History and Goals
Our Goals
The Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation – CAPES – is a foundation attached to the Ministry of Education (MEC). It aims at the growth and consolidation of postgraduate programs stricto sensu ( Master and Doctorate Degrees).In 2007, CADES also became responsible for the training and qualification in Basic Education.
The activities of the Agency are grouped in the following lines of action, each developed in a set of structured programs:
1) – Postgraduate Evaluation stricto sensu.
2) – Access and dissemination of scientific production.
3) – Investments in the qualification of professionals, both in the Country or abroad.
4) – Promotion of international scientific cooperation.
5) - Promotion and incentive for the early and continuous aspects of Basic Education, both in-person or in the long-distance mode.
The evaluation system is a tool used by the university community in the quest for an academic standard of excellence in Masters and Doctorate Degrees. It´s the instrument to be used in the result of the evaluation regarding policies in the postgraduate area, in matters such as aid distribution and granting of scholarships.
History
It was through a national education campaign that CAPES came into being. The main objective of this campaign was the improvement of postgraduate studies in the country, and was set into action by a Commission constituted by Decree 29.741/51, of July 11th, 1951, with members from different government agencies and from the private sector. The first president of CAPES was the Minister of Education of the time, Ernesto Simões , who was followed by his Head Secretary ,professor Anísio Spínola Teixeira.
CAPES officially began activities in 1952, evaluating aids and scholarship requests. In 1953, 54 scholarships were granted. In the following year, the number of scholarships went up to 194.
In 1961 CAPES became directly connected to the Presidency of the Republic, only returning to the scope of the Ministry of Education (MEC) in 1964 – now with a renewed administration and under the label of Coordination. In 1965, a total of 38 stricto sensu courses were offered throughout the Country, being 27 of them Masters and 11 Doctorate Degrees.
In 1966 the government started elaborating developing projects such as the Government Strategic First National Development Plan. In the specific area of Education, reforms came in basic and academic
education, and with them the regulation of postgraduate programs.
This resetting of sectorial policies – with emphasis on Science and Technology and academic studies – contemplated the agency with new tasks: CAPES was also granted with its own budget. And CAPES became the institution responsible for the qualification of professionals for the Brazilian university.
The Postgraduate Regional Centers were created in 1970, and the agency´s Head Office was transferred to Brasília. In 1974, through Decree nº 74299/74, the agency had its structure once more modified, defined from then on as an institution with administrative and financial autonomy.
The regiment stimulated collaboration with the board of Academic Affairs. From the partnership sprang the National Postgraduate Program. Among the agency´s new responsibilities were the control of application of financial resources and analysis of the compatibility of norms and criteria in the National Postgraduate Council.
CAPES is then recognized – Decree nº 86.79/81 – as the organ in charge for the National Postgraduate Plan stricto sensu and, furthermore, in 1981, as an Executive Agency to the Ministry of Education and Culture, part of the National Science and Technology System and holding the responsibility of elaborating, evaluating, following and coordinating all activities concerning academic teaching. Next came the Evaluation and Attendance Program, with its contribution in the building of effective high quality central mechanisms, and a deeper connection with the scientific and academic community in general.
The Agency lived years of stability between 1982 and 1989, The political switch-over to the New Republic brought no significant changes in the scenery. Administrative continuity prevailed and CAPES gained, with its consolidation, public authority with the formulation, follow-up and execution of the National Postgraduate Policy. Then, on March 15th, CAPES was summarily extinguished by Provisional Measure (PM) nº 150.
The mobilization against the PM was intense. From the campuses the protests evolved to the body of academic work as a whole and reached public opinion. Counting with the support of the Ministry of Education, the provisional act was revoked and, in less than a month, CAPES was back on its feet. On April 12th, a law was passed (8.028/90) that put once more the agency on its tracks. Two years later, Law nº 8.405/92 transformed the agency from Coordination to Public Foundation, and more strength was added to its body.
In the year of 1995 CAPES once again faced changes. The overall result was the strengthening of the institution as agent for the evaluation and follow-up of the stricto sensu postgraduate courses in Brazil. In that year only the postgraduate system exceeded the mark of 1000 Master courses and 100 Doctorate courses offered, reaching a total of over 6 thousand students.
New Challenges
In 2007, 57 years after its inauguration, CAPES received as a present the unanimous approval by the National Congress of a law – on July 11th, the very “birthday” of the agency – and CAPES, from this date on, became also responsible for the qualification of teachers in the Basic Education area.
The new function was consolidated through Decree n° 6.755 of January 29th, 2009, which created the National Qualification Policy for Basic Education. The first step in the new scheme of things was the installation of the In-Person(DEB) and Long-Distance(DED) directories.
The result so far of the efforts was the National Plan for the Qualification of Basic Education Teachers, of May 28th, 2009. With the plan in progress, more than 330 thousand from state and municipalities public schools were able to begin free graduation courses.
In less than two years of existence, several programs have been installed, contributing to the improvement of Basic Education and giving space to new experiences with recent technological resources, both in-person and in the long-distance modes.
Today
What follows are some of the agency´s characteristics that have contributed to the institutionalization of postgraduate programs and the recognition of the role CAPES plays in the eyes of public opinion:
- CAPES works in strict collaboration with the academic community.
- It operates in many fronts, diversifying channels of support and stablishing of programs, in tune with the necessary development of postgraduate studies in the Country.
- It keeps its commitment in supporting innovative experiences, always aiming at the permanent betterment of academic qualification.
The Presidents:
Anísio Teixeira – 1952/54
Susana Gonçalves – 1964/66
Gastão Dias Velloso – 1966
Mario Werneck de Alencar Lima – 1967/69
Nelson Afonso do Valle Silva – 1969
Jéferson Andrade Machado de Góis Soares – 1969
Celso Barroso Leite – 1970/74
Darcy Closs – 1974/79
Claudio de Moura Castro – 1979/82
Edson Machado de Sousa – 1982/89
José Ubyrajara Alves – 1989/90
Eunice Ribeiro Durhan – 1992
Rodolfo Joaquim Pito da Luz – 1992
Maria Andreá Loyola – 1992/94
Eunice Ribeiro Durhan – 1995
Abílio Afonso Baeta Neves – 1995/2003
Carlos Roberto J. Cury – 2003
Marcel Bursztyn – 2004
Jorge Almeida Guimarães – 2004/15
Carlos Afonso Nobre – 2015/16
Abílio Afonso Baeta Neves – 2016/18
Anderson Ribeiro Correia – 2019
Benedito Guimarães Aguiar Neto – 2020/22
Claudia Mancini Queda de Toledo – 2021/22
Mercedes Maria da Cunha Bustamante – 2023
Denise Pires de Carvalho – President In-Office