This paper aims at following the trails of the university reform in Brazil., between 1995-2006, whose latest stage might be the passing or not, by the Brazilian Congress, of the University Reform Bill elaborated by the Lula administration. It presents the macroeconomic and political context surrounding the reform of higher university, whose orientation contains theses disseminated by multilateral (financing) organisms. It also seeks to show that: 1) there were much more continuities than discontinuities between the governments of Mr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Mr. Lula da Silva, both in the fields of economy and public administration, and of higher education. 2) That, although it was preceded by a long and unprecedented public discussion process, the current version (Casa Civil) of the University Reform Bill does not do justice to the Lula Government Plan for higher education (2003-2006) nor does it guarantee any advance in what regards the autonomy and financing of the Higher Education Institutes and Faculties present in the previous version (MEC). The text concludes with the hypothesis that, in the current political conjuncture, the Brazilian Congress will not approve this bill unless it suffers amendments that would deepen the neo-pragmatic and efficientist character of the reform that has been in progress these last years.
University reform; Higher education; University