ENCE
ENCE opens academic year for postgraduate program with debates on territory and AI
March 04, 2026 11h24 AM | Last Updated: March 05, 2026 04h47 PM
The National School of Statistical Sciences (ENCE) held activities on the 2nd and 3rd of this month to mark the opening of the academic year for postgraduate studies, bringing together students, researchers, and IBGE staff in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The sessions, which were open to the public, included the inaugural lecture of the Specialization in Environmental Analysis and Territorial Management on the first day, and concluded with the master class of the Postgraduate Program in Population, Territory, and Public Statistics (PPG).
The meetings addressed key issues for the teaching offered by Ence: analysis of territories and populations, empirical studies on Indigenous peoples, and the use of new tools, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the production and interpretation of statistical and geospatial data.
Territory and life
On March 2nd, the inaugural lecture was focused on the topic “Territorializing in pursuit of a ‘better life’: the pathways of the peoples of the Upper Negro River in different territorial situations.” The lecture was given by Fernando Damasco, PhD in Geography from the Federal Fluminense University (UFF) and General Coordinator of Census Operations at the IBGE.
In his presentation, Dr. Damasco highlighted how different territorial configurations—marked by historical, institutional, and cultural processes—impact the forms of organization and survival strategies of the Indigenous peoples of the Upper Negro River, in the Brazilian Amazon. By engaging with field experiences and the production of statistical data, the researcher emphasized that territories are constantly modified by different social groups, involved in geographical situations that challenge their spatial boundaries and, consequently, their territories and ways of life.
The lecture also served as an invitation to rethink how we analyze these processes of socio-spatial reorganization and create knowledge for planning public policies committed to reversing serious violations of fundamental rights, especially those of Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
AI impact on academic research
At the closing of the event, this Tuesday (03), the keynote lecture addressed the theme “How generative artificial intelligence is (quickly) transforming academic research”. To raise reflections on the subject, ENCE invited Professor Rafael Cardoso Sampaio, from the Department of Political Science at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), researcher at INCT Participa and CNPq productivity fellow.
During the presentation, Dr. Sampaio highlighted that "we have a double challenge, which is to be careful with privacy, respect the LGPD [General Data Protection Law], but at the same time use the most sophisticated, most advanced technologies to benefit even more from this data. To get insights, to get ideas, to draw analyses that can help". The professor reinforced the importance of the IBGE in this discussion: "I cannot imagine an agency that would be in a more central position to conduct, and possibly lead, this debate than the IBGE".
The interaction with the audience also brought about the discussion on the impacts of AI on the training of researchers, scientific evaluation, and the very definition of plagiarism and originality, pointing to the urgency of updating institutional practices and regulations in the face of rapid technological transformations.
More than 70 years of solid teaching
Founded in 1953, ENCE celebrates its 73rd anniversary next Friday (06). The IBGE's higher education institution offers a Bachelor's degree in Statistics, as well as a Specialization in Environmental Analysis and Territorial Management, and Master's and Doctoral degrees in Population, Territory and Public Statistics. The School also works in the training and development of civil servants from the IBGE and other public bodies.
ENCE's affiliation with the IBGE provides constant exchange with professionals involved in the production of statistical and geospatial information, who collaborate as teachers and instructors. This integration strengthens a solid theoretical training, supported by professional practice and aimed at improving public statistics.
