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18 January 2023

New director of King's Brazil Institute announced

Dr Andreza Aruska de Souza Santos has been announced as the new director and will be joining King’s in April.

Dr Vinicius de Carvalho and  Andreza Aruska de Souza Santos

Dr Andreza Aruska de Souza Santos has been announced as the new Director, King’s Brazil Institute. She is the third institute director, having been proceeded by Professor Anthony Pereira and Dr Vinicius de Carvalho.

As the recent Director of the Brazilian Studies Programme at the Latin American Centre, Oxford, Dr Souza Santos brings a wealth of knowledge to the position.

I hope my experience in academia in different countries and my previous experience in government and diplomacy will add to create a learning environment for those interested in Brazil, whether they are from King’s and beyond. I can't wait to start!

Dr Andreza Aruska de Souza Santos

Andreza is a very competent scholar, with a holistic understanding of Brazil. She is also a dynamic and engaged person who will contribute immensely to Brazil Institute and the School of Global Affairs. It is a great honour to pass the direction of Brazil Institute to her.

Dr Vinicius de Carvalho

Her first event as incoming director will be held this week – an opportunity to discuss the recent coup attempt by supporters of out-going President, Bolsonaro. The event is organised by the Brazilian Society, King’s Brazil Institute, the Observatory of Democracy in Latin America and the Transnational Law Institute.

When Dr Souza Santos started at the Brazilian Studies Programme at Oxford in 2018, Bolsonaro had just started his presidential mandate and the Rio de Janeiro’s Museum Nacional, Brazil’s oldest and most important historical and scientific museum, burnt down.

Dr Souza Santos: “This time it is no different. I arrive the King’s Brazil Institute knowing the topics of democracy, the far right, fake news and the environment will be extremely important. But this is also to say that there is a growing global interest in Brazil – in seeing how this continental country will manage its divided society.”

Over the years, the King’s Brazil Institute has grown to become an active and engaged community of academics and researchers able to provide expert analysis on Brazilian affairs – a valuable resource to policymakers, businesses, international organisations and the media.

The Institute acts as a bridge between Brazil and the UK, allowing people from across the globe, and especially in London, to foster shared learning, collaboration and interdisciplinarity related to contemporary Brazil.

Watch an interview between incoming and outgoing directors

In this story

Dr Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho, SFHEA

Reader in Brazilian and Latin American Studies