University and research: agony of an antimodel

Abstract

Pedro Demo (1941–) is a prominent Brazilian educator, sociologist, and researcher who has critically reflected on the purposes of university education. With an incisive style, he questions the relationship between university, research, and society, and defends the university as a space for knowledge production and emancipatory education, rather than mere transmission of knowledge. In Universidade e pesquisa: agonia de um antimodelo, originally published in the 1990s (1994), Demo analyzes the effects of redemocratization, educational reforms, the expansion of information technologies, and the advance of neoliberal policies that redefined university management and funding. In both Brazil and Argentina, these transformations intensified debates on the social function of the university and the tensions be- tween teaching, research, and the market. Many of his ideas remain relevant today: the defense of research as a pedagogical practice and of critical formation against reproductivism and technocracy are still fully current. Although some of his arguments may require updating in the face of digital challenges and internationalization policies, his thought
continues to invite reflection on the role of the university in democratic construction. We trust that this Spanish translation will help disseminate Pedro Demo’s critical thought and foster debate on transforming the classroom into a space where one learns to learn.