Políticas de ensino superior e o engajamento dos refugiados no crescimento inclusivo

Abstract

Considering the exponential growth in the number of refugees received in Brazil in recent years and its challenges to the local reality, it is necessary to think about refugee’s economic and social inclusion in Brazilian society. This leads to a debate on the vision of inclusive growth, which allows all people to participate in the growth process. In this context, in the social dimension, higher education policies stand out, playing an essential role in promoting the inclusion of this population and enhancing their capacities for the country’s development. In view of this, the main objective of this research is to analyze which higher education policies, adopted by Federal Universities in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná, engage refugees in inclusive growth. Such policies were classified according to the degrees of inclusion of Gidley et al.: equity of access; participatory engagement; and empowerment. With regard to methodological procedures, qualitative approach research was chosen with an applied purpose. The objectives are characterized as exploratory (bibliographic and documentary) and descriptive (content analysis). In order to reach the research objectives, the following data collection instruments were used: requests for access to information and field research to collect public data published on the internet. Data were analyzed according to two categories: higher education policies and inclusive growth. The results show that there is a relationship between the quantity of higher education policies carried out in institutions and the engagement of refugees in inclusive growth, summarized in this survey by the percentage of representation of refugees in federal universities. The engagement of refugees in inclusive growth is more expressive in the state of Paraná, where the highest number of institutional actions and policies was identified; they are related, in order of recurrence, with degrees of inclusion: equity of access; participatory engagement; and empowerment. The main result of the research shows that the actions of specific selection process and support networks, in the degree of equity of access, and the actions of Portuguese classes and extension courses, in the degree of participatory engagement, are the institutional policies of higher education that most engage refugees in inclusive growth. Thus, the study proves to be relevant, as it addresses an emerging issue of social importance, surpassing the theoretical value. In articulating policies to meet the growing demand for refugees by analyzing existing policies in universities, relating them to inclusive growth, research can help formulate new initiatives and improve existing ones.