Resumo O presente texto constitui-se em ensaio, a partir de conferência proferida sobre o multiculturalismo, entendido como um conjunto de respostas à diversidade cultural e desafio a preconceitos, no campo educacional. Defende e desenvolve três argumentos centrais, a saber: o multiculturalismo não deve ser tratado como um adendo ao currículo ou perspectiva reduzida a projetos extracurriculares; é relevante considerar modos pelos quais a construção curricular poderia articular a perspectiva multicultural aos diferentes campos de saber e disciplinas que constituem o currículo de formação de professores; é, a partir da visão de articulação do currículo e da pesquisa, concebida pelo olhar do multiculturalismo, que acreditamos que a formação inicial e continuada de professores pode ser incrementada, em uma visão transformadora.

This study argues a case for multiculturalism as a possible approach for addressing the complexities of societies such as the BRICS, taking Brazil as a case study. It contends that knowledge derived from such a study can benefit Social Studies and Humanities worldwide, particularly considering that cultural diversity has been increasingly present due to globalisation, internationalisation and growing mobility of groups of people, including refugees all over the world, requiring new epistemologies and narratives in research. The paper firstly analyses the concept of multiculturalism, discussing its perspectives from more liberal approaches up to more critical, postcolonial and decolonial perspectives that focus on the challenge of prejudices that operate in terms of control and denial of pluralism. It discusses the multicultural composition of the population of Brazil as a BRICS country, analysing its main geographical and population characteristics. The main focus of the paper is to delve in the ways that Brazilian educational policies have been trying to address both international standards and the valuing of cultural identities and equity-oriented approaches that are inclusive and multicultural. It particularly focuses on the National Plan for Education and of the recent project for higher education institutions (called “Future-se”). Finally, it concludes by pointing out tensions and possibilities of such Brazilian endeavours in the context of the BRICS countries. Such a study may be relevant comparatively, hopefully providing reflections for new epistemologies and the potential value of these for the Social Sciences and Humanities.

The paper aims to discuss digital learning for lifelong learning at the university level in Brazil, taken as a case study. It is structured in the following way. It presents concepts of digital learning in multicultural approaches within lifelong paradigms. It then presents a cursory look at Brazilian educational policies in that area, particularly focusing on the role of the Universidade Aberta (Open University) in Brazil. Lastly, it discusses digital learning in the context of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemics in Brazil. It tries to gauge the impediments and the challenges that may jeopardise a multicultural potential in educational policies, particularly focusing on government political directives as well as responses from university associations and from a public university. It concludes, by presenting possible ways ahead for reflections and contributions in the area.

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