Social responsibility of postgraduate courses and programs of formation of new scientists and teachers of superior level

Abstract

To delineate the social responsibility of the masters degree programs requests an exam of its role in the context of the institutions of superior level and in relation to the administration of science, technology and higher education in the country. The most important function of the masters and doctors degree programs is to form new scientists and teachers of superior level in order to guarantee to the country a production of knowledge, technology and learning compatible with the its own demands and with the development of the science and technology at international level. The programs must form professionals who are able, in the university contexts and out of them, to transform the more recent scientific knowledge in significant professional performances for the society. The use of new knowledge always depends on the capacity of the scientists to educate the society for the use of that knowledge. The lack of scientists and teachers of superior level is one of the conditions to restrict the scientific and technological development of the third world. It is unlikely that the postgraduate programs Will get to play its part adequately if they are not capable to review and to modify some of its fundamental social identity aspects: its clarity in relation to the role of knowledge in the teaching and learning processes in the qualification of new professionals; its clarity about the social identity of the teaching institutions of superior level; its capacity to anticipate the social needs to decide what needs to be taught to the new professionals; its commitment to the masters degree programs with the specific responsibility of the higher education institutions; its clarity with the role of higher education institutions. Without solving many of the current problems of incomplete formulations and mistaken suppositions the development of the main role of the masters and doctorate programs is at risk, and there is higher chance of misunderstandings due to a misconception which states that is necessary to have post-graduate programs to do research. However, the most significant relationship is exactly the opposite: a higher education institution with high quality experts is the one that has better conditions to create programs for new scientists and teachers of superior level.

Keywords: social responsibility of the master degree; scientist’s professional formation; administration of science, technology and higher education.