Public Educational Policies for Higher Education in Guinea-Bissau: Challenges and Perspectives

• Grant number: 24/06043-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - Public Policies
• Principal Investigator: Salomão Barros Ximenes
• Grantee: Gerson Sanca
• Host Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research project aims to investigate the underlying causes of deficiencies in public higher education policies in Guinea-Bissau, considering the influence of historical, political and economic factors, as well as the interactions between the main actors in the education sector. Following its independence in 1973, Guinea-Bissau, in order to free itself from colonial education, sought to reform the education sector and implement new educational policies. However, the reforms and public policies implemented over the 51 years of independence have failed to respond fully to the demands of the education sector. This study was therefore born with the aim of deepening understanding, clarifying and analyzing the reasons for the failures of public higher education policies in Guinea-Bissau. In order to achieve this objective, we intend to adopt a qualitative approach with an emphasis on analyzing cause and effect relationships. The study will be organized in two main stages: initially, through a systematic literature review and documentary analysis; and later, through fieldwork in Guinea-Bissau, using semi-structured interviews. The triangulation of data from documentary, bibliographic and field sources will enable an in-depth assessment of the determining relationships that permeate educational policies. In short, it is hoped that this study will offer theoretical and empirical insights into the processes and dynamics underlying higher education in Guinea-Bissau, contributing to the formulation of interventions and strategies that promote the effectiveness and development of the education sector.