Brazilian science and technology
Encyclopedia
Brazilian science and technology have achieved a significant position in the international arena in the last decades. The central agency
for science and technology in Brazil is the Ministry of Science and Technology
, which includes the CNPq and Finep. This ministry also has direct supervision over the National Institute for Space Research
(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE), the National Institute of Amazonian Research
(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA), and the National Institute of Technology (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia - INT). The ministry is also responsible for the Secretariat for Computer and Automation Policy (Secretaria de Política de Informática e Automação - SPIA), which is the successor of the SEI. The Ministry of Science and Technology, which the Sarney
government created in March 1985, was headed initially by a person associated with the nationalist ideologies of the past. Although the new minister was able to raise the budget for the science and technology sector, he remained isolated within the government and had no influence on policy making for the economy
.
With the new ministry, the science and technology agencies increased in size but lost some of their former independence
and flexibility
, and they became more susceptible to patronage politics. Most of the resources of the CNPq were channeled to fellowship programs that had no clear procedures for quality control and no mechanisms to make the fellows active in the country's science and technology institutions. New groups competed for resources and control of the country's agencies of science, technology, and higher education
. These groups included political parties, unionized university professors and employees, scientific societies, and special interest groups within the scientific and technological community. The SBPC (Brazilian Society for Scientific Development) shed its image as a semi-autonomous association of scientists to become an active lobbyist for more public resources and the protection of national technology
from international competition.
royal family, headed by D. João VI
, arrived in Rio de Janeiro
, escaping from the Napoleon's army invasion of Portugal in 1807. Like almost all territories and regions of the New World
, Brazil was a Portuguese
colony
, without universities
, and a few cultural and scientific organizations. The former American colonies of the Spanish Empire
, although having a largely illiterate population like Brazil, Portugal and Spain, had, however, a number of universities since the 16th century. This may have been a deliberate policy of the Portuguese colonial power, because they feared that the appearance of educated Brazilian classes would boost nationalism
and aspirations toward political independence, as it had happened in the USA and several Latin America
n former Spanish colonies. However, throughout the centuries of Portuguese rule, Brazilian students were allowed and even encouraged to enroll at higher education in mainland Portugal. In addition, mainland Portugal's population at the time was also largely illiterate and had for most of those period a single university, the University of Coimbra, which educated Portuguese people from all the Empire
, including from the colony of Brazil.
The first firm attempts of having a Brazilian science establishment were made around 1783, with the expedition of Portuguese naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira
, who was sent by Portugal's prime minister, the Marquis of Pombal, to explore and identify Brazilian fauna, flora and geology. His collections, however, were lost to the French, when Napoleon invaded Portugal, and were transported to Paris
by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
. In 1772, even before the establishment of the Science Academy of Lisbon (1779), one of the first learned societies of both Brazil and the Portuguese Empire
was founded in Rio de Janeiro
- it was the Sociedade Scientifica, but lasted only until 1794. Also, in 1797, the first botanic institute was founded in Salvador, Bahia
. During the late 18th century, the Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho of Rio de Janeiro was created in 1792 through a decree issued by the Portuguese authorities as a higher education school for the teaching of the sciences and engineering
. Both the engineering schools of the Rio de Janeiro Federal University
and the Military Institute of Engineering
were created and developed from the oldest engineering school of Brazil which is also one of the oldest in Latin America.
D. João VI gave impetus to all these accoutrements of Europe
an civilization to Brazil. In a short period (between 1808 and 1810, the government founded the Royal Naval Academy and the Royal Military Academy (both military schools), the Biblioteca Nacional, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
, the Medico-Chirurgical School of Bahia
, currently known as Faculdade de Medicina under harbour of Universidade Federal da Bahia
and the Medico-Chirurgical School of Rio de Janeiro (Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
).
Notable scientific expedition
s organized by Brazilians were rare, the most significant one being that of Martim Francisco de Andrada e Silva and José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, in 1819.
), the policies concerning higher learning, science and technology in Brazil came to a relative standstill. In the first two decades of the century, science in Brazil was mostly carried out by temporary scientific expeditions by European naturalists
, such as Charles Darwin
, Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, Carl von Martius
, Johann Baptist von Spix
, Alexander Humboldt, Augustin Saint-Hilaire
, Baron Grigori Ivanovitch Langsdorff
, Friedrich Sellow
, Fritz Müller
, Hermann von Ihering
, Émil Goeldi
and others. This science was mostly descriptive of the fantastic Brazilian biodiversity
of its flora and fauna, and also its geology
, geography
and anthropology
, and until the creation of the National Museum, the specimens were mostly removed to European institutions.
