How International are the Brazilian Graduate Programs in Psychology?

Internationalization as a concept and strategic agenda has been a topic of debate among graduate programs worldwide. Brazil currently has 101 Psychology graduate programs spread throughout all its geographic regions. The present work aims to characterize the Brazilian stricto sensu graduate programs in Psychology with respect to their international activities. The programs that offer only the master’s (M) course and those that offer the master’s and doctorate (M&D) courses, with academic and professional profiles, are comparatively described. Data circumscribing the years 2017 to 2020 was collected by means of an electronic form addressed to all programs. Ninety-seven programs provided the requested information. The results are categorized into four dimensions: Research, Intellectual Production, Institutional Conditions, and Mobility and Academic Performance. The dimensions were composed of 34 indicators that measure different degrees of internationalization. The basic findings demonstrate that the graduate programs in Brazil are at different levels of internationalization when specific dimensions are compared. For instance, the proportion of international intellectual products tends to be higher in programs with M&D courses than those with only M courses, whereas intellectual production is still incipient in programs with an M professional profile. International activities such as participation in scientific events and “ad hoc” reviewing are among the most performed by faculty members. In contrast, the presence of international postdoctoral researchers in Brazilian labs is one of the lowest indicators. Based on a large, updated, and detailed set of data, the results can contribute to the understanding of the current stage of internationalization in Brazilian Psychology and serve as an important means for planning future actions at both individual and institutional levels.

La internacionalización como concepto y agenda estratégica ha sido un tema de debate entre los programas de posgrado a nivel mundial. Brasil cuenta actualmente con 101 programas de posgrado en Psicología repartidos en todas sus regiones geográficas. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo caracterizar los programas de posgrado en Psicología stricto sensu en Brasil con respecto a sus actividades internacionales. Se describen comparativamente los programas que ofrecen solo el curso de maestría (M) y los que ofrecen los cursos de maestría y doctorado (M&D), con perfiles académicos y profesionales. Los datos de los años 2017 a 2020 se han recogido mediante um formulario electrónico dirigido a todos los programas. Noventa y siete programas proporcionaron la información solicitada. Los resultados se categorizan en cuatro dimensiones: Investigación, Producción Intelectual, Condiciones Institucionales, y Movilidad y Rendimiento Académico. Las dimensiones estuvieron compuestas por 34 indicadores que discriminan diferentes grados de internacionalización. Los hallazgos básicos demuestran que los programas de posgrado en Brasil se encuentran en diferentes niveles de internalización cuando se comparan dimensiones específicas. Por ejemplo, la proporción de productos intelectuales internacionales tiende a ser mayor en los programas con cursos M&D que en aquellos con cursos M, mientras que la producción intelectual es aún incipiente en los programas con un perfil profesional M. Las actividades internacionales como la participación en eventos científicos y la revisión ad hoc se encuentran entre las que más ocupan a los miembros del cuerpo docente. En contraste, la presencia de investigadores posdoctorales internacionales en laboratorios brasileños es una de las más bajas. Con base en un conjunto de datos amplio, actualizado y detallado, los resultados pueden contribuir a comprender la etapa actual de internacionalización de la Psicología brasileña y servir como un medio importante para planificar acciones futuras tanto a nivel individual como institucional.

