DPCT

Department of Science and Technology Policy - DPCT

The Department of Science and Technology Policy (DPCT) was created at the Institute of Geosciences in 1985, following its founding as a Research Center (in 1981). The Department was created by Professor Amílcar Herrera, who also founded the Institute of Geosciences. The Department's initial project was to develop research on topics related to Science and Technology Policies, pioneering these studies in Brazil and Latin America. The DPCT operates on the view that the evolution of Science and Technology is a social process and, as such, conditioned by political, economic, and cultural factors. Thus, the Department has been marked since its origin by multi- and interdisciplinarity, both in its faculty and in the research lines it develops. The research currently developed (at the undergraduate and graduate levels) relates to two major areas of science and technology policy: innovation studies and social studies of science and technology. Since its foundation, the DPCT has established itself as one of the leading research centers in this field in Latin America.

The pioneering spirit of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DPCT) was also reflected in the creation of its Graduate Program in Science and Technology Policy (PPG-PCT), the first in the country and in Latin America. Initially offering a Master's degree in 1988, the Department soon followed with a Doctoral program in 1995. Like the Department, the PPG-PCT has been interdisciplinary since its inception, which is reflected in its research areas:

• History and Theories of Science and Technology;
• Science and Technology in the Development Process;
• Science and Technology Strategies and Social Actors;
• Technological Change, Social Transformations and the Environment;
• Science, Technology and Innovation Management.

From 1998 onwards, the DPCT (Department of Science, Technology and Innovation) also began collaborating with undergraduate programs, with the creation of the current bachelor's and teaching degree programs in Geography, and a bachelor's degree in Geology, through the Institute of Geosciences. The Department's participation in subjects that make up the undergraduate curriculum of these programs allows them to offer an interdisciplinary education to their students, including research topics carried out within the Department. The DPCT houses different Research Groups (Laboratories) that reflect its strong interdisciplinarity and regional and global reach. The DPCT also offers a variety of extension courses in specialized areas, strengthening its role as a bridge between academic work and society.