In the educational area, a number of higher education institutions were founded in the 19th century, but for decades to come, most Brazilian students, still studied at European universities, such as the ancient University of Coimbra, in Portugal
.
came to the throne when he was 15 years old. In the next 50 years, Brazil enjoyed a stable constitutional monarchy
. D. Pedro II was an enlightened monarch
who favored the art
s, literature
, science
and technology
and had extensive international contacts in these areas. The mainstay of Brazilian science and the seat of its first research laboratories was the National Museum (Museu Nacional
) in Rio de Janeiro, in existence until today. D. Pedro developed a strong personal interest and selected and invited many august European scientific personalities, such as von Ihering and Goeldi, to work in Brazil. He and his ministers, courtesans and senators often attended scientific conferences in the Museum. There, the first laboratory of physiology
was founded in 1880, under João Baptista de Lacerda
and Louis Couty
. Unfortunately, the creation of research universities and institute
s would only occur on the beginning of the 20th century - a long delay for the education, science and technology in Brazil.
Huge gap from empire to 1980. Either nothing happened or those who know are afraid to write this part of the story. Will anyone provide this piece of critically important history of Brazil? I am eager to know what happened from 1900 to 1980 in Brazil. I am sure there were ups and downs but they should be credited to whomever was responsible for them.
Brazil today has a well-developed organization of science and technology. Basic research is largely carried out in public universities
and research centers and institutes, and some in private institutions, particularly in non-profit non-governmental organizations. Thanks to governmental regulations and incentives, however, since the 1990s is has been growing in the private universities and companies, as well. Accordingly, more than 90% of funding for basic research comes from governmental sources.
Applied research, technology and engineering is also largely carried out in the university and research centers system, contrary-wise to more developed countries such as the United States
, South Korea
, Germany
, Japan
, etc. The reasons for these are many, but the main ones are:
However, there is a significant trend reversing this now. Companies such as Motorola
, Samsung
, Nokia
and IBM
have established large R&D&I centers in Brazil, starting with IBM, which had established an IBM
Research
Center in Brazil since the 1970s. One of the incentive factors for this, besides the relatively lower cost and high sophistication and skills of Brazilian technical manpower, has been the so-called Informatics Law, which exempts from certain taxes up to 5% of the gross revenue of high technology manufacturing companies in the fields of telecommunications, computer
s, digital electronics, etc. The Law has attracted annually more than 1,5 billion dollars of investment in Brazilian R&D&I. Multinational companies have also discovered that some products and technologies designed and developed by Brazilians have a nice competitivity and are appreciated by other countries, such as automobile
s, aircraft
, software, fiber optics, electric appliance
s, and so on.
During the 1980s, Brazil pursued a policy of protectionism
in computing.
Companies and administrations were required to use Brazilian software and hardware, with imports subject to governmental authorization.
This encouraged the growth of Brazilian companies but, in spite of their development of products like MSX
clones and SOX Unix
, the Brazilian consumers of computing were suffering of lesser offer comparing to foreign competitors.
The government little by little authorized more and more imports until the barriers were removed.
Brazil's IT industry has achieved some remarkable feats, particularly in the area of software. In 2002, Brazil staged the world's first 100% electronic election with over 90% of results in within 2 hours. The system is particularly suited to a country with relatively high illiteracy rates since it flashes up a photograph of the candidate before a vote is confirmed. Citizens could download a desktop module that relayed the votes to their homes in realtime faster than the news networks could get them out.
In 2005, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
launched a "people's computer" to foster digital inclusion, with government finance available and a fixed minimum configuration. Having rejected the Microsoft operating system (Windows XP Starter Edition), it is being shipped with a Brazilian-configured Linux system offering basic functions such as word processing and internet browsing. Plans to make cheap internet access available have not yet come to fruition.
In 2008, the Brazilian Government under Lula da Silva, founded the CEITEC
, the first and only semiconductor
s company in Latin America.
Brazilian funding for research, development and innovation comes from six main sources:
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
for science and technology in Brazil is the Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministry of Science and Technology (Brazil)
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil, is the civilian cabinet organization which coordinates science and technology activities in the country...
, which includes the CNPq and Finep. This ministry also has direct supervision over the National Institute for Space Research
National Institute for Space Research
The National Institute for Space Research is a research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, whose main goals are fostering scientific research and technological applications and qualifying personnel in the fields of space and atmospheric sciences, space engineering, and space...
(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE), the National Institute of Amazonian Research
National Institute of Amazonian Research
The National Institute of Amazonian Research is a public educational and research institution in Manaus, Brazil. It was founded in 1952, with the purpose of providing a further knowledge about the Brazilian Amazon Region...
(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA), and the National Institute of Technology (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia - INT). The ministry is also responsible for the Secretariat for Computer and Automation Policy (Secretaria de Política de Informática e Automação - SPIA), which is the successor of the SEI. The Ministry of Science and Technology, which the Sarney
José Sarney
José Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
government created in March 1985, was headed initially by a person associated with the nationalist ideologies of the past. Although the new minister was able to raise the budget for the science and technology sector, he remained isolated within the government and had no influence on policy making for the economy
Economy of Brazil
The economy of Brazil is the world's seventh largest by nominal GDP and eighth largest by purchasing power parity. Brazil has moderately free markets and an inward-oriented economy...
.
With the new ministry, the science and technology agencies increased in size but lost some of their former independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
and flexibility
Flexibility
Flexibility may refer to:* Flexibility , the distance of motion of a joint, which may be increased by stretching* Flexibility , in the field of engineering systems design, designs that can adapt when external changes occur...
