The Teaching of International Relations in Public Administration Courses at Brazilian State Universities

Abstract

This study examines the inclusion of topics related to the field of International Relations in undergraduate Public Administration courses, with the main objective of characterizing the presence of this subject in the curricula of state higher education institutions in Brazil. Considering the context of globalization and the reactions, both favorable and unfavorable, experienced by countries, especially peripheral ones like Brazil, it is essential to discuss the role of International Relations in the sphere of Public Administration, highlighting the importance of public managers receiving an education that fosters an understanding of the Brazilian context within this broader panorama and the influence of International Relations on national development and public policies. Additionally, despite its relevance, this topic is rarely explored in academia, which justifies the motivation for conducting this study. As a first step, since this research is part of a larger effort that will cover all Brazilian universities, the decision was made to restrict the analysis to state universities. Thus, the research, which is exploratory and descriptive in nature, began with a literature review to help understand the relevance of foreign relations to Public Administration, followed by the collection and analysis of course syllabi to identify and examine their presence. The results indicate a gap that needs to be investigated regarding the depth and application of knowledge about the global context in non-economic areas, which, in comparison, had a significantly lower presence. Finally, through this research, it is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the importance and role of International Relations in the academic training of public administrators.