In spite of the increasing attention attributed to the rise in prominence of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, few studies have looked at the ways in which broader social expectations with respect to the role of higher education across the BRICS have changed, or not, in recent years. Our point of departure is that, contrary to the conventional wisdom focusing on functionalistic perspectives, higher education systems are not just designed by governments to fulfill certain functions, but have a tendency for evolving in a rather unpredictable fashion as a result of the complex interplay between a number of internal and external factors. In reality, national higher education systems develop and change according to a complex process that encompasses the expectations of governmental agencies, markets, the aspirations of the population for the benefits of education, the specific institutional traditions and cultures of higher education institutions, and,increasingly so, the interests and strategies of the private firms entering and offering services in the higher education market. This basically means that it is of outmost importance to move away from conceiving of "universities" or "higher education" as single, monolithic actors or sector. One way of doing this is by investigating a selected number of distinct, but nonetheless interrelated factors or drivers, which, taken together, help determine the nature and scope of the social compact between higher education (its core actors and institutions) and society at large (government, industry, local communities, professional associations).

Latin American countries are increasing their investments in science and technology, introducing legislation to stimulate innovation, but the impact of these efforts in the economy and society has been limited. Most of the existing research takes place in universities, and does not relate easily with business, government and society. There are, however, exceptions. This book looks at the science, technology and innovation systems of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, telling the stories of sixteen university research teams from different fields of knowledge, working in very different national contexts, but having in common the experience of producing high quality scientific knowledge in their fields, while being very active in transfering their knoweldge to society. They are deviations from the more traditional academic centers in the their own countries, which tend to work acccording to the research agendas established by their individual members, with subsidies from the education and science and techology authorities, and, even when working in applied fields, have difficulties or give low priority to put their competence to practical use. In spite of their differences, they have to deal with some common issues: how to stimulate academic entrepreneurship, how to deal with issues of intellectual property, how to relate with their universities and make the best possible use their countries' innovation agencies. In so doing, they help their countries to come closer to the needs of the knowledge societies of today.

A Space for Science is a new version of Formação da Comunidade Cientifica no Brasil (published only in Portuguese in 1979 and now out of print), which became a standard reference for studies of the development of scientific traditions and competence in Brazil and, by extension, for other developing countries. Based on dozens of interviews with several generations of Brazilian scientists, it offers a wealth of information and insight about the motivations, attitudes, values, and perceptions of the scientists who, working in this kind of environment, face challenges and endure frustrations not known to their colleagues in wealthier industrialized countries. The book focuses on the development of natural sciences in Brazil from the nineteenth century, with emphasis on the cultural, institutional, and social contexts that facilitated or hindered their growth and institutionalization, and offers an analysis of their current predicaments. It also provides an account of the importance to Brazil of foreign-trained scientists and foreign models of research and higher education. This new English version contains background information on Brazilian society and politics, a new introduction, and two new chapters on most recent developments. These changes, along with substantial revisions to the text, make this a new book even for the Brazilian reader.