The Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Program in Dentistry at Universidade Paulista (PPGO) began its activities in 1992, offering an academic master's degree, and was accredited by CAPES on 30/07/1998. Since then, it has graduated 324 masters and 50 doctors, consolidating its position as a center of excellence in the training of highly qualified teachers and researchers.
Since its creation, the PPGO has fulfilled its mission of training highly qualified teacher-researchers who are able to meet society's demands. In accordance with the PPGO's objectives, graduates of the Program work as civil servants in public bodies, scientific consultants in industry, coordinators of further education and/or lato sensu postgraduate courses in trade associations or private universities, and/or as lecturers at the Institution itself or at other universities.
Between 1998 and 2009, the program remained stable with a CAPES concept of 3. However, based on an institutional analysis of the need for growth and adaptation of the PPGO's objectives, a restructuring process began under the coordination of Prof. Cintia Saraceni. The goals established focused on improving the coherence, consistency and scope of the areas of concentration, lines of research and projects, as well as student training in line with the program's objectives.
One of the first significant changes was the unification of the areas of concentration into a single one: Clinical Dentistry. This new direction allowed for stricter criteria for accrediting and disaccrediting professors, ensuring greater adherence to the profile established for the growth of the PPGO.
The renewal of the teaching staff was essential in this process, starting with the incorporation in the area of Periodontics and Dentistry. In 2010, professors with mastery and expertise in clinical and basic research in periodontics/implants and molecular biology were added. In 2012, a lecturer was added to strengthen and support the Biostatistics area.
The readjustment of research lines and projects, together with a new curriculum, provided more support for student training and allowed for greater coherence between teaching and research. At the same time, a significant institutional investment of more than R$3 million made it possible to build a modern research laboratory in Dentistry, adding to the infrastructure of multidisciplinary laboratories and clinics that are constantly being updated.
These changes have had a direct impact on the growth of the PPGO, as evidenced by the increase in the number of students and the progress made in evaluation indicators such as student training, intellectual production and social inclusion. These results culminated in CAPES concept four being awarded in the 2010-2012 triennial evaluation.
For the 2013-2016 four-year period, strategic planning aimed to expand academic training, promote internationalization and consolidate the PPGO's scientific and technological impact. In 2014, four new professors were hired in the areas of Biomaterials, Molecular Biology and Periodontics, two of them in the Young Permanent Professor category. This growth resulted in the approval of the academic doctorate in 2015, a significant milestone in the Program's trajectory.
The strategic planning for 2017-2020 consolidated the growth of the PPGO, strengthening its multidimensional mission. The lines of research were updated once again to adapt to the dynamic process of knowledge production. The projects were redistributed and linked to the lines, as well as the dissertations/theses and intellectual production, all in coherence with the area of concentration. The curriculum has been revised, adjusted and updated, with an emphasis on teacher-researcher training at both levels, in order to provide training that is compatible with the new ways of offering content and good research practices. The teaching staff was continuously monitored using accreditation criteria that ensured academic excellence and social impact.
The Program's intellectual output has grown exponentially, reflected in student participation, which has risen from 21% to 81%. The socio-economic impact of the PPGO has also been recognized nationally and internationally, driven by partnerships with public services and the third sector.
The Program's internationalization was strengthened with international cooperation projects, academic mobility and high-impact publications. The presence of foreign students is also noteworthy, with four Peruvian students joining the program during the four-year period.
With the implementation of the multidimensional evaluation, the new dimensions were widely reflected on and discussed by the Collegiate and guided decision-making and future actions.
In this process, the new methodologies implemented for the self-assessment process and for monitoring graduates have already provided input for strategic planning for the 2017-2020 quadrennium.
Another aspect to highlight was the alignment and institutional support for the proposals of the postgraduate programs, which offered the support and infrastructure needed to carry out the research, as well as encouraging the participation of students and teachers in scientific events as a way of disseminating the products generated.
The year 2020 was especially challenging in all respects, due to the difficult pandemic situation that imposed significant government budget restrictions, which had a significant impact on all institutions. In order not to jeopardize student training, all the necessary adjustments were made to maintain the teaching-learning process and research.
Despite all the difficulties and challenges, UNIP's PPGO has made progress towards consolidation and has fulfilled its mission: to produce and share knowledge based on scientific evidence, to train qualified human resources who are sensitive to the demands of society, and to contribute to the quality of life, information and care of the population based on the results of its research. The targets set for the 2017-2020 four-year period were met and, based on the identification of weaknesses and potential, new targets and processes for growth were outlined.
