Creationist appointed to lead Brazilian sector agency
New Capes president promoted teaching of ‘intelligent design’ as head of private religious university
February 1, 2020
By Anna McKie
Twitter: @annamckieThe choice of a creationist to lead the agency that regulates postgraduate degrees in Brazil is further evidence of the government’s assault on science and universities, academics have said.
Jair Bolsonaro’s administration appointed Benedito Guimarães Aguiar Neto president of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) agency at the end of January.
Mr Aguiar Neto is a former rector of Mackenzie Presbyterian University, a private religious institution in São Paulo, where he promoted the teaching of “intelligent design”. He has regularly talked of his belief in creationism and disbelief in evolution, according to Brazilian media.
Brazil’s public universities facing crisis as cuts deepen
Brazilian academics told Times Higher Education that the announcement was the latest in a series of attacks on science, research and education since Mr Bolsonaro became president last year.
His government has already made large funding cuts to federal universities and has halved the Ministry of Science’s budget. An earlier appointment – of Abraham Weintraub as education minister – was also badly received. The right-wing economist has been widely ridiculed for a series of gaffes on Twitter.
More:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/creationist-appointed-lead-brazilian-sector-agency
= new reply since forum marked as read
