The Graduate Program in Administration at UNIP (PPGA-UNIP) has consolidated over the years its contribution to teaching and research in administration, with a focus on Organizational Networks. The improvement of the curriculum structure, the growth of scientific production, and the impacts on society and the productive sector reflect the program's evolution while maintaining coherence and alignment with the directions of academia and market demands.
Since its creation, PPGA-UNIP has demonstrated consistency in its research lines, which were reviewed and enhanced in the 2017-2020 quadrennium, consolidating into "Strategies and Operations in Networks" and "Social Approaches in Networks." This improvement ensured greater adherence to the needs of scientific and professional development for students and alumni, fostering research that promotes innovation and practical applications in the public and private sectors. The presence of students from Federal Universities, Federal Institutes, the Armed Forces, SEBRAE, and private companies reinforces the alignment of the research lines with societal needs.
At the same time, PPGA-UNIP conducted, between 2019 and 2022, an Interinstitutional Master's—Minter in Cacoal/RO, training 9 master's graduates in administration in the region. In addition to being a solidarity mechanism, the Minter impacted the qualification of faculty in the region. The project was carried out in partnership with the Educational Association of Rondônia—UNESC. Considering the lack of opportunities for faculty qualification in Rondônia, the Minter in the region generated significant social impacts by addressing the latent demand for the training of more qualified faculty, capable of working in the education of the local population. This initiative enabled, among other objectives, the creation of new undergraduate courses in Rondônia, still affected by the limited composition of faculty in the currently offered courses. At the same time, it is understood that the conducted research brought greater national visibility to local problems, fostering new partnerships and solutions. Additionally, the economic impacts resulting from the better qualification of local Universities, University Centers, and Colleges cannot be disregarded, as they enhance the attractiveness of new students as the results of evaluations promoted by INEP prove fruitful. With the qualification of faculty, it was possible to reduce the financial costs that will be promoted by the local institutions themselves.
Another important impact result was PPGA's partnership with the Federal University of Rondônia. There, faculty from the Social Approaches in Networks line, together with researchers from the Rondonian institution, conduct studies and assist a community of fishermen called Colônia de Pescadores e Aquicultores de Candeias-Rondônia. In addition to the academic aspects of the partnership, the presence of sustainable and social objectives stands out, offering the community's actors management methods capable of enabling their development.
At the same time, attentive to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, faculty strive in the selection and conduct of research that not only has a clear connection with the program's concentration area and research lines but also incorporates themes linked to the sustainability-social-economic triad. Among them, investigations associated with the management of recycling cooperatives, innovation in small businesses, impacts of technology for microentrepreneurs, alternative forms of collective life (communities of practice), problems and solutions in supplementary health management, cluster development (in various fields, such as agribusiness and electronics), among others, can be cited.
PPGA at UNIP also has a consolidated trajectory of contributing to the qualification of public servants and faculty from the public network in different states. Since 2013, the Master's Program in Administration at UNIP has received as master's and doctoral students from the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso. This allows the qualification of academics for the region, disseminating research while expanding the program's insertion and visibility in other regions. Students receive training that results in publications and international insertions.
The consistency of PPGA's contributions can also be evidenced by the quantity and quality of its academic production. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the publication of articles in qualified journals, especially in strata A1 to A4. Additionally, PPGA-UNIP has strengthened the training of its alumni, promoting a qualified insertion in higher education and the job market, contributing to the qualification of faculty and managers with high academic and professional expertise. Adherence to the training received is evidenced by reports of outstanding cases of alumni performance."
As a practical example, the project "Study on the relationship between innovative capacity and competitiveness in industrial organizations in supply networks," conducted by Prof. Dr. Renato Telles, illustrates the integration between social approach and supply network performance, contributing both to theoretical advancement and business development.
Another indicator of the clarity and consistency of the PPG's contributions over time is the curriculum update and the offering of courses aligned with contemporary demands (e.g., Governance in Organizational Networks; Strategies for sustainability and climate change management; International webinars: Network Management, Innovation, digital transformation, and Sustainable Development; Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Networks, among others). The implementation of the doctoral program in 2021 further strengthened researcher training and knowledge production, consolidating the program as a national reference in the field of Organizational Networks. An example of this strengthening and knowledge production can be represented by the publication of an article in the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Qualis A1 and ABS 2, by Guilherme Juliani de Carvalho, the first doctoral student at PPGA-UNIP.