Excelência em questão: uma revisão crítica desde a ética educacional e a sustentabilidade universitária
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5944/reec.49.2026.45810Palavras-chave:
ensino superior,, valores institucionais, ética universitária,, excelência, sustentabilidade social, direitos humanosResumo
Este artigo analisa criticamente a validade axiológica da “excelência” como valor institucional no ensino superior. Parte da seguinte questão orientadora: a “excelência” constitui um valor eticamente sustentável ou um construto performativo alinhado à lógica competitiva? Utilizando uma abordagem teórico-documental fundamentada na ética educacional, filosofia moral e nos marcos internacionais de direitos humanos, o artigo explora suas limitações conceituais, pedagógicas e normativas. Os resultados revelam que a excelência, longe de ser um valor formativo sólido, atua como um significante retórico desprovido de universalidade normativa e desalinhado com os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Por meio da análise comparativa de casos (Equador, Finlândia e Espanha), argumenta-se que a institucionalização acrítica da excelência reforça dinâmicas meritocráticas e excludentes. Conclui-se propondo sua redefinição ou substituição por valores eticamente fundamentados, como justiça, solidariedade e responsabilidade, com recomendações para transformar os marcos axiológicos universitários rumo à sustentabilidade social e ao compromisso democrático.
Downloads
Referências
Alonso-Herrero, A., & Rojas-Torrijos, J. L. (2023a). Narratives of university social responsibility: A review in Spanish public universities. Revista Española de Educación Comparada, 42, 98–117. https://revistas.uned.es/index.php/REEC/article/view/34225
Alonso-Herrero, A., & Rojas-Torrijos, J. L. (2023b). University values and social impact in Latin America. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(1), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2046224
Altbach, P. G., & de Wit, H. (2020). The challenge to higher education internationalisation. Studies in Higher Education, 45(8), 1523–1535. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1704727
Bacevic, J. (2023a). Excellence as an empty signifier in higher education. Critical Studies in Education, 64(2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2022.2033886
Bacevic, J. (2023b). University ranking as symbolic violence: On the performativity of excellence. Higher Education, 85, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00835-0
Bohne, C., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kenzig, S. (2019). Sustainability in higher education: A systematic review of research in the field. Sustainability, 11(19), 5185. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195185
Branković, J. (2021). The performativity of metrics in higher education: “Excellence” and the logic of competition. European Journal of Higher Education, 11(2), 231–246. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2020.1843154
Brunsson, N., & Olsen, J. P. (1993). The reforming organization. Routledge.
Brunsson, N., & Olsen, J. P. (2019). The organizational construction of values. Oxford University Press.
Burquel, N., & van Vught, F. (2020a). Fostering sustainable higher education institutions: A European perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 263, 121559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121559
Burquel, N., & van Vught, F. (2020b). Universities and SDGs: New missions for higher education. European Journal of Education, 55(4), 543–559. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12430
Cortina, A. (2016). ¿Para qué sirve realmente la ética? Paidós.
Cortina, A. (2021). Ética cosmopolita: Una apuesta por la cordura en tiempos de pandemia. Paidós.
Delgado, A., Gómez-Cambronero, A., & Sánchez-Mora, C. (2023). Transformaciones institucionales y discurso de excelencia en universidades iberoamericanas. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación Superior, 14(38), 87–108. https://doi.org/10.22201/iisue.20072872e.2023.38.833
Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. (2019). Projeto Acadêmico EPUSP 2019–2023. Poli-USP. https://poli.usp.br
Esping-Andersen, G. (1999). Social foundations of postindustrial economies. Oxford University Press.
Freire, P. (1997). Pedagogía de la autonomía: Saberes necesarios para la práctica educativa. Siglo XXI.
Hazelkorn, E. (2015). Rankings and the reshaping of higher education: The battle for world-class excellence (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137446671
Hazelkorn, E. (2019). Global rankings and the geopolitics of higher education. Routledge.
Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., & Gisle, L. (2022). Academic pressure and mental health in the era of excellence. Studies in Higher Education, 47(12), 2469–2485. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.1894118
Loorbach, D., Frantzeskaki, N., & Avelino, F. (2017). Sustainability transitions research: Transforming science and practice for societal change. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 42, 599–626. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102014-021340
Lynch, K. (2017). The gendered order of caring: Thinking through university education. Higher Education Quarterly, 71(2), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12122
Lynch, K., Ivancheva, M., O’Flynn, M., Keating, K., & O’Connor, M. (2020). The care ceiling in higher education. Irish Educational Studies, 39(2), 157–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2020.1734044
MacIntyre, A. (2007). After virtue: A study in moral theory (3rd ed.). University of Notre Dame Press.
Mahlangu, V., & de Jager, T. (2022). Sustainability and university transformation in South Africa: A critical review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(3), 512–528. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2020-0334
Moore, S., Neylon, C., Eve, M. P., O’Donnell, D. P., & Pattinson, D. (2017). Excellence R Us: University research and the fetishisation of excellence. Palgrave Communications, 3, Article 16105. https://doi.org/10.1057/palcomms.2016.105
National University of Singapore. (2023). This is NUS: Profile and vision statement. National University of Singapore. https://nus.edu.sg
O’Connor, P., & Barnard, S. (2021a). Excellence and gender in European universities. Gender and Education, 33(5), 612–629. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2020.1815660
O’Connor, P., & Barnard, S. (2021b). Excellence in universities: A critical genealogy. Higher Education, 81, 625–643. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00609-w
OECD. (2020). Education at a glance 2020: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/69096873-en
Pérez Pérez, C. (2016). Educación en valores para la ciudadanía. Desclée de Brouwer.
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. (2020). Plan de Desarrollo 2020–2025. UC Chile. https://www.uc.cl
Seoul National University. (2020). Vision 2030. Seoul National University. https://en.snu.ac.kr
Shields, R. (2021). The role of institutional values in higher education. Higher Education Quarterly, 75(4), 517–533.
Taylor, R. M. (2024). Methodological reflections on normative case studies. Educational Theory, 74(3), 301–311. https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.12555
Thiel, C., et al. (2020). Excellence, inclusion, and inequality in higher education: Critical perspectives. European Educational Research Journal, 19(6), 529–546. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904120925410
Trafford, V., Leshem, S., & Wisker, G. (2023). Values in higher education: Framing learning outcomes for global citizenship. Journal of Studies in International Education, 27(2), 168–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/10283153221123879
UNESCO – International Commission on the Futures of Education. (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education [Executive summary]. UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379707
UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development: A roadmap. UNESCO Publishing. https://doi.org/10.54675/YFRE1448
Universidad de Chile. (2017). Plan de Desarrollo Institucional 2017–2026. Universidad de Chile. https://uchile.cl
Universidad de Chile. (2025). Proceso de formulación del Plan de Desarrollo Institucional 2026–2036. Universidad de Chile. https://uchile.cl
Universidad de Cuenca. (2013). Estatuto orgánico de la Universidad de Cuenca. Consejo de Educación Superior. https://www.ces.gob.ec y https://dspace.ucuenca.edu.ec
Universidad de Deusto. (2019). Los valores de la universidad en el siglo XXI. Instituto de Estudios de Ocio, Universidad de Deusto. https://www.deusto.es/cs/Satellite/deusto/es/universidad/facultades/instituto-de-estudios-de-ocio/publicaciones/los-valores-de-la-universidad-en-el-siglo-xxi
Universidad de Deusto. (2021). Misión e identidad: Valores universitarios. Universidad de Deusto. https://www.deusto.es
Universidad de Granada. (2021). Misión, visión y valores de la UGR. Universidad de Granada. https://canal.ugr.es/UGR2031/mision-vision-y-valores-de-la-ugr/
Universidad de Granada. (2022). Plan director 2022. Vicerrectorado de Política Científica, UGR. https://vicecmpc.ugr.es
Universidad de Granada. (2023). Plan Estratégico UGR 2031. Universidad de Granada. https://www.ugr.es
Universidad de Granada. (2024). Ejecución estratégica 2024–2027 vinculada a IFMIF-DONES. Universidad de Granada / Noticias institucionales.