Internacionalização como conceito e agenda estratégica tem constitu��do um tópico de debate entre os programas de pós-graduação ao redor do mundo. O Brasil conta atualmente com 101 programas de pós-graduação em Psicologia espalhados por todas as suas regiões. O presente trabalho visa a caracterizar os programas de pós-graduação stricto sensu em Psicologia no Brasil no que diz respeito a internacionalização. Em particular, visou-se caracterizar comparativamente os programas que oferecem somente o curso de mestrado e os que oferecem os cursos de mestrado e doutorado, bem como os programas acadêmicos e os profissionais. Para a coleta de dados, um formulário eletrônico foi endereçado a todos os programas. Noventa e sete programas forneceram as informações solicitadas, as quais circunscrevem os anos de 2017 a 2020. Os dados encontram-se categorizados em quatro dimensões: Pesquisa, Produção intelectual, Condições de Institucionais e Mobilidade e Atuação Acadêmica. As dimensões foram decompostas em 34 indicadores que diferenciam graus de internacionalização. Os resultados mostram que os programas de pós-graduação em Psicologia encontram-se em estágios distintos de internacionalização, não apenas em termos gerais entre os programas, mas também em cada uma das dimensões analisadas. Em síntese, a proporção de produtos intelectuais internacionais tende a ser mais elevada em programas que contam com os cursos de mestrado e doutorado em relação aos que contam somente com o mestrado. Nos programas com mestrado profissional, a produção intelectual internacional é ainda incipiente. Em se tratando do engajamento do corpo docente em atividades internacionais, a prevalência maior se dá na participação em eventos e em assessorias ‘‘ad hoc’’. No sentido oposto, está a baixa presença de pesquisadores estrangeiros no país para realização de pós-doutorado. Os resultados, pela amplitude, atualidade e grau de detalhamento, devem contribuir para a compreensão do estágio de internacionalização da Psicologia brasileira e servir como um importante meio para ações de planejamento nos níveis tanto individual quanto institucional.

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author reports that the original raw data of the present study are openly available at Plataforma Sucupira, www.capes.gov.br.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Instituto de Psicologia—USP, Avenida Prof. Mello Moraes, 1721, São Paulo, SP, 05508-030, Brazil

   Gerson Yukio Tomanari

2. Universidade São Francisco—USF, Campinas, SP, Brazil

   Acácia Angeli dos Santos

3. Universidade Salgado de Oliveira—Universo, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

   Luciana Mourão

4. Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

   Luciana Mourão

5. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul—UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

   Marco Antônio Pereira Teixeira

6. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte—UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil

   Arrilton Araújo

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerson Yukio Tomanari.

Informed Consent

The present study does not involve research with live subjects.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Appendix 

Questions that comprised the electronic form filled out by Psychology graduate programs about internationalization in the period from 2017 to 2020.

Research Dimension

1.1 Are there permanent faculty members in the program who were involved in networks and research groups abroad in the years 2017 to 2020?

1.2. Has any permanent faculty member served as an “ad hoc” consultant to international publications (journals, books, conferences), institutions, or organizations during the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

1.2.1. How many permanent faculty members served as “ad hoc” consultants to international publications (journals, books, conferences), institutions, or organizations in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

1.3. Has any permanent faculty member served during the 2017–2020 quadrennium on editorial boards of foreign publications?

1.3.1. How many permanent faculty members served on editorial boards of foreign publications in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

1.4. During the 2017–2020 quadrennium, has any permanent faculty member served as editor-in-chief, associate editor, or equivalent in foreign publications?

1.4.1. How many permanent faculty members served as editor-in-chief, associate editor, or equivalent in foreign publications in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

1.5. Does any permanent faculty member hold positions or functions in committees and boards of associations, scientific societies, and international programs?

1.5.1. How many permanent faculty members hold positions or functions in committees and boards of associations, scientific societies, and international programs?

1.6. Does any permanent faculty staff member participate in advisory committees for international development agencies?

1.6.1. How many permanent faculty members participate in advisory committees of international funding agencies?

Intellectual Production Dimension

2.1. What percentage of the Program’s production (articles, books/chapters, and Technical and Technological Products) was published in foreign journals, i.e., edited abroad, regardless of the language of publication, in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

2.2. What percentage of the production of books (full text or organization) or book chapters published abroad in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

2.3. What is the percentage of articles published in foreign languages (English, Spanish, French, etc.) in journals in the country and abroad, in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

2.4. What is the percentage of books and book chapters published by foreign publishers or, if published in Brazil, with foreign members in the editorial board, in the quadrennium 2017–2020?

