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This chapter examines the internationalisation of public higher education in Brazil using the theoretical triptych of internationalisation as developed by leading scholars in the field: internationalisation at home (IaH), internationalisation abroad (IA), and internationalisation at a distance (IaD). This framework – while rooted in knowledge, systems, and scholarship from researchers and institutions in the Global North – is a constructive tool for categorising and understanding internationalisation at Brazil’s higher education institutions (HEIs) when coupled with an exploration of the history, context, policy, and dynamics of internationalisation efforts. The chapter then summarises and underscores recent and important scholarship by Brazilian researchers and others in the Global South that describes the history of the nation’s internationalisation efforts. It also critiques the powerful influence that Global North-centred objectives and priorities for internationalisation have on the process at Brazilian HEIs. Following a discussion of the theoretical framework and relevant literature, the chapter provides a case study of internationalisation efforts and initiatives of an elite public university, the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). Content analysis of UFMG’s website and publicly available reports and data demonstrates a high level of institutional internationalisation that has unfolded in recent years, stimulated by federal funding and guided by a strategic framework developed within the Ministry of Education. An analysis of UFMG’s mission, partnerships and programmes finds that the institution serves as an example of internationalisation in Brazil’s public higher education context, as its programmes and initiatives exemplify the overarching objectives of internationalisation in Brazilian higher education.

This study aims to examine how Brazilian universities have implemented the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in institutional practices, curriculum and teaching, management and community outreach programs.

This study is based on content analysis of the data sets of Brazilian higher education courses and their link to SDGs. A literature review has also been developed to integrate the knowledge of sustainability practices in Brazilian universities. Dashboards will be used to present the related findings.

Brazilian universities’ practices have concentrated their efforts on SDGs, which include responsible consumption and production, sustainable cities and communities and quality education. The literature emphasizes energy efficiency, reflecting its prominence as a subject of study among universities.

This research highlights the innovative use of data analysis techniques to present the findings. It also provides examples of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, frameworks and tools that can help sustainability management in this sector.

This paper analyzes affirmative action policies that include racial and socioeconomic criteria in order to enhance the opportunity of access of underrepresented groups in Brazilian elite universities. It focuses on the public system of higher education since research universities in Brazil are mainly public and are free of charge. This renders them very competitive and highly selective. Emphasis is given to issues related to racial quotas, as the latter has been the subject of great controversy in Brazilian society. The experiences of three universities are analyzed.

This study aims to discuss to what extent are WMPs practical tools for circular and sustainable waste management in universities, presenting, therefore, a case study of the usage of WMP in the Brazilian public universities and comparing this scenario with the international context.

The WMPs were identified by online search and analyzed according to qualitative indicators (spatial-temporal distribution, year, extent and virtual availability), and through circularity and sustainability criteria, using a proposed checklist.

Even being mandatory instruments, only 17% of the 103 public universities in Brazil had a WMP identified, and, among these plans, 55% were restricted to healthcare services waste, only 15% covered all university campuses. Although most of the available plans indicate measures for more sustainable waste management (e.g., recyclable waste collection on campus), they lack specific deadlines for presented goals on waste management, treating waste management at a more emergency pace than in well-structured long-term planning.

Numerous studies have discussed waste management strategies for universities worldwide, but few have addressed the usage and structure of WMPs. A case study of the Brazilian situation in light of the international scenario is of great value in understanding the differences between universities in terms of waste management, and with strong potential to support the structuring of more solid environmental policies in universities, especially in developing countries.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the strategies and organizational forms used by large Brazilian pharmaceutical companies (LBPCs) in interaction with universities for the development of innovation.

In the pharmaceutical industry, a science-based sector, the source of new knowledge is often outside the company environment. Thus, the search for innovation depends on the company’s strategic decisions of cooperation. This research uses the case study method, with secondary data from the 2008, 2011 and 2014 Innovation Survey (Pintec) about the innovative efforts of LBPCs, as well as primary data from semi-structured interviews with six of them.