, and they became more susceptible to patronage politics. Most of the resources of the CNPq were channeled to fellowship programs that had no clear procedures for quality control and no mechanisms to make the fellows active in the country's science and technology institutions. New groups competed for resources and control of the country's agencies of science, technology, and higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. These groups included political parties, unionized university professors and employees, scientific societies, and special interest groups within the scientific and technological community. The SBPC (Brazilian Society for Scientific Development) shed its image as a semi-autonomous association of scientists to become an active lobbyist for more public resources and the protection of national technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
from international competition.
History
Brazilian science effectively began in the first decades of the 19th century, when the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
royal family, headed by D. João VI
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
, arrived in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, escaping from the Napoleon's army invasion of Portugal in 1807. Like almost all territories and regions of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, Brazil was a Portuguese
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
colony
Colonial Brazil
In the history of Brazil, Colonial Brazil, officially the Viceroyalty of Brazil comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to kingdom alongside Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.During the over 300 years...
, without universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, and a few cultural and scientific organizations. The former American colonies of the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
, although having a largely illiterate population like Brazil, Portugal and Spain, had, however, a number of universities since the 16th century. This may have been a deliberate policy of the Portuguese colonial power, because they feared that the appearance of educated Brazilian classes would boost nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and aspirations toward political independence, as it had happened in the USA and several Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n former Spanish colonies. However, throughout the centuries of Portuguese rule, Brazilian students were allowed and even encouraged to enroll at higher education in mainland Portugal. In addition, mainland Portugal's population at the time was also largely illiterate and had for most of those period a single university, the University of Coimbra, which educated Portuguese people from all the Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, including from the colony of Brazil.
The first firm attempts of having a Brazilian science establishment were made around 1783, with the expedition of Portuguese naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira
Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira
Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira was a naturalist born in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. He undertook an extensive journey which crossed the interior of the Amazon Basin to Mato Grosso, between 1783 and 1792. During this journey, he described the agriculture, flora, fauna, and native inhabitants...
, who was sent by Portugal's prime minister, the Marquis of Pombal, to explore and identify Brazilian fauna, flora and geology. His collections, however, were lost to the French, when Napoleon invaded Portugal, and were transported to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was a French naturalist who established the principle of "unity of composition". He was a colleague of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and expanded and defended Lamarck's evolutionary theories...
. In 1772, even before the establishment of the Science Academy of Lisbon (1779), one of the first learned societies of both Brazil and the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
was founded in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
- it was the Sociedade Scientifica, but lasted only until 1794. Also, in 1797, the first botanic institute was founded in Salvador, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
. During the late 18th century, the Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho of Rio de Janeiro was created in 1792 through a decree issued by the Portuguese authorities as a higher education school for the teaching of the sciences and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. Both the engineering schools of the Rio de Janeiro Federal University
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is one of the largest federal universities of Brazil, where public universities comprise the majority of the best and most qualified institutions...
and the Military Institute of Engineering
Instituto Militar de Engenharia
The Instituto Militar de Engenharia is an engineering university maintained by the Brazilian Army with Federal support. IME is the oldest and one of the best ranked engineering schools in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Education of that country...
were created and developed from the oldest engineering school of Brazil which is also one of the oldest in Latin America.
D. João VI gave impetus to all these accoutrements of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an civilization to Brazil. In a short period (between 1808 and 1810, the government founded the Royal Naval Academy and the Royal Military Academy (both military schools), the Biblioteca Nacional, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden or Jardim Botânico is located at the Jardim Botânico district in the "Zona Sul" of Rio de Janeiro....
, the Medico-Chirurgical School of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, currently known as Faculdade de Medicina under harbour of Universidade Federal da Bahia
Universidade Federal da Bahia
The Universidade Federal da Bahia is a public university located mainly in the city of Salvador. The largest university of the State of Bahia, and one of the most prestigious Brazilian universities.Students can study there without having to pay tuition fees, as it is a public university...
and the Medico-Chirurgical School of Rio de Janeiro (Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is one of the largest federal universities of Brazil, where public universities comprise the majority of the best and most qualified institutions...
).
Notable scientific expedition
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
s organized by Brazilians were rare, the most significant one being that of Martim Francisco de Andrada e Silva and José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, in 1819.
The First Empire
After independence from Portugal, declared by the King's son in 1822, D. Pedro I (who became the new country's first EmperorEmperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
), the policies concerning higher learning, science and technology in Brazil came to a relative standstill. In the first two decades of the century, science in Brazil was mostly carried out by temporary scientific expeditions by European naturalists
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, such as Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, Carl von Martius
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius was a German botanist and explorer.Martius was born at Erlangen, where he graduated M.D. in 1814, publishing as his thesis a critical catalogue of plants in the botanic garden of the university...
, Johann Baptist von Spix
Johann Baptist von Spix
Dr. Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix was a German naturalist.Spix was born in Höchstadt, Middle Franconia, as the seventh of eleven children. His boyhood home is the site of the Spix Museum , opened to the public in 2004...
