledge system” and, as such, it has

become the university lingua franca by excellence (OECD(b):

34). Te mastering of English is a crucial aspect of the process of

internationalization of higher education. In this aspect, India hasevident competitive edges as compared to Brazil, since English is one

of its national languages. Such reality allows Indian students to have


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access to the main universities and participate in the internationalacademic dialogue.

Te problems that Brazil faces in the area are well-known. Tey

are rooted in the chronic and historical weakness of the Brazilian

system of education. We shall note that China, for instance, within

a period of few years from the 1980s, was capable to generalize the

use of English at universities and in several sectors involved with

internationalization (Maringe and Foskett: 239-243). Te teachingof English in Brazil is compulsory in the school system curriculum

but lacks, like other disciplines, a serious approach focused on a clear

goal related to the development of society. Moreover, the problem

in Brazil also lies in peculiarities pertaining to our international

interchange processes, which are marked by a historic tendency

to prioritize dialogue with Portugal. It is worth mentioning that

such problem also aff ects Portugal, whose permanent tendency in

formulating cooperation programs with other Portuguese-speaking

countries reduced the demand for programs in English language

and discouraged the need of professional inclination towards

English (Luijten-Lub: 123). For instance, the legislation involving

the Bologna protocol of 1999 was only promulgated in Portugal

in 2005 and 2006 (Luijten-Lub: 126). Tis in great part explainsour natural proximity to the State of Goa, in India, where we nd

consistent cultural and historical links. And it explains why the

Brazilian government rightly excludes Portugal from the science

without borders program.

From a “mutual understanding” perspective, however, it is crucial

that internationalization activities in Brazil, mainly those directed

towards India, embrace a methodological perspective capable ofovercoming these difficulties, as well as creating consistent academic

demands towards English. Te generalization of classes in English


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with the help of speci

c tutorial methods is a precondition to thesuccess of our internationalization. Te stimulus given to Hindi,

Urdu or Marathi study centers is important to improve the necessary

elements for the accomplishment of such goals.

In relation to our demands for qualied workforce, we shall

initially take into consideration the fact that fertility rates in Brazil

are below reposition level, that is, it reached for the rst time inthe history of the country the 1,90% rate in 2010 (IBGE). Tis is a

generalized phenomenon in diff erent social sectors and regions, and

has an inuence over the future of the age pyramid in Brazil. If we take

into account the fact that the system of education presents signicant

inefficiencies that place widely known barriers to the increase of

productivity and improvement of qualication in general, which in

turn are necessary movements to face the challenges posed by age

imbalances in the future, the import of qualied workforce can be one

of the goals of the internationalization processes.

Te nature of the process of attraction of workforce via

internationalization of higher education, as conceived by the OECD,

has an evident South-North trend, and is modulated by great

economic inequalities that favor the North – which is an employerby excellence. However, the South-South demands are real and,

in the Indian case, they can allow the internationalization system

to articulate in a consistent way a similar goal: the attraction of

workforce that can contribute to the increase of national wealth.

Te greater obstacle posed by the language can be overcome in a

twofold manner, i.e., by the previously mentioned insistence on

the dissemination of English and through Portuguese teachingpolicies, both here and in India, for foreigners and applicants to

study programs abroad. We must take into consideration Brazil’s


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great potential economic importance and its future, and, althoughPortuguese is a less relevant language in terms of number of speakers

than Hindi or Urdu, the possibilities for development in the country

can justify a similar investment.

Te perception of such movement is in general necessary and

can be attested by the Normative Resolution N. 104 of 16 th may

2013 of the National Immigration Council, which exibilized the

existing procedures for the hiring of foreign professionals. However,the perspective that the internationalization of the system of higher

education can open a path to internal demand creates an identity

between our goals and the goals set by central countries. It is

unnecessary to say, however, that the potential instability or eventual

stagnation of Latin-American economies, and of Brazilian in particular,

always served as a discouragement to external migratory ows, which

means that the internalization system, as a national strategic project of

expansion, must serve, above all, to permanently feed the productivity

of Brazilian economy and, thus, allow the necessary conditions to any

efficient import policy of qualied workforce.

Tus, OECD has reason to defend that the third goal, or, in other

words, internationalization as a means to raise funds for universities,

is less relevant for emerging countries that the fourth, i.e., qualicationof local workforce. We shall not forget to consider that the imprecise

prole of private universities transfers to the Brazilian State a crucial role

in the funding of the process.Te improvement of the competences by

means of a process of academic exchanges is one of the driving forces

of the general improvement of the quality and the technical prole of

professionals. In the specic cases of Brazil and India, the cost-benet

relationship of the strengthening of links with Indian universities,especially the top ones, is superior to the strengthening of links with

the great universities of central countries. Even though they cannot


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fully replace them in the role of great horizons of excellence playedby European and North-American universities, universities and other

Indian educational centers, notably the high technology ones, can

play an important role in the improvement of our professional level.

Brazilian Federal Government Scholarship Program Science

without Borders is an out-standing attempt at implementing a process

of internationalization of higher education with official support.

However, so far, it has presented bleak statistics with respect to India.Since its launching in 2011, the Program has granted (December 2013)

a total of 22.646 scholarships in several categories. Te United States

were the destination of 5.027 students, followed by Portugal, with

2.935, France, 2.692, Spain, 2.464, Canada, 2.245,Te United Kingdom,

1.939 and Germany, 1.753 (Science without Borders, statistics and

indicators). India, however, received only ve scholarships (only three

still going) at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, at Jawarhal

Nehru University and at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Tus, the need to implement relations in this area is evident.

Internationalization is related, as Luitjen-Lub puts it, to “globalization

of societies, economy and labor markets”, but, also, to key demands for

the improvement of both professional skills and knowledge productionspaces. Te strengthening of links between universities of diff erent

countries also strengthens capacities and allows problematization of

topics and opening to innovative solutions.Te great centers of knowledge

production located in the North hemisphere never ceased to acknowledge

the importance of cultural plurality as one of the necessary requirements

for knowledge production. Paige and Goode called the attention to the

fact that the capacities related to this experience include the developmentof skills related to “learning, observation, evaluation, interpretation and

reporting”. Tese include attitudes such as respect (which derives from


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the attitude of appreciating the value of other cultures), opening (thatcomes from the breaking up of prejudices) and curiosity and discovery

(deriving from tolerance before ambiguity and uncertainty) (Paige and

Goode: 338). Such experiences play an important pedagogical role in

professional qualication and are valid both for the practical exercise of

the profession and the implicit creativity in university experience.

It is understandable that our western tradition naturally pushes

us to the learning in Portugal, Spain, other European countriesand the USA, for there are many historical and cultural bonds that

link us to these centers of the North Hemisphere. However, the

internationalization process must be characterized, as it really is

in central countries, not only in terms of reinforcing the unknown

but the experience in plurality as well. Te making of an innovative

university policy must focus on the opening of the South-South links,

especially towards India, a country that is, at one time, an equal,

emerging, distinct, and great civilization, full of history and values,

and a country that counts on an advanced academic community,

which is fully integrated in the contemporary world, with whom we

can learn a lot and share our common goals of economic, material and

human development.

*Coordinator of the Indian Studies Program at Universidade

do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Associate Professor at Universidade do

Estado do Rio de Janeiro and Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio

de Janeiro. Member of the Academia Brasileira de Filosofia

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