The Natural Resources Engineering of the Amazon Graduate Program (PRODERNA) of the UFPA Institute of Technology (ITEC / UFPA), at the Doctoral level, has as main objectives: to train qualified professionals in the area of Natural Resources Engineering; encourage research and further technical and scientific studies related to the use and transformation of natural resources; and contribute to the scientific and technological development of the North.
Currently, its Concentration Are is in Use and Transformation of Natural Resources, in which are developed three Research Lines: Process Engineering; Environment and Energy; and Modeling and Simulation of Processes.
PRODERNA was created in 2006, initially with a PhD course in Natural Resources Engineering (approved by CAPES on March 23, 2006, concept 4). Its academic activities began in August of 2006, having formed its first Doctor in Natural Resources Engineering in the year of 2010. The Program has already undergone two triennial evaluations, in the first the concept was maintained by the fact that it does not yet have training indicators for a consolidated evaluation. In the second triennial evaluation, which occurred in 2013, the final concept was Good and note 4, but presented very expressive indicators of trend to 5, such as: Program Proposal (Very Good); Body type (Good); Student Body - Theses and Dissertations (Good); Intellectual Production (Very Good) and Social Insertion (Very Good).
The Program was the second PPG at the PhD in Engineering established at UFPA and also in the Amazon. In addition, it can be said that it is one of the first programs in the country with a multidisciplinary area of expertise in engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Environmental and Sanitary Engineering). For this reason, PRODERNA is becoming a reference in the region and it has contributed significantly to professors and researchers training from various institutions in the Amazon. It has as guideline, to promote the application of scientific knowledge in the solution of regional problems, especially for the industrial park installed in the region. In addition, it is in tune with the importance of the role of the engineer for the industrial and energy development of the Amazon and Brazil, respecting the environment and its characteristics in the region.
The Natural Resources Engineering of the Amazon Graduate Program of the UFPA Institute of Technology (PRODERNA - ITEC / UFPA), at doctoral level, has as main objectives:
1 - To train qualified professionals in the area of Natural Resources Engineering;
2 - Encourage research and development of technical and scientific studies related to the use and transformation of natural resources;
3 - Contribute to the scientific and technological development of the Northern Region.
The program currently has 16 professors and 118 enrolled students. The concentration areas and research lines are as follows:
Concentration Area: Natural Resources Transformation and Use
Research lines:
1- Engineering Processes
2- Environment and Energy
3- Modeling and Simulation of Processes
PRODERNA was created in 2006, initially with the Doctoral Course in Natural Resource Engineering (approved by CAPES on March 23, 2006 with concept 4). Its academic activities began in August of 2006, having graduated its first doctor in Natural Resources Engineering in the year 2010. The program has already undergone two triennial evaluations, in the first the concept was maintained by the fact that the program does not yet have training indicators for a consolidated evaluation. In the second triennial evaluation, which occurred in 2013, the program had a final concept Good and grade 4 (four), but presented very expressive indicators of trend par 5 (five) such as:
Program Proposal - Very Good;
Faculty - Good;
Student Body (Thesis and Dissertation) - Good;
Scientific Production - Very Good; and
Social Insertion - Very Good.
In this evaluation, PRODERNA showed an improvement in several indicators, particularly the indicator of the number of publications of tenured professors by the total number of professors (PQD) of the program, which reached 0.99, that is, equivalent to 1 article QUALIS A1 per professor per year. Result of the adjustment made in the research lines.
In the quadrennial evaluation (2013-2016), PRODERNA reached grade 5, being the second graduate program of the Institute of Technology of UFPA to reach this grade, becoming a program of excellence in Brazil.
The program was the second in level of doctorate in engineering established in the UFPA and, also, in the Amazon. In addition, it can be said that it is one of the first programs in the country with a multidisciplinary area of expertise in engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Environmental and Sanitary Engineering). For this reason, PRODERNA is becoming a reference in the region and has contributed significantly to the training of teachers and researchers from various institutions in the Amazon. The PRODERNA has as guideline to promote the application of scientific knowledge in the solution of regional problems, especially for the industrial park installed in the region. In addition, PRODERNA is in tune with the importance of the engineer's role in the industrial and energy development of the Amazon and Brazil, respecting the environment and its characteristics in the region.