, Alexander Humboldt, Augustin Saint-Hilaire
Augustin Saint-Hilaire
Augustin François César Prouvençal de Saint-Hilaire , French botanist and traveler, was born at Orléans, France, on 4 October 1779. He began to publish memoirs on botanical subjects at an early age...
, Baron Grigori Ivanovitch Langsdorff
Grigori Ivanovitch Langsdorff
Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff, Baron de Langsdorff was a Prussian aristocrat, politician and naturalist. He lived in Russia and was better known by his Russian name, Grigori Ivanovitch...
, Friedrich Sellow
Friedrich Sellow
Friedrich Sellow was a German botanist and naturalist, one of the earliest scientific explorers of the Brazilian flora....
, Fritz Müller
Fritz Müller
Johann Friedrich Theodor Müller , better known as Fritz Müller, and also as Müller-Desterro, was a German biologist and physician who emigrated to southern Brazil, where he lived in and near the German community of Blumenau, Santa Catarina...
, Hermann von Ihering
Hermann von Ihering
Hermann von Ihering was a German-Brazilian zoologist. He was born at Kiel, Germany, and died at Gießen, Germany. He was the oldest son of Rudolf von Jhering.-Biography:...
, Émil Goeldi
Émil Goeldi
Émil August Goeldi , was a Swiss-Brazilian naturalist and zoologist....
and others. This science was mostly descriptive of the fantastic Brazilian biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of its flora and fauna, and also its geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, and until the creation of the National Museum, the specimens were mostly removed to European institutions.
In the educational area, a number of higher education institutions were founded in the 19th century, but for decades to come, most Brazilian students, still studied at European universities, such as the ancient University of Coimbra, in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
The Second Empire
Things started to change after 1841, when the eldest son of D. Pedro I, Emperor D. Pedro IIPedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
came to the throne when he was 15 years old. In the next 50 years, Brazil enjoyed a stable constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
. D. Pedro II was an enlightened monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
who favored the art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
s, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and had extensive international contacts in these areas. The mainstay of Brazilian science and the seat of its first research laboratories was the National Museum (Museu Nacional
Museu Nacional (Brazil)
The National Museum of Brazil is a centenarian museum and research institution, located in the Quinta da Boa Vista park in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.-History:...
) in Rio de Janeiro, in existence until today. D. Pedro developed a strong personal interest and selected and invited many august European scientific personalities, such as von Ihering and Goeldi, to work in Brazil. He and his ministers, courtesans and senators often attended scientific conferences in the Museum. There, the first laboratory of physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
was founded in 1880, under João Baptista de Lacerda
João Baptista de Lacerda
João Batista de Lacerda , was a physician and one of the pioneer Brazilian biomedical scientists in the fields of experimental physiology and pharmacology....
and Louis Couty
Louis Couty
Louis Couty was a French physician and physiologist. He worked at the Laboratory of Experimental Physiology at the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, the first of its kind in Brazil...
. Unfortunately, the creation of research universities and institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
s would only occur on the beginning of the 20th century - a long delay for the education, science and technology in Brazil.
Huge gap from empire to 1980. Either nothing happened or those who know are afraid to write this part of the story. Will anyone provide this piece of critically important history of Brazil? I am eager to know what happened from 1900 to 1980 in Brazil. I am sure there were ups and downs but they should be credited to whomever was responsible for them.
Organization
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and research centers and institutes, and some in private institutions, particularly in non-profit non-governmental organizations. Thanks to governmental regulations and incentives, however, since the 1990s is has been growing in the private universities and companies, as well. Accordingly, more than 90% of funding for basic research comes from governmental sources.
Applied research, technology and engineering is also largely carried out in the university and research centers system, contrary-wise to more developed countries such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, etc. The reasons for these are many, but the main ones are:
- Few Brazilian private companies are competitive or rich enough to have their own R&D&I, they usually develop products by outsourcing from other companies, usually foreign ones ;
- The high-technology private sector in Brazil is dominated by large multinational companies, which usually have their R&D&I centers overseas, and, with a few exceptions, do not invest in their Brazilian branches .
However, there is a significant trend reversing this now. Companies such as Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
have established large R&D&I centers in Brazil, starting with IBM, which had established an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
Center in Brazil since the 1970s. One of the incentive factors for this, besides the relatively lower cost and high sophistication and skills of Brazilian technical manpower, has been the so-called Informatics Law, which exempts from certain taxes up to 5% of the gross revenue of high technology manufacturing companies in the fields of telecommunications, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, digital electronics, etc. The Law has attracted annually more than 1,5 billion dollars of investment in Brazilian R&D&I. Multinational companies have also discovered that some products and technologies designed and developed by Brazilians have a nice competitivity and are appreciated by other countries, such as automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, software, fiber optics, electric appliance
Small appliance
Small appliance refers to a class of home appliances that are portable or semi-portable or which are used on tabletops, countertops, or other platforms in the United States of America...
s, and so on.