The success of the planned actions resulted in the CAPES 5 concept, according to the 2017-2020 quadrennial evaluation. The commission's report highlighted the well-designed structure of the program, the commitment of the teaching staff and the relevance of the scientific production, consolidating the PPGO as a benchmark in the area.
The PPG's objectives were clearly identified by the area committee: “The Program stands out as a trainer of human resources aimed at training for teaching, research management and working with different public sectors that work in the development and implementation of public oral health policy guidelines”.
Finally, there was “institutional commitment to actions aimed at internationalization, especially strengthening actions that expand and intensify bilateral mobility”.
The 2021-2024 quadrennium brought new challenges, mainly due to the impacts of the pandemic. However, the PPGO has maintained its growth trajectory, ensuring the quality of student training, attracting significant external resources and strengthening internationalization. Student participation in high-impact academic production has increased significantly, demonstrating the efficiency of the strategies implemented.
In compliance with the strategic planning established for the 2021-2024 quadrennium, the PPGO aimed to achieve excellence in training (supported by the profile of graduates sought at both levels); in high-level research, the results of which can have an impact on the scientific community; in scientific and technological progress, which allows for the advancement of scientific knowledge and the strengthening of social inclusion actions.
In terms of “Program”, the PPG showed coherence between the area of concentration, lines, research projects and curriculum. The subjects, which are constantly being evaluated, have been readjusted and new ones offered in order to provide a solid, qualified and up-to-date student education, in line with the PPGO's objectives. The results of the CPA proved the success of this aspect, pointing out that 78.8% of students considered that the subjects were up-to-date and contributed to their learning and professional training, fully meeting the objectives and graduate profile proposed by the Program.
The teaching staff underwent changes due to the personal/professional choices of some professors; however, the coordination and the institution worked hard to ensure that the replacements were made as quickly as possible, so as not to have a negative impact on student training and the PPGO's intellectual production. The new hires were made in compliance with the established accreditation criteria, and the new professors have brought new research fronts to the PPG and possibilities for increasing the various modalities that make up internationalization. The teaching staff proved capable of raising funds to carry out research from government agencies and national and international companies. The funding was significant, despite the national and international economic difficulties: Public agencies: R$1,432,757.58/US$119,069.08; National Companies: R$444,400; International Companies: R$313,000.
The self-assessment and graduates committees were restructured and the procedures for gathering information were improved in order to obtain a correct diagnosis of the Program's strengths and weaknesses, for more precise and objective preparation of the strategic planning for the four-year period 2025-2028, in accordance with the guidelines presented by the Dentistry committee. After the collegiate body reflected on the program's objectives based on the results of the self-evaluation process and the monitoring of graduates, it was concluded that they are consistent with the mission and profile of the graduates sought by the PPGO.
In terms of “Training”, there was constant concern about the quality of the theses and the consequent generation of qualified production with a scientific-technological and/or social impact, always with the participation of students. The goal of growth in this area, using the tools and strategies already established for this purpose in the previous four-year period, was maintained and the results were significant. Following the progress achieved in the last four-year period, there was a significant increase in student participation in qualified production (A1: 60%; A2: 55%; A3: 60%; A4: 50%), which proves the success of the measures established for the qualification of theses and dissertations.
A new committee for monitoring graduates was set up and the processes for monitoring graduates were improved in order to detect the impact of the training offered by the PPGO on the fate of graduates and their integration into the job market. The results of this monitoring have shown that PPGO graduates have excelled in various academic and professional spheres, demonstrating the quality and relevance of the training received and the consistency with the training profile established by the PPGO.
The impact on society continues to be one of the Program's strengths. Partnerships with government and third sector institutions have been maintained and new ones signed in order to continue the PPGO's work in training professionals in the public and private sectors, generating research aimed at socially vulnerable populations, disseminating knowledge and, above all, improving the quality of life of the population at local, regional and national level.
The Program's internationalization continued to grow and consolidate, reflected in the international partnerships maintained and new cooperation agreements signed, which generated qualified production with international visibility and contributed to the advancement and dissemination of science. There has been faculty and student mobility, doctoral-sandwich programs, technical visits, participation of international researchers on boards and obtaining international funding.
For the next four years (2025-2028), the PPGO will remain committed to academic excellence, scientific and technological progress and expanding its social impact. With a well-structured strategic plan, the Program will continue on its path of growth and innovation, reaffirming its role as a benchmark in the training of teachers and researchers in Dentistry.