The Brazilian Association for Research and Graduate Studies in Physical Therapy (ABRAPG-Ft), founded on May 6, 2005, has already organized nine National Forums for Research and Graduate Studies in Physical Therapy, involving important themes and debates favoring the political, scientific and technological development of the field. With the participation of coordinators, professors and students of the Postgraduate Programs (PGPs) in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, ABRAPG-Ft has promoted these Forums and traditionally involved fomentation organs, especially the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and the Research Foundations (FAPES), but also segments and representations of the professional class, mostly the Federal Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy (COFFITO) and the Regional Councils of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy (CREFITOS). This also creates spaces for editorial boards of scientific journals of the field to meet. Among the approached themes, which are interesting for the development of the field, the criteria that guide the triennial evaluations are conducted by CAPES.
Since its foundation, ABRAPG-Ft has also been concerned about the scientific development and the graduation of qualified human resources (Master and Doctoral degrees) in the field. Nowadays, 17 years after the creation of the first PGP in Physical Therapy in Brazil, there are 14 PGPs, out of which 9 have not only master courses, but also doctoral opportunities. These data are essential, both with regard to the number of physical therapists skilled for the research and for the scientific productivity of the field. Even if some of these doctoral courses have just begun being implemented, it is estimated that Brazilian physical therapy will soon have more than 150 new PhDs a year, graduated by the PGPs of the country. Based on these data, it is possible to conclude that the Brazilian physical therapy has reached its scientific and educational autonomy, widely developing the improvement of scientific quality in order to dispute, together with the Brazilian scientific community, more and more resources to progress in terms of research.
The reflex of this scientific and educational development in Brazilian physical therapy has been the constant improvement of the professors in graduate courses of physical therapy; especially with regard to the development of critical and scientific sense in young students when they integrate scientific initiation and participate in research groups.
Like other class associations, from Brazilian physical therapy or any other field, ABRAPG-Ft plays an essential role in the representation of its segment, especially when it comes to research and stricto sensu postgraduate courses. And it does so by trying to forward the decision of internal meetings and the position of its associates in a democratic spirit, by understanding that the development of a profession, a group or a segment depends on its political organization and spirit of collectivity.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
Jul-Sep 2014