During the 1980s, Brazil pursued a policy of protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
in computing.
Companies and administrations were required to use Brazilian software and hardware, with imports subject to governmental authorization.
This encouraged the growth of Brazilian companies but, in spite of their development of products like MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
clones and SOX Unix
SOX Unix
SOX was a name of a UNIX clone developed from scratch in Brazil in late 1980s by Computadores e Sistemas Brasileiros SA , under the leadership of Ivan da Costa Marques...
, the Brazilian consumers of computing were suffering of lesser offer comparing to foreign competitors.
The government little by little authorized more and more imports until the barriers were removed.
Brazil's IT industry has achieved some remarkable feats, particularly in the area of software. In 2002, Brazil staged the world's first 100% electronic election with over 90% of results in within 2 hours. The system is particularly suited to a country with relatively high illiteracy rates since it flashes up a photograph of the candidate before a vote is confirmed. Citizens could download a desktop module that relayed the votes to their homes in realtime faster than the news networks could get them out.
In 2005, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
launched a "people's computer" to foster digital inclusion, with government finance available and a fixed minimum configuration. Having rejected the Microsoft operating system (Windows XP Starter Edition), it is being shipped with a Brazilian-configured Linux system offering basic functions such as word processing and internet browsing. Plans to make cheap internet access available have not yet come to fruition.
In 2008, the Brazilian Government under Lula da Silva, founded the CEITEC
CEITEC
The Centro Nacional de Tecnologia Eletrônica Avançada S.A is a Brazilian technology center specialized in project development and fabrication in microelectronics, i.e. integrated circuits, or "chips"...
, the first and only semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
s company in Latin America.
Funding
- Government (federal, state and municipal) sources. There are a number of state organizations which were created mostly in the 1950s specifically for directly promoting and funding R&D&I, such as the National Research Council (CNPq), which is now named Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoThe Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico is an organization of the Brazilian federal government under the Ministry of Science and Technology, dedicated to the promotion of scientific and technological research and to the formation of human resources for research in the...
and the National Agency for Financing Studies and Researches (FINEP), both a part of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT). MCT is a relatively novel ministry, having been created in 1990. Before this, CNPq was the only research granting institution at federal level, working directly under the Presidency of Republic. At state level, almost all states have founded their own public foundations for support of R&D&I, following the pioneering (and highly successful) example of São Paulo stateSão Paulo (state)São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
, which created the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo is a public foundation located in São Paulo, Brazil, with the aim of providing grants, funds and programs to support research, education and innovation of private and public institutions and companies in the state of São Paulo...
(FAPESP) in 1962. Usually these foundations are guaranteed by changes in the state constitutions, along the 1980s and 1990s. - Indirect funding through the budgets of public and private universities, institutes and centers. Some universities, such as UNICAMP, have their own internal agencies, foundations and funds set apart and managed with the purpose of supporting R&D&I by their faculties and students.
- Public companies, such as Embrapa (Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural Research). Their source of revenue is the government itself (via budgetary allocations by ministries and state secretaries) and investment of a part of products and services sold.
- Industrial, commercial and services private companies, usually for their own R&D&I centers, or via some fiscal benefit (tax exemption laws), such as the Informatics Law.
- National private and non-for-profit associations and foundations, via statutory mechanisms or donations by private individuals or companies. An example is the Banco do BrasilBanco do BrasilBanco do Brasil S.A. is the largest Brazilian and Latin American bank by assets, and the third by market value. The bank, headquartered in Brasília, was founded in 1808 and is the oldest active bank in Brazil — and one of the oldest financial institutions in the world.Banco do Brasil is controlled...
Foundation. - Funding by other nations, international organizations and multilateral institutions, such as Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, Ford FoundationFord FoundationThe Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, Inter-American Development BankInter-American Development BankThe Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
, World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, UNDP, World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, World Wildlife Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationBill & Melinda Gates FoundationThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
, US National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, Volkswagen FoundationVolkswagen GroupVolkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
, just to name a few of the more important ones in the history of Brazilian science and technology.
Timeline
- 1792: Foundation of the Royal Academy of Fortification, Artillery and Design, current Military Institute of EngineeringInstituto Militar de EngenhariaThe Instituto Militar de Engenharia is an engineering university maintained by the Brazilian Army with Federal support. IME is the oldest and one of the best ranked engineering schools in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Education of that country...
(IME). - 1900: Foundation of the Federal Institute Serotherapy, current Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FioCruz).
- 1916: Foundation of the Brazilian Society of Sciences, today Brazilian Academy of SciencesBrazilian Academy of SciencesThe Brazilian Academy of Sciences is the national academy of Brazil. It is headquartered in the city of Rio de Janeiro and was founded in 1916....
(ABC). - 1917: Beginning of the publication of the Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências.
- 1920: Foundation of the University of Brazil, current Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
- 1922: Foundation of the Top School of Agriculture and Veterinary, current Federal University of Viçosa (UFV).
- 1923: Foundation of the Brazilian Society of Chemistry (SBCh).
