Post-Graduation in Regional Development at the University of Santa Cruz do Sul

trajectory, consolidation and challenges

Abstract

The post-graduation in Regional Development in Brazil has presented, since the nineties of the twentieth century, a growing expansion in the country. The creation of new master's and doctorate courses has contributed to the training of teachers and researchers and to the production of new knowledge about the regional dynamics of development and its repercussions in different scales of the territory. The Postgraduate Program in Regional Development (PPGDR) at the University of Santa Cruz do Sul was a precursor and protagonist in this process. In its twenty-seven years of trajectory the PPGDR-UNISC besides providing the formation of new masters and doctors, also built its own identity in teaching, research and extension on the theme of development and regional planning, consolidating itself as one of the most important programs in the country in the area of Urban and Regional Planning-Demography, of CAPES. The article addresses the main aspects related to the creation and development of the Program, as well as the particularities of its curricular structure and interdisciplinary training. It also presents the general characteristics of the faculty, students and graduates, some of the actions of cooperation in research, internationalization and social insertion that underlie the recent development of the Program, and the new challenges to be faced in the coming Years.

Keywords: Regional Development. University of Santa Cruz do Sul. Interdisciplinarity. Postgraduate Program in Regional Development.  University and Regional Development.