Desafios, perspectivas e contradições de uma Universidade Pública Popular: uma análise sobre o processo de constituição da Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS) (2009-2024)

Abstract

From a historical perspective, this thesis examines the establishment of the Federal University of the Southern Border (UFFS) in Laranjeiras do Sul, Paraná, as a potential model for a Popular University (PU), drawing parallels with European PUs and Latin American experiences. The discussions were based on the theoretical framework of Gramsci (1976, 2000, 2010a, 2010b), Saviani (2008, 2010, 2017), Pintassilgo (1998, 2006, 2014), and Paiva (1987). The study of UPs provides insight into their role in defending science, particularly during periods of polarization and denialism within a neoliberal context. The ideology of the UP emerged from social revolutions as counter hegemonic spaces of resistance to established power, as well as spaces of conflict between the working class and the bourgeoisie. Historical inquiry allowed for the reconstruction of the trajectory of Popular Universities in Europe and their influence on Latin American experiences, culminating in the Córdoba Reform (1918). In Brazil, the impact of this broad movement resurfaced—reinterpreted—in the university model advocated by the Pro-Federal University Movement (MPUF), a key player in the fight to establish UFFS. The creation of UFFS, resulting from the mobilization of social movements and civil society, incorporated historical principles of Popular Universities into its institutional project regarding regional development, the democratization of access, and social inclusion. Analysis of the Laranjeiras do Sul Campus's establishment revealed a counter-hegemonic higher education project—marked by struggles and contradictions and rooted in social activism—highlighting the pivotal role of social movements in championing a university committed to the working class. However, the research also concluded that these advances coexist with limits imposed on public universities embedded in capitalist society, keeping social participation, the valuing of university extension, and policies regarding access and retention for the working classes in a state of constant tension.