- 1923: Foundation of the Radio Society of Rio de Janeiro, the first radio broadcasting station still working under the name Rádio MEC in Rio de Janeiro.
- 1924: Foundation of the Brazilian Association of Education.
- 1925: Institution of the Einstein Prize, in reason of his visit to Brazil.
- 1930: Foundation of the National Institute of Weights and Standards, today National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro).
- 1934: Foundation of the University of São PauloUniversity of São PauloUniversidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
(USP). - 1948: Foundation of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC).
- 1949: Foundation of the Brazilian Center for Physics Research.
- 1950: Foundation of the Aeronautical Institute of Technology (ITA).
- 1951: Foundation of the National Research Council (CNPq).
- 1951: Foundation of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education PersonnelCoordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorCoordenadoria de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior is a government agency linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Education in charge of promoting high standards for post-graduate courses in Brazil....
(CAPES). - 1952: Foundation of the National Institute of Amazonian ResearchNational Institute of Amazonian ResearchThe National Institute of Amazonian Research is a public educational and research institution in Manaus, Brazil. It was founded in 1952, with the purpose of providing a further knowledge about the Brazilian Amazon Region...
(INPA). - 1953: Foundation of the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace TechnologyBrazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology (CTA)The Brazilian General-Command for Aerospace Technology is the national military research center for aviation and space flight of Brazil. It is subordinated to the Brazilian Air Force....
(CTA). - 1956: Foundation of the National Nuclear Energy CommissionNational Nuclear Energy CommissionThe National Nuclear Energy Commission is the Brazilian government agency responsible for the orientation, planning, supervision, and control of Brazil's nuclear program. The agency was created on 10 October 1956...
(CNEN]). - 1961: Foundation of the National Institute for Space ResearchNational Institute for Space ResearchThe National Institute for Space Research is a research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, whose main goals are fostering scientific research and technological applications and qualifying personnel in the fields of space and atmospheric sciences, space engineering, and space...
(INPE). - 1962: Foundation of the São Paulo State Foundation for Research Support (Fapesp).
- 1962: Foundation of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).
- 1967: Foundation of the National Agency for Financing Research and Projects (FINEP).
- 1980: Foundation of the National Laboratory of Scientific Computing (LNCC).
- 1985: Foundation of the National Laboratory of Synchrotron Radiation (LNRS), current National Laboratory of Synchrotron Light (LNLS).
- 1985: Foundation of the National Laboratory of Astrophysics (LNA).
- 1993: Institution of the National Order of Scientific MeritBrazilian Order of Scientific MeritThe National Order of Scientific Merit is an honor bestowed upon Brazilian and foreign personalities recognized for their scientific and technical contributions to the cause and development of science in Brazil.-Biology:* Marcelo Hermes-Lima* Jorge Curi...
. - 1994: Foundation of the Brazilian Space AgencyBrazilian Space AgencyThe Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno...
(AEB). - 2006: Foundation of the Federal University of ABC (UFABC).
- 2007: Foundation of the National Laboratory of Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE).
- 2010: Foundation of the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA).
Public universities, institutes and colleges
- IME - Instituto Militar de Engenharia (Military Institute of Engineering)
- ITA - Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (Aeronautics Technological Institute)
- UECE - Universidade Estadual do CearáUniversidade Estadual do CearáThe Universidade Estadual do Ceará is the second largest university in theState of Ceará, Brazil. The university has 26 undergraduate academic programs, and severalgraduate-level programs.-Location:...
(State University of Ceará) - UERJ - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (State University of Rio de Janeiro)
- UNIRIO - Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro)
- UFABC - Universidade Federal do ABCUniversidade Federal do ABCUniversidade Federal do ABC is a Brazilian institution of higher learning based in Santo André, with operations scheduled for several municipalities in the ABC region, all in the state of São Paulo....
(Federal University of ABC) - UFBA - Universidade Federal da BahiaUniversidade Federal da BahiaThe Universidade Federal da Bahia is a public university located mainly in the city of Salvador. The largest university of the State of Bahia, and one of the most prestigious Brazilian universities.Students can study there without having to pay tuition fees, as it is a public university...
(Federal University of Bahia) - UFCE - Universidade Federal do CearáUniversidade Federal do CearáFederal University of Ceará is a federal university with campuses in the cities of Fortaleza, Sobral and Barbalha, in the state of Ceará, Brazil...
(Federal University of Ceará) - UFCG - Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (Federal University of Campina Grande)
- UFES - Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (Federal University of Espírito Santo)
- UFF - Universidade Federal Fluminense (Federal University Fluminense)
- UFG - Universidade Federal de Goiás (Federal University of Goiás)
- UEG - Universidade Estadual de Goiás (State University of Goiás)
- UFMG - Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais is a federal university located in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The students are admitted through yearly exams called vestibular....
(Federal University of Minas Gerais) - UFPA - Universidade Federal do Pará (Federal University of Pará)
- UFPE - Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Federal University of Pernambuco)
- UFPI- Universidade Federal do Piauí (Federal University of Piauí)
- UFPR - Universidade Federal do ParanáUniversidade Federal do ParanáFederal University of Paraná is a university headquartered in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.Established on December 19, 1912 and initially named as Universidade do Paraná , the Universidade Federal do Paraná – UFPR is regarded as the oldest Brazilian university.In 1920, the federal government split...
