Internacionalização da educação superior: uma análise das estratégias, contextos e práticas da Unilab

Abstract

This thesis has as its object of study the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (Unilab), its contexts, practices and internationalization strategies that have been consolidated in the institution's ten years of operation. We carried out the research in order to understand and analyze the promotion of the rhetorical and political purposes of Unilab's internationalization, since its creation, seeking to understand how its practices are consistent with, or diverge from, the perspective of south-south Brazilian cooperation. With this objective in perspective, our thesis regarding the research object is that the institutionalization of Unilab's internationalization maintains a dependent relationship with the national political and institutional context, and as this political context changes substantially, the execution of this mission is compromised, at least in the way it was originally proposed, and affects the weakening of Unilab's institutionalization internationalization strategies. We also start from the assertion that the consolidation of these internationalization strategies depends on the acceptance of this principle in the internal context of Unilab. We mobilized three main fields of reflection to undertake the research: internationalization of higher education, especially the characterization of active and passive internationalization (LIMA; CONTEL, 2011; LIMA; MARANHÃO, 2009), counter- hegemonic globalization (SANTOS, 1989; 2008; BERHEIM; CHAUÍ, 2008) and the assumption of internationalization as the fourth mission of the university (SANTOS; ALMEIDA FILHO, 2012). As a research methodology, we carried out documentary research along with Unilab’s internal normative documents, bibliographical research in the main academic productions related to the theme and field research that included interviews with eleven professors who worked in management positions at the institution. As a result of the research, we conclude that Unilab's internationalization strategies loses strength as the national political and economic context becomes less open to dialogue with southern countries, especially with regard to the African continent. Added to this process, as we have perceived it, is the observation that the principle of internationalization is still not a consensus with the academic community due to a context marked by internal tensions, political instabilities and institutional weaknesses, which tend to impact the establishment of international relations based on the principle of cooperation with partner countries.