The following paper assesses the consolidation of the "knowledge factory" and "academic capitalism" models in Brazil during the 1990s, under the aegis of the neoliberal critique of public, post-secondary education management. After a brief mention to these models, it discusses the growth of private-owned higher education institutions organized as business enterprises, and the institutional redefinition of public universities. As a conclusion, it is pointed out that one of the greater damages brought by the dissemination of such models is the slow corrosion of the role of cultural reference played by the University; and, also, some topics for future research are brought forward.
University; Academic capitalism; Private-owned higher learning