2.5. What percentage of technical and technological products produced by the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium plays an international role?

Institutional Conditions Dimension

3.1. Does the Program have international agreements?

3.2. Did the Program participate in international research calls and competitions in the 2017–2020 quadrennium even if not awarded?

3.3. Did the Program raise funds from international funding agencies in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

3.4. Has the Program or a permanent faculty member been honored with an award or recognition abroad in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

3.5. Does the Program integrate international cooperation actions in research and teaching (for example, co-tutorship programs, double degrees, etc.)?

3.6. Has your institution been awarded the CAPES PrInt Call to support internationalization?

3.7 Is your program being supported by the CAPES PrInt Program?

Mobility and Academic Performance Dimension

4.1. Did the permanent faculty member participate in an international event or congress of reference in the area, held in Brazil in the quadrennium 2017–2020, with a paper presentation?

4.1.1. How many permanent professors participated in an international event or congress of reference in the area, held in Brazil in the quadrennium 2017–2020, with a paper presentation?

4.2 How many permanent professors participated in an international event or congress of reference in the field, held abroad during the quadrennium 2017–2020, with a paper presentation?

4.2.1. How many permanent faculty members have participated in an international event or congress of reference in the area, held abroad during the quadrennium 2017–2020, with a paper presentation?

4.3. In the 2017–2020 quadrennium, did a permanent faculty member act as an examining board member in graduate programs abroad?

4.3.1. How many permanent faculty members served, in the 2017–2020 quadrennium, as members of examination boards in graduate programs abroad?

4.4. Has any permanent faculty member worked as an advisor, co-advisor, and/or supervisor of foreign sandwich internship students in the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.4.1. How many permanent faculty members have advised, co-advised, and/or supervised a foreign student’s sandwich internship in the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.5. Has a permanent faculty member supervised, co-supervised, and/or supervised a foreign student as a regular student in the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.5.1. How many permanent faculty members have advised, co-advised, and/or supervised a foreign student internship as a regular student in the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.6. Has any permanent faculty officially advised, co-advised, and/or supervised students abroad in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.6.1. How many permanent faculty members officially advised, co-advised and/or supervised students abroad in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.7. Has any permanent faculty member taught a course abroad during the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.7.1. How many permanent faculty members taught a course abroad in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.8. Has a permanent faculty member given a lecture abroad by invitation in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.8.1. How many permanent faculty members gave a lecture abroad by invitation in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.9. Has any permanent faculty member advised foreign PhDs in post-doctoral internships in the 2017��2020 quadrennium?

4.9.1. How many permanent faculty members advised foreign PhDs in post-doctoral internships in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.10. Has any permanent faculty member been on internship/training, technical-scientific activities, and/or post-doctoral fellowships at foreign institutions, in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.10.1. How many permanent faculty members were on internship/training, technical-scientific activities, and/or postdoctoral fellowships at foreign institutions in the 2017–2020 period?

4.11. Has any student participated, in the quadrennium 2017–2020, in courses, congresses, or training abroad?

4.11.1. How many students participated in courses, congresses, or training abroad in the quadrennium 2017–2020?

4.12. Was any student in the 2017–2020 quadrennium on an inter-university exchange abroad?

4.12.1. How many students were on an inter-university exchange abroad, in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.13. Were there any foreign inter-university exchange students in the period 2017–2020?

4.13.1. How many foreign inter-university exchange students were there in the Program 2017–2020?

4.14. Were there regular foreign students in the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium 2017–2020?

4.14.1. How many regular international students were in the Program in the 2017–2020 quadrennium?

4.15. Was a foreign (visiting) researcher engaged in research and/or teaching activity in the Program in the quadrennium 2017–2020?

4.15.1. How many foreign (visiting) researchers were in research, and/or teaching activity in the Program in the quadrennium 2017–2020?

4.16. Does the permanent faculty of the Program include a foreign member?

4.16.1. How many foreigners integrate the permanent faculty of the Program?

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