The presence of indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in higher education: the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) experience.

• Grant number: 24/12321-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Chantal Victória Medaets
• Grantee: Marina Ribeiro Romero
• Host Institution: Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In several universities, indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) has been gaining prominence. This is due to the creation of pedagogical and administrative mechanisms that encourage and regulate their presence in spaces of scientific production, fostering a horizontal dialogue. The present project aims to understand this phenomenon through actions developed at a specific university, the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), which has stood out in Brazil for the volume of activities aimed at valorizing knowledge and practices originating from non-academic knowledge systems. Among these actions, notable are those within one of the main programs promoting the entrance of ILK into Brazilian universities, the "Encontro de Saberes" Program. Established by José Jorge de Carvalho, an anthropologist and faculty member at the University of Brasília (UnB) in 2010, the program has been implemented by 14 Brazilian universities, including UFMG since 2014. Methodologically, the research entails mapping different actions undertaken by UFMG, such as events, courses, and extension projects, through analysis of the university's website, social media platforms, and internal documents. Additionally, it involves ethnographic study of the development of one of the disciplines within the "Saberes Tradicionais" program offered at UFMG. The study will also include interviews with ILK so-called 'masters', professors, and students of these disciplines, aiming to map the conceptions of culture and ILK at play, as well as to understand the criteria and mechanisms for identifying "masters" of these traditions.