PhD defence

Advancing the evaluation of graduate education

• A.L. Brasil Varandas Pinto

Date

Tuesday 24 October 2023

Time

10:00 - 10:45 hour

Address

Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden

Supervisor(s)

• Prof.dr. S. de Rijcke
• dr. E. Noijons

Summary

This dissertation undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the Brazilian National System of Graduate Education (SNPG) and its evaluation, primarily overseen by the Brazilian Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES). Situated at the intersection of research evaluation, scientometrics, and science policy studies, this research adopts a multilayered approach to dissect the complex interplay between evaluation methods, academic performance, societal impact, and policy implications in Brazil.

Drawing upon a decade of professional experience by the author as a CAPES policy officer, the dissertation is organised in four parts. The first explores the historical landscape of graduate education and its evaluation in Brazil. The second part analyses Brazilian reality from an international perspective, including a comparative study between the Brazilian and Dutch research evaluation systems, highlighting their unique attributes and historical contexts. A subsequent part of the dissertation relies on mixed methods to investigate some of the most fundamental evaluation instruments adopted in the Brazilian system, including the main strategies for evaluating scholarly publishing. The final part grapples with challenges arising from the exponential growth of the SNPG, and explores the potential of self-assessment strategies to foster a necessary multidimensional approach to the country's evaluation.

Through rigorous research conducted at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), this work concludes that, while the Brazilian performance-driven evaluation may propel its scientific endeavours, it risks stifling innovation and diversity. Therefore, the author advocates for a review of existing paradigms, emphasising the need for a more holistic and context-sensitive evaluation approach that acknowledges the multifaceted academic landscape of Brazil.

PhD dissertations

Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.

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