(Federal University of Paraná) - UFRGS - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul)
- UFRJ - Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroThe Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is one of the largest federal universities of Brazil, where public universities comprise the majority of the best and most qualified institutions...
(Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) - UFRN - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do NorteUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do NorteThe Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte is a public Brazilian university funded by the Brazilian federal government, located in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil....
(Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte) - UFSCAR - Universidade Federal de São Carlos (Federal University of São Carlos)
- UFSC - Universidade Federal de Santa CatarinaUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaFederal University of Santa Catarina is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil....
(Federal University of Santa Catarina) - UFSM - Universidade Federal de Santa MariaUniversidade Federal de Santa MariaThe Federal University of Santa Maria is a Brazilian public university located in Santa Maria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, funded by the federal government of Brazil...
(Federal University of Santa Maria) - UFV - Universidade Federal de ViçosaUniversidade Federal de ViçosaUniversidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV - is a public federal university located in the city of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil...
(Federal University of Viçosa) - UnB - Universidade de Brasília (University of Brasília)
- UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (São Paulo State University)
- UNICAMP - Universidade Estadual de CampinasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasUniversidade Estadual de Campinas is one of the three public universities of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, along both USP and UNESP....
(State University of Campinas) - UNIFEI - Universidade Federal de Itajubá (Federal University of Itajubá)
- UNIFESP - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Federal University of São Paulo)
- UNITAU - Universidade de TaubatéUniversidade de TaubatéThe University of Taubaté is a public university in Taubaté, São Paulo state, Brazil.-External links:*...
(University of Taubaté) - USP - Universidade de São Paulo (University of São Paulo)
- UFT - Universidade Federal do TocantinsUniversidade Federal do TocantinsThe Universidade Federal do Tocantins , also known as UFT, is a public federal university located in the state of Tocantins, Brazil...
(Federal University of Tocantins)
Private universities
- PUC-PR - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná)
- PUC-SP - Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo)
- PUCCamp - Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas)
- PUC-RJ - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de JaneiroPontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de JaneiroThe Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro is a private and non-profit Catholic university, located in Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil...
(Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro) - UCB - Universidade Católica de BrasíliaUniversidade Católica de BrasíliaThe Universidade Católica de Brasília is a private and non-profit Catholic university, located in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities...
- (Catholic University of Brasília) - PUC-GO - Pontifícia Universidade Católica de GoiásPontifícia Universidade Católica de GoiásThe Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás is a private and non-profit Pontifical catholic university, located in Goiânia and Ipameri, is the first university of the State of Goiás. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities...
- (Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás) - PUC-MG - Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas GeraisPontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas GeraisPontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais is a private and non-profit Brazilian Catholic university located in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities. In 2006 and 2010, PUC-MG was chosen the best private university in Brazil...
(Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais) - PUC-RS - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do SulPontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do SulThe Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul is a private non-profit Catholic university, with three campuses, in the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre, Uruguaiana, and Viamão...
(Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul) - ULBRA - Universidade Luterana do BrasilUniversidade Luterana do BrasilThe Universidade Luterana do Brasil is a university located in the city of Canoas, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil...
(Lutheran University of Brazil) - Mack - Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (Mackenzie Presbyterian University)
- UNIFOR - Universidade de Fortaleza (University of Fortaleza)
- Centro Universitário da FEI (Industrial Engineering College) www.fei.edu.br
- FAAP - Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, São Paulo, São Paulo
- FAMEC - Faculdade Metropolitana de Curitiba, (Sistema FIEP - www.famec.fiepr.org.br)
Research and development institutes
- Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology (CTA)Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology (CTA)The Brazilian General-Command for Aerospace Technology is the national military research center for aviation and space flight of Brazil. It is subordinated to the Brazilian Air Force....
- São José dos Campos - Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em TelecomunicaçõesCentro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em TelecomunicaçõesThe Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Telecomunicações is a Brazilian research and development institution in telecommunications. It is located in the district of Barão Geraldo in the city of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, near the State University of Campinas central...
- Campinas - Centro de Pesquisas Renato ArcherCentro de Pesquisas Renato ArcherThe ' is a research and development center of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology , previously named Fundação Centro Tecnológico para Informática , which was founded 1982. It is located in the city of Campinas, state of São Paulo, at the Rodovia Dom Pedro I...
- Campinas - Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic BaseComandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic BaseThe Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base is a Brazilian research station located in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula....
- Antarctica - Edumed Institute for Education in Medicine and Health - Campinas
- Eldorado InstituteEldorado InstituteThe Eldorado Research Institute is a non-profit research, development and innovation institution with its headquarters located in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. And branches in Brasília, Federal Capital and Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul state. It was founded in 1999...
