The governor-elect of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), appointed this Friday (23) the engineer Vahan Agopyan, former dean of USP, as secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation of the state.
Agopyan was one of the academics who signed a manifesto against Tarcísio's election in October, “in defense of science, culture and the public university”.
With no party affiliation, the former dean told the Sheet that the future governor knows that he did not support him in the last election and that there was no discomfort in the invitation. “I signed the letter but remained neutral in the election. I was impressed with the invitation because he didn't just want supporters,” he says.
The October document was articulated by the anthropologist Lilia Schwarcz and by the ex-rector of Unicamp Marcelo Knobel and does not directly mention Tarcísio or Jair Bolsonaro (PL), but says that Lula and Fernando Haddad are “the only guarantee of a new Brazil, less polarized , more citizen and democratic”.
The future secretary has also already taken a position against the Escola Sem Partido movement, created in 2004 to fight an alleged left-wing indoctrination in Brazilian schools.
In an interview with the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo in 2018, Agoyan said that USP must obey the law and that things that harm its autonomy do not need to be followed. “That hurts. The university is a locus of debate. We form citizens.”
Agopyan holds a master's degree in urban engineering and civil construction from USP (University of São Paulo) and a doctorate in civil engineering from King's College, London. Today, he studies the sustainability of civil construction and innovation.
Former rector and vice-rector of USP for three terms, the engineer was also director of the Polytechnic School of USP, of the IPT (Technological Research Institute), in addition to coordinating the science and technology area of the São Paulo State Development Secretariat. Paulo in 2008 and 2009, under the management of José Serra (PSDB).
“We will have a very big challenge, but I am very excited by the stance that the governor has placed towards science and technology. They must be a driving force for social development”, he says.
Agopyan is known in São Paulo academic circles and claims to have a close relationship with leaders in the area and federal institutions across the state. “It makes my job a lot easier and I'm sure my name has been raised by these people.”
He has already been a member of the boards of several scientific institutions, such as IPT, Fapesp, Capes, Centro Paula Souza, and Univesp.
The engineer points out that science was linked to economic development and that now there is a recommendation from Tarcísio to transform it into social development. One of his challenges is to increase political synergy between the state's scientific institutions.
The folder announced this Friday was the only one missing to complete the new government, which will have 23 secretariats. On Wednesday (21), the future governor announced 10 names. The composition includes the PSD of Gilberto Kassab, the Republicans and has few Bolsonarists. The PSDB was left out of the first echelon.
The economic area has five people linked to the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, in addition to Guilherme Afif (PSD), who led the transition of government and was appointed Special Secretary for Strategic Projects, a position directly linked to the State Executive.
SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF THE TARCÍSIO GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
Arthur Lima – Civil House
Eleuses Paiva – Health
Gilberto Kassab – Government
Renato Feder – Education
Natalia Resende – Logistics, Transport, Infrastructure and Environment
Captain Derrite – Security
Roberto de Lucena – Tourism
Caio Paes de Andrade – Management and Digital Government
Lais Vita – Communication
Lucas Ferraz – International Affairs
Rafael Benini – Private Partnerships
Samuel Kinoshita – Secretary of Finance and Planning
Jorge de Lima – Secretary of Economic Development
Marilia Marton – Culture
Fábio Prieto – Justice
Helena Reis – Sport
Marcello Streifinger – Penitentiary Administration
Marco Antonio Assalve – Metropolitan Transport
Gilberto Nascimento Jr. – Social development
Marcelo Cardinale Branco – Urban Development and Housing
Antônio Junqueira de Queiroz – Agriculture and Supply
Sonaira Fernandes – Politics for Women
Vahan Agopyan – Science, Technology and Innovation