The most recent data on innovation in Brazil show changes in the innovative efforts of LBPCs, involving the raise in the interaction with universities. The results of the field research also show that the LBPCs have differentiated innovative structures and are effectively using strategies for partnerships with universities, through the creation of radical innovation departments, the establishment of internal scientific committees and the internationalization of research and development.

These findings contribute to the literature on the industry-university interactions in Brazil and in developing countries. However, this analysis cannot be generalized for the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry as it uses the case study method. Moreover, it is too early to determine if the identified strategies were successful. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that the strategies of the six interviewed companies differ greatly from the patterns of the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry and the manufacturing industry.

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las estrategias y estructuras organizacionales de las grandes empresas farmacéuticas brasileñas (GEFBs) en la interacción con universidades para el desarrollo innovador. En la industria farmacéutica, un sector basado en la ciencia, la fuente del conocimiento suele estar fuera del ambiente de la empresa. Por lo tanto, la búsqueda de la innovación depende de las decisiones estratégicas de cooperación de la empresa.

Esta investigación utiliza el método de estudio de caso, a partir de datos secundarios de la Encuesta de Innovación (Pintec) de 2008, 2011 y 2014 sobre los esfuerzos innovadores de las GEFBs, así como datos primarios de entrevistas semiestructuradas con seis de ellas.

Los datos más recientes sobre innovación en Brasil muestran cambios en los esfuerzos innovadores de las GEFBs, incluyendo ampliación de la interacción con universidades. Los resultados de la investigación de campo también indican que las GEFBS poseen estructuras innovadoras diferenciadas y están aplicando estratégicas de alianzas con universidades, por la creación de departamentos de innovación radical, por el establecimiento de comités científicos internos y por la internacionalización de la investigación e innovación.

Este análisis no puede ser generalizado para la industria farmacéutica brasileña por utilizar el método de estudio de caso. Además, es muy temprano para determinar si las estrategias identificadas obtuvieron éxito.

Estrategias empresariales, interacción universidad-empresa, Brasil

Estudio de caso

Estos resultados contribuyen a la literatura sobre interacciones universidad-empresa en Brasil y en países en desarrollo. Asimismo, debe ser mencionado que las estrategias de las seis empresas entrevistadas difieren considerablemente de los padrones de la industria farmacéutica y de la industria de transformación brasileñas.

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar as estratégias e estruturas organizacionais das grandes empresas farmacêuticas brasileiras (GEFBs) na interação com universidades para o desenvolvimento inovativo. Na indústria farmacêutica, um setor baseado em ciência, a fonte do conhecimento costuma estar fora do ambiente da empresa. Portanto, a busca pela inovação depende das decisões estratégicas de cooperação da empresa.

Esta pesquisa utiliza o método de estudo de caso, a partir de dados secundários da Pesquisa de Inovação (Pintec) de 2008, 2011 e 2014 sobre os esforços inovativos das GEFBs, assim como dados primários de entrevistas semiestruturadas com seis delas. Os dados mais recentes sobre inovação no Brasil mostram mudanças nos esforços inovativos das GEFBs, incluindo a ampliação da interação com universidades.

Os resultados da pesquisa de campo também indicam que as GEFBs possuem estruturas inovativas diferenciadas e estão efetivamente aplicando estratégicas de parcerias com universidades, pela criação de departamentos de inovação radical, pelo estabelecimento de comitês científicos internos e pela internacionalização da pesquisa e inovação.

Esta análise não pode ser generalizada para a indústria farmacêutica brasileira por utilizar o método de estudo de caso. Ademais, é muito cedo para determinar se as estratégias identificadas obtiveram sucesso.

Esses resultados contribuem para a literatura sobre interações universidade-empresa no Brasil e em países em desenvolvimento. Outrossim, deve ser mencionado que as estratégias das seis empresas entrevistadas diferem consideravelmente do padrão da indústria farmacêutica e da indústria de transformação brasileiras.

