Nurturing the Seeds of Sustainability Education: Information Regime in Brazilian Public HEI

Abstract

We are currently living the Anthropocene, a period in which humans have generated impacts on nature that corresponds to a geological force capable of modifying the planet’s biophysical parameters, affecting its sustainability. Knowledge is a condition for emancipation, and citizens endowed with sustainability knowledge will be able to influence political decisions and the society. Currently, the universities are expected to provide tools for understanding environmental issues from a more holistic perspective, rather than relying on traditional reductionist approaches. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the Brazilian Federal Technological Scientific Professional Education Network’s (RFEPCT) commitment to relevant environmental issues raised by the Anthropocene. Additionally, the ‘information regime’ approach was selected to identify factors that may contribute or influence its composition and the information-power relationships. The results show that the RFEPCT members’ actions are carried out in isolation, needing an element that integrates information and effectively articulates their social networks. The managerial priority was mostly motivated by economic issues or by public regulation and requirements. This study presents an original and unique Mapping on RFEPCT Information Regime elements and offers a HEI Environmental Agenda as a contribution.