- Campinas - Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa AgropecuáriaEmpresa Brasileira de Pesquisa AgropecuáriaThe Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária is a state-owned company affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, which is devoted to pure and applied research on agriculture. EMBRAPA conducts agricultural research on many topics including animal agriculture and crops...
- Brasília - Instituto Adolfo Lutz - São Paulo
- Instituto Agronômico de CampinasInstituto Agronômico de CampinasThe Instituto Agronômico de Campinas is a research and development institution affiliated to the Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios , of the Secretary of Agriculture of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with headquarters in the city of Campinas...
- Campinas - Instituto Atlântico - Fortaleza
- Instituto ButantanInstituto ButantanInstituto Butantan is a Brazilian biomedical research center affiliated to the São Paulo State Secretary of Health. It is located near the campus of the University of São Paulo, in the city of the same name.-History:...
- São Paulo - Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária (BIOAGRO) - Viçosa
- Instituto de Pesquisas da Amazônia - Manaus
- Instituto de Pesquisas em Energia Nuclear - São Paulo
- Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas do Estado de São Paulo (IPT) - São Paulo
- Instituto Evandro Chagas - Belém
- Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada - Rio de Janeiro
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) - São José dos Campos
- Instituto Oswaldo CruzInstituto Oswaldo CruzThe Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is a scientific institution for research and development in biomedical sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is considered one of the world's main public health research institutions. It was founded by Dr...
- Rio de Janeiro - Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica (LNCC) - Petrópolis
- Laboratório Nacional de Luz SíncrotronLaboratório Nacional de Luz SíncrotronLaboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron is the Brazilian National Laboratory of Synchrotron Light, a research institution on physics, chemistry, material science and life sciences...
- Campinas - Museu Paraense Emílio GoeldiMuseu Paraense Emílio GoeldiThe Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi is a Brazilian research institution and museum located in the city of Belém, state of Pará. It was founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna as the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, and was later named in honor of Swiss naturalist Émil August...
- Belém - Resende Nuclear Fuel FactoryResende Nuclear Fuel FactoryThe Nuclear Fuel Factory is located near Resende, state of Rio de Janeiro, comprising three units, and has a production capacity of 280 tons of uranium per year. At present, FCN was modernized and produces at the Components and Assembly Unit the fuel rods and fuel elements needed for Brazilian...
- Rezende - São José dos Campos Technology Park - São José dos Campos
Scientific societies
- Brazilian Academy of SciencesBrazilian Academy of SciencesThe Brazilian Academy of Sciences is the national academy of Brazil. It is headquartered in the city of Rio de Janeiro and was founded in 1916....
- Brazilian Society of Health InformaticsBrazilian Society of Health InformaticsThe Sociedade Brasileira de Informática em Saúde The Sociedade Brasileira de Informática em Saúde The Sociedade Brasileira de Informática em Saúde (Brazilian Society of Health Informatics in Portuguese, abbreviated as SBIS is a professional society created in November 1986 in Campinas, during the...
- Academia Nacional de MedicinaAcademia Nacional de MedicinaAcademia Nacional de Medicina is the Brazilian National Academy of Medicine, a body composed by the most august representatives of Brazilian medicine....
- Brazilian Computer SocietyBrazilian Computer SocietyThe Brazilian Computer Society was established in 1978, as a scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of Computer Science in Brazil and the associated technologies and applications...
- Federação das Sociedades de Biologia ExperimentalFederação das Sociedades de Biologia ExperimentalThe Federação das Sociedades de Biologia Experimental is a Brazilian scientific association which federates a number of the mainstream specialized societies in experimental biology and medicine...
- Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da CiênciaSociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da CiênciaSociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência is a Brazilian scientific society created in 1948 by several prominent scientists, with the aim of promoting science, culture and education in the country by means of publications, conferences and political actions on behalf of science's advancement...
- Brazilian Telecommunications SocietyBrazilian Telecommunications SocietyThe Brazilian Telecommunications Society is a scientific academy of Brazil. Created in 1983 with no competing financial interest, it is devoted to promoting the diffusion, the development and the interchange of ideas and results in the field of Telecommunications. The SBrT is co-sister society of...
- Brazilian Power Electronics Society - SOBRAEP
See also
- Universities and higher education in BrazilUniversities and higher education in BrazilBrazil adopts a mixed system of public and private funded universities. Usually public funded universities offer the best quality education, and they are 100% financed by the government...
- CNPq
- Lattes PlatformLattes PlatformThe Lattes Platform is an information system maintained by the Brazilian Government to manage information on science, technology and innovation related to individual researchers and institutions working in Brazil.It is named after a Brazilian physicist, Cesar Lattes, and it is maintained by the...
- Ministry of Education (Brazil)Ministry of Education (Brazil)The Ministry of Education , MEC, is a Brazilian government ministry.Functions of this ministry: national education policy, early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, higher education, youth and adult education, among other teachings Taking their proper decisions so that...
External links
- The Museu Nacional and its European employees. Jens Andermann
- The Museu Nacional at Rio de Janeiro. Jens Andermann
- The Brazilian Centre of Physical Research.
- Brazil Technology.