UFBA hosts debate on the future of higher education in Brazil

The Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) held a meeting in Salvador to discuss the future of higher education in Brazil. The event featured Marcus Vinicius David, the Secretary of Higher Education for the Ministry of Education (MEC), who addressed the reconstruction of public universities, federal investments, and the expansion of access and retention policies, such as the 'Bolsa Permanência' for indigenous and quilombola students.

Marcius Gomes, the Secretary of Education for the State of Bahia, emphasized the necessary integration between basic and higher education to drive regional development through research and innovation. The event also included a demonstration in defense of democracy and public education, featuring singer Daniela Mercury, an alumna of the institution, who spoke on the importance of public universities in guaranteeing basic rights.

UFBA Rector João Carlos Salles characterized the public university as a vital space for scientific production, art, culture, and resistance.