Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu na Amazônia: reflexões dos egressos do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Trópico Úmido, do Núcleo de Altos Estudos Amazônicos, da UFPA

Abstract

The objective of this doctoral-level study is to explore the reflections of master's and doctoral graduates from the stricto sensu graduate program conducted by the Graduate Program in Sustainable Development of the Humid Tropics (PPGDSTU), part of the Núcleo de Altos Estudos Amazônicos (Naea), and their contribution to sustainable development in the Amazon and Pan-Amazon regions. The study considers the interdisciplinary aspect of the academic training of these graduates, focusing on the period from 2007 to 2020. It falls within the scope of higher education studies, guided by the following research questions: a) How did PPGDSTU contribute to the training of these graduates? b) Where are these graduates professionally and geographically located? c) What are the graduates’ reflections on the contribution that the Naea’s stricto sensu graduate program made to their professional and/or academic careers? d) How have PPGDSTU graduates contributed their knowledge acquired during their master's and/or doctoral studies to the development of the Amazon and Pan-Amazon regions in the context of sustainable development? The specific research locus is the Graduate Program in Sustainable Development of the Humid Tropics (PPGDSTU), which constitutes the empirical focus of analysis, considering that it is a subunit of the (Naea), at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). This research adopted a qualitative and exploratory methodology, employing the dialectical interpretation method and using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions. Its general objective is to explore the reflections of the graduates on their training for sustainable development received during the program. In addition to the graduates, interviews were conducted with the current director of Naea and two PPGDSTU faculty members who agreed to participate in the research. The international dimension of PPGDSTU and Naea was highlighted, as the Naea has always had an international and interdisciplinary vocation, promoting a critical view of the Amazon's role in the global context. The results revealed, among other aspects, that PPGDSTU is perceived by its graduates as a center of excellence in stricto sensu graduate education in the Amazon. Many of these graduates are professionally located in the Amazon region itself, contributing their knowledge to the dissemination of sustainable development practices not only in the Amazon but also in other regions of Brazil and the Pan-Amazon.