Estratégias empresariais, interação universidade-empresa, indústria farmacêutica, Brasil

Estudo de caso

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the academic side of university–firm linkages, reporting the results of research (called the “BR Survey”, a primary database) conducted in Brazil with leaders of research groups that interacted with firms. The authors analysed the answers from 662 research groups (from both universities and research institutes) to investigate whether the intensity of private funds affects the results of the interactions. The main intent is to answer the following question: Is there a difference between funding sources and the type of results achieved by research groups when interacting with firms?

To verify the impact of some variables on the perception of the main results of university–firm interactions, highlighting the impact of funding sources, the authors present a Logit Model defined with binary dependent variables. The null value is categorized as a “scientific result” (new scientific discoveries and research projects; publications, theses and dissertations; human resources’ and students’ education) and the value 1 is classified as an “innovative/technological result” (new products, artefacts and processes; improvement of industrial products and processes; patents, software, design and spin-off firms).

The authors found that the modes of interaction (relationship types) and some knowledge transfer channels, besides the number of interactions with firms, have statistically significant coefficients, so their values present different impacts on the results of the interaction. The results suggest that the Brazilian innovation policy towards a more active and entrepreneurial role of universities is fostering innovative/technological results from university–firm interactions.

The originality of the study lies on the results found that given the fact that private funding sources do not affect the conventional mission of Brazilian universities – teaching and research – university research groups should be even more incentivized to search for private funds to carry out their research. This may be a solution to the public fund scarcity and may help in reducing the historical distance between universities and firms in Brazil.

This study aims to analyze the situation of Federal Universities (FUs) regarding compliance with the Sustainable Logistics Management Plan (PLS) Normative Instruction (NI) 10/2012, the adoption of which is compulsory for all agencies and entities of direct, autarchic and foundational public administration and dependent state-owned enterprises, including FUs. PLS is an instrument intended to establish sustainability practices in the management of public organizations.

The data were collected through searches on the websites of the 68 Brazilian FUs that constitute the study population, along with their plans of action (PAs) and monitoring reports.

The collected data revealed that only 25% of the FUs had a current PA and 15% published a report for the years 2020 or 2021. Furthermore, the most commonly found mandatory issue to be addressed in PAs was electricity, and the least frequent was sustainable procurement and contracting.

Future research should be conducted with the Management Committee of the PLS to understand the reason for the discontinuity of this work in some universities and the rationale behind the mandatory issues.

Some studies address FUs’ implementation of PLS, which promotes sustainable management systems. However, each of the identified studies investigated only one of the seven mandatory issues set down in NI 10/2012, which did not allow a complete assessment of the FUs’ situation exclusively in respect of compliance with the PLS.

