Overview of Brazilian Higher Education: The Perspective of the Civil Engineering Program
This scientific article proposes an enhanced analysis of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Brazil, focusing on Public HEIs (Federal, State, and Municipal) and Private HEIs (Community-based, Confessional, Philanthropic, and forprofit). The adopted approach stems from a meticulous historical analysis of face-to-face Civil Engineering courses, considering the various intermediary regions in Brazil. The study is based on data from the National Higher Education Assessment System (SINAES), the Higher Education Census, as well as demographic and territorial data provided by IBGE, and information from CONFEA. The theoretical framework of this article is grounded in the essential concepts of Brazilian Higher Education, Higher Education Institutions, the National Higher Education Assessment System, Civil Engineering Courses, and the Civil Construction Industry. A relevant factor incorporated into this analysis is the impact of territory, encompassing not only physical and environmental characteristics but also cultural and infrastructural issues. The adopted methodology assumes a quantitative approach, establishing itself as the methodological technique for data collection and basic research to obtain and present indicators after the appropriate treatment of information. The results expose the current panorama of face-to-face Civil Engineering courses, emphasizing the analysis of intermediary regions with lower Human Development Index (HDI), which have at least one active course. The situation of intermediary regions devoid of any active course is highlighted, suggesting signs of educational scarcity in these locations. Finally, the article discusses the development stages of the PanoramaEDU website and presents concluding remarks, consolidating the main insights and contributions provided by the research.