Public Universities and Regional Development: A Literature Review Based on the Experience of IDEP-UFPB

Abstract

This article presents a literature review on the relationship between public universities, regional development, and society, using the experience of the UFPB Institute for the Development of Paraíba (IDEP-UFPB) as a frame of reference. The study draws upon a 2020 dissertation titled "The UFPB Institute for the Development of Paraíba (IDEP): Institutional Evolution, Conceptions, and Conflicts as Perceived by Managers and Staff at IDEP and UFPB." The discussion is grounded in the authors and documents cited in that dissertation—specifically, research concerning universities, development, innovation, globalization, the internationalization of higher education, and Local Productive Arrangements (LPAs). The review highlights that the role of a public university extends beyond professional training and scientific production; it can also serve as an agent of social, economic, cultural, and technological transformation. In this context, interface institutions like IDEP-UFPB can help bridge the gap between knowledge production, territorial demands, and various social stakeholders. However, the literature analyzed and the experience detailed in the dissertation indicate that such a role depends on specific institutional conditions, resources, the integration of teaching, research, and outreach (extension), administrative continuity, and the capacity to maintain lasting relationships with government bodies, the productive sector, and society at large. The study concludes that regional development is a significant dimension of the public university’s mission; however, its realization requires institutional structures capable of connecting scientific knowledge with social needs and territorial specificities.