For the longest period of its history, the university was the guardian and transmitter – not the producer – of knowledge. This relatively recent change of transmitting canonical knowledge and generating new knowledge is normally associated with Wilhelm von Humboldt. Other highly influential university models were provided by France and Great Britain. The association of certain types of universities with particular countries is a strong indicator of the intricate link between nation-state and education. Hence, the history of tertiary education and its elite institutions, the research universities, must be considered in relation with a sea change in educational history – the gradual emergence of national education systems. Only under the conditions of the by now standard form of organizing modern societies as nation-states did education become a central institution (Meyer, Boli, Thomas, & Ramirez, 1997) collapsing individual perfectibility and national progress. The nationally redefined university was integrated into the education system as its keystone while also being considered the motor of societal development. From a social history perspective, the latter aspect in particular indicates the pragmatic (training professionals, imparting military and technical knowledge, etc.) and symbolic expectations, “myths” of the nation-state that have been so aptly described and analyzed in numerous macro-sociological neo-institutionalist studies (Meyer, Ramirez, & Soysal, 1992; Meyer et al., 1997; Ramirez & Boli, 1987). In a macro-phenomenological perspective, the term “myth” is used to denote a fundamental change in the self-description of European society which since the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries no longer views itself as consisting of separate collectivities divided from each other by social origin – as was the case under feudal conditions – with each collectivity providing itself the necessary education for its members or being provided for by others in the case of neediness. Instead, as a result of a number of material and immaterial changes, society now defines the individual as its key unit, with the nation being consequently the aggregate of individuals and not of collectivities and the state redefined as the guardian of the nation. This conception might be taken as a kind of overlapping area which includes different approaches, such as Michel Foucault's concept of the disciplinary society (Foucault, 1977), Balibar and Wallerstein's (1991) deliberations on the relation between race, class, and nation, and Benedict Anderson's (1991) description of nations as imagined communities. All these studies could be taken as sharing the notion of “constructedness” (cf. Berger & Luckmann, 1972) of modern society with the neo-institutionalist perspective. The concept of a “world polity” which encompasses the “myths” society is based on, the overall notion of a cognitive culture, which takes Max Weber's concept of rationality as a point of departure, is identified as the basis of isomorphic change in the organizational structure of modern education systems (cf. Baker & Wiseman, 2006). However, the strong emphasis on international, world system embeddedness of nation-states and their education systems is not to be taken as a unidirectional dependence on external forces. While modern nation-states originate from and remain tied to international dynamics and developments, they are conceived as unique entities. For most of their history, modern nation-states have been preoccupied with making themselves distinct from each other. Thus, while international competition has always been present, looking abroad traditionally meant reworking, adapting, and reshaping what was imported, or borrowed (Halpin & Troyna, 1995; Steiner-Khamsi, 2004). This is true for education as well as for other areas of society.

This study aims to investigate the influence of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), innovation and sustainability, through environmental awareness, in the formation of entrepreneurial intention (EI).

Based on the alignment between theoretical axes, such as the theory of planned behavior, adaptation–innovation theory and the environmental axis of sustainability, quantitative research was developed with students from Brazilian and Spanish universities. We obtained a sample of 686 university students enrolled in courses related to management in both countries. Data analysis included exploratory factor analysis and logistic regression.

Our results revealed that the constructs of TPB (personal attitudes and perceived behavioral control) influenced EI, excluding subjective norms. Innovation had an influence on the EI of students from both countries. In Brazilians, valuing change predicts EI, highlighting the importance of flexibility. Conversely, Spaniards emphasize originality, valuing uniqueness and creativity as drivers of EI. Sustainability, via environmental awareness, did not influence EI.

With this study, we aim to encourage policies and practices aimed at higher education institutions globally, to broaden the understanding about the importance of environmental, innovative and social studies and practices aligned with the context of entrepreneurship. The final aim is to enhance social and environmental benefits generated by future entrepreneurs.

This article aims at presenting the concept of the Brazilian university’s third mission and its relevance for predicting teaching behavior. To that end, this article presents a conceptual model of that third mission in Brazil and how its relationship with stakeholders was built.

This is a conceptual article. The authors analyze the third mission and the Brazilian educational model to suggest predicting teaching behavior as a possibility to optimize the third mission in higher education institutions.

The Brazilian third mission is related to civilian participation, John Dewey’s democratic education management, Paulo Freire’s transformative education, Triple-Helix and the knowledge ecology. This association enables insight into the relevance of the third mission and into the need for professors’ participation.

Revealing the factors of behavior prediction to perform the third mission is the first mission of the theory of planned behavior. Based on these data, the theory suggests interventions without changing teaching behavior. This possibility might increase the adherence of the professor to activities related to the third mission.

This article contributes to studies on the development of the third mission and to the sharing of a conceptual model that is partially different from the European model, thus promoting broader results for stakeholders. The indications made here can lead to empirical studies to further approximate the higher education institutions and the various sectors of society. Moreover, there is room for investigations that aim at a conceptual convergence at the international level for the third mission, as it happens for teaching and researching.