Abstract
This essay asks whether and to what extent the stricto sensu postgraduate programs in public health contribute to the development of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). The hypothesis is positive, although an obvious and spontaneous movement is not stated, since scientific evidence is never mechanically adopted; implementation is a political act of management and not a result of academic studies. The argument is that these programs balance between two commitments: they obey the educational logic of the highest level of higher education and the development of science and technology, but they aim at knowledge and qualification of the health sector. The bases that support this text are articles and reports that deal with the significance of science, technology and innovation for world and national development; articles dealing with the job market of postgraduate students; and testimonies of 16 program coordinators whose relevance is highlighted in the analysis of the work. It is concluded that there is an effect, sometimes diffuse, sometimes concrete, of postgraduate courses on the performance of SUS and other national institutions. The contributions of doctoral, academic master’s and professional master’s programs differ, each in its own way is fundamental for the qualification of SUS.
Keywords:
Graduate training; Collective Health; SUS; Science & Technology