Universidad de la República (Uruguay). (2020). Plan Estratégico de Desarrollo 2020–2025. Udelar. https://udelar.edu.uy
Universidad de los Andes. (2021). Nuestro PDI 2021–2025. Dirección de Planeación, Uniandes. https://planeacion.uniandes.edu.co
Universidad de O’Higgins. (2022). Plan de Desarrollo Estratégico 2022–2025. UOH. https://uoh.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile. (2025). Plan de Desarrollo Institucional 2025–2030. USACH. https://planificacionestrategica.usach.cl
Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. (2024). Modelo educativo de la Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí 2024–2026 (Aprobado el 9 de septiembre de 2024). UNESUM. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gUQXI7oaZDzlO22dep6vKQpkYazc6A1N/view
Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. (2024). Modelo educativo de la Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. UNESUM. https://unesum.edu.ec/reglamentosgenerales/modelos-educativos/
Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación. (2022). Plan de Desarrollo Estratégico Institucional 2022–2030. UMCE. https://pdei2030.umce.cl
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. (2023). Plan de Desarrollo Institucional 2023–2027. Rectoría UNAM. https://www.rector.unam.mx
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. (2023). Plan de Desarrollo Institucional 2023–2027: síntesis para difusión. Gaceta CCH–UNAM. https://gaceta.cch.unam.mx
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. (2024). Planes de Desarrollo Institucional de facultades y escuelas 2024–2028. UNAM. https://planeacion.unam.mx
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Facultad de Trabajo Social. (2024). Plan de Desarrollo Institucional 2024–2028. UNAM. https://trabajosocial.unam.mx
Universidad Nacional de Colombia. (2013). Plan Estratégico de Desarrollo Institucional PLEI 2034. UNAL. https://plei2034.unal.edu.co
Universidad Nacional de Colombia. (2025). Plan Global de Desarrollo 2025–2027. UNAL. https://unal.edu.co
Universidade de São Paulo. (2024). Planejamento estratégico 2024–2025. Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Inovação, USP. https://prpi.usp.br
University College London. (2016). Education Strategy 2016–2021. UCL. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning
University of Cambridge. (2025). Access and Participation Plan 2025–2029. University of Cambridge. https://undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
University of Helsinki. (2021). Strategic plan 2021–2030. University of Helsinki. https://www.helsinki.fi/sites/default/files/atoms/files/strategic_plan_2021-2030_university_of_helsinki.pdf
University of Helsinki. (2021). Strategic Plan 2021–2030. University of Helsinki. https://www.helsinki.fi
University of Melbourne. (2020). Advancing Melbourne 2030. University of Melbourne. https://about.unimelb.edu.au
University of Oxford. (2024). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2024–2027. University of Oxford. https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk
University of Oxford. (2024). Public Engagement Strategic Plan 2024–2029. University of Oxford. https://www.ox.ac.uk
Van den Brink, M., & Benschop, Y. (2012). Gender practices in the construction of academic excellence: Sheep with five legs. Organization, 19(4), 507–524. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508411414293
Van den Brink, M., & Benschop, Y. (2022a). Fix the elite or fix the system? Organization, 29(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508421991073
Van den Brink, M., & Benschop, Y. (2022b). Gender practices in the construction of academic excellence: Disciplinary perspectives. Higher Education, 84, 261–281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00745-z
Van den Brink, M., & Benschop, Y. (2022c). Unpacking the excellence narrative: Power, inequality and myth. Organization Studies, 43(9), 1381–1402. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406211037827
Weik, E. (2024a). Universities, values, and legitimacy: A critical inquiry into value discourses in higher education. Higher Education Policy, 37(1), 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-022-00288-0
Weik, E. (2024b). Virtue and the common good in higher education. Philosophy of Management, 23(2), 287–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-023-00235-y
Zavale, N., & Mkandawire, S. B. (2021). Higher education and development in sub-Saharan Africa: Critical perspectives. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 51(6), 863–881. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2019.1702349
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Secção
Licença
Direitos de Autor (c) 2025 Julio Pino, Dunia Lisbet Domínguez Gálvez
Este trabalho encontra-se publicado com a Creative Commons Atribuição-NãoComercial 4.0.
Acknowledgement – Non Commercial (by-nc): Generation of derivated Works is allowed as long as a commercial use is not developed. The original work cannot be used with commercial aims.
This journal does not apply any fee to the authors by the filing or processing of articles.
