This Monday, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) celebrated its 75th anniversary, and the Graduate Program in Epidemiology at UFPel was present at this milestone event honoring national research. The celebration brought together researchers and public authorities to recognize the legacy of one of Brazil’s leading institutions supporting science, technology, and innovation.

Cesar Victora, an epidemiologist and Director of the International Center for Equity in Health (ICEH), was invited by CNPq to serve as the honored senior scientist at the event.

The ceremony highlighted the trajectory of scientific research in Brazil, bringing together fellows at different stages of their academic careers, from undergraduate research to master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels. As the culmination of this journey, Professor Victora took the stage to share reflections from a career dedicated to research with tangible social relevance, contributing to improvements in people’s lives.

As a researcher who has helped shape global child health policies and who has been awarded the Almirante Álvaro Alberto Award, the highest honor granted by CNPq, his reflections on the consolidation of epidemiology as a strategic field for the country’s scientific and social development offer a hopeful perspective for the future of science and the next generation.

Science transforms the world, and valuing research is what makes it possible.