In a time of great transformation and global competitiveness, PRODERNA has as its objective to train doctors both for teaching and research institutions and for the industrial sector of the region, where we highlight: UFMA, IFMA, UEPA, IFPA, UNAMA, UFOPA, UNIFSSPA, UNIFAP, UEA, HYDRO-ALBRAS, HYDRO-ALUNORTE, VALE and other national institutions. Therefore, in the research lines associated with its concentration area in Engineering, PRODERNA develops research projects of both fundamental and applied nature. Considering the theses defended and in development, in addition to the growing demand of the regional industrial sector, we can see a tendency of PRODERNA to constitute a reference for the analysis of industrial problems with high technological density, contributing not only to this sector, but also to the development of the Amazon as a whole. An aspect of extreme importance is the interaction of PRODERNA with other graduate programs. In this way, PRODERNA maintains scientific exchange with several universities and research centers in the country and abroad, among them: UFRJ (through PEM, PEQ and School of Chemistry), EMU (through PPGEQ), USP (Through PPGEM), UFB (through PPGEM), UFB (through PCMEC), UFF (through PPGEM), UFF (through PPGEM) , IME, INT, CEPEL-ELETROBRAS, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto - University of Quebec - INRS / ETE, Laval University, University of Calgary, Canada, Technical University of Hamburg, Portugal, among others. As a multidisciplinary program in engineering, PRODERNA contributes to the formation of the original staff of professors and researchers from many regional institutions. The program has always sought to give its students a comprehensive and academic profile; both in the syllabus contents of the subjects and in the themes and methodologies adopted in thesis work on regional interest topics. PRODERNA, with outlines formed by several engineering areas, is strongly integrated with ITEC-UFPA Engineering undergraduate courses. In the Chemical, Mechanical, Sanitary and Environmental, Materials and Food Engineering courses, approximately 2,500 undergraduate students are directly benefited by the experience of living with professors and graduate students, also participating in research activities. ITEC professors who wish to participate in the program must comply with the standards established in the program's bylaws. On the other hand, all the teachers of the program, without exception, have teaching and orientation activities in ITEC engineering undergraduate courses.
In 2006, when PRODERNA was created, the program structure was conceived in two concentration areas and, in each area, two research lines as follows:
Area 1 - Use of Natural Resources:
Line 1 - Alternative Energy Generation;
Line 2 - Hydro Power Generation.
Area 2 - Natural Resource Transformation:
Line 3 - Process Engineering of the Mining-Metallurgical Industry;
Line 4 - Process Engineering of the Agroforestry Industry.
The above structure was partially adherent to the faculty profile. This partiality was due to the profile of the faculty being more aligned to the themes of modeling and simulation, environment and energy and process engineering. In this way, the discussion was opened for an update of this structure in order to leave more explicit, the lines of action of the program. The structure of 2006 was maintained until 2010. In November 2011, it was decided that as of March 2012, the academic structure of the Areas / Lines more consistent with the profile of the group of teachers of the program would have a concentration area with three lines shown below:
Area - NATURAL RESOURCES TRANSFORMATION AND USE
Line 1 - Modeling and Simulation of Processes;
Line 2 - Environment and Energy;
Line 3 - Process Engineering.
This concentration area is part of the field of engineering, having as general outlines a multidisciplinary performance in the lines of Modeling and Simulation of Processes, Environment and Energy and Process Engineering, with direction and applications in the Mining, Metallurgy, Agroforestry, Energy and others. In this sense, the chosen concentration area aims to produce knowledge and train people capable of developing processes and products in these areas and sectors. The restructuring of the area and lines of research also sought to meet PRODERNA's objectives, the growing interest in energy generation, as well as the use and transformation of natural resources. These themes have given prominence to the debate on the strategic role that the domination and exploitation of the biodiversity and the mineral wealth of the Amazon represent for the development of the region and the country. It is a matter of fact that, despite the enormous potential presented by the Amazonian natural diversity, the factors that impede or delay the insertion of the Amazon as a privileged agent in the national and international economy are enormous, and in the region there remains a low economic, social and scientific scenario and technological problems, made worse by the insufficient number of people with advanced qualification. Due to the high complexity of its potentialities and fragilities, the consolidation of the Amazon region's development in the medium and long term requires the promotion of decentralized and regionalized science and technology policies. Thus, it is necessary to consider the expansion of its scientific and technological base from investments in the improvement of physical infrastructure and the sustained contribution of resources in projects of the various regional institutions of education and research, as well as in the formation of high-level professionals. In this way, the minimum conditions necessary for the development of new technologies in the region can be guaranteed, ensuring greater importance to science and technology as agents of transformation capable of improving the human development indices in the Amazon. Given this scenario, PRODERNA's perspective is to contribute to change this reality based on the analysis and development of products, methods and technological processes that, having as a source of interest the Natural Resources of the Region. In this case, PRODERNA can and should expand and consolidate a model of regional development and training of human resources compatible with local expectations, demands and capacities. In this context, the area of NATURAL RESOURCES TRANSFORMATION AND USE presents itself potentially capable of reaching goals more appropriate to the regional reality. This potential is not only due to experience in this field, but also because it is an area of knowledge in which the rational exploitation of the potential inherent to regional biodiversity is conceived as one of the pillars of sustainable development. In view of the above, PRODERNA is an agent willing to expand and consolidate a model of regional development and personnel training compatible with local expectations, demands and capabilities. Naturally, the trend is to strengthen research groups, high-level training and scientific production that focus on applying knowledge to solve regional issues, so that, in a short period, PRODERNA can achieve its academic and scientific consolidation, strongly influencing regional development. In this context, the points that we must explore in order to achieve the academic and scientific consolidation of PRODERNA are:
1 - Encourage our teachers to seek a strong international insertion;
2 - Improve Guidance / Oriented distribution;
3 - Encourage improvement of teacher productivity in conjunction with targeted learners;
4 - Motivate our professors to respond to CNPq Official Notices of PQ and DT scholarships.
5 - Search internationalization of the program;
These points are fundamental for maintaining grade 5 and seeking grade 6.