Professor Christopher Dobson, Master of St John’s, and Professor Jorge Guimarães, President of CAPES, sign agreement for the creation of the Celso Furtado Visiting Fellowship in Brazilian History and Humanities

Rarely has Brazil been more conspicuous on the world stage. Whether it is because of the forthcoming World Cup (2014) and Olympics (2016), or its emergence as an economic and scientific powerhouse, or its success in poverty alleviation initiatives, South America’s largest country is making a splash and grabbing headlines. As its geopolitical and cultural impact grow, so too does the importance of enhanced engagement and increased understanding.

It is in this context that an agreement was signed on Thursday 6 June for the creation of the Celso Furtado Visiting Fellowship in Brazilian History and Humanities, based at St John’s College. The Visiting Fellowship is intended to bring to St John’s College, for a period of one academic year, an outstanding Brazilian scholar working in the humanities and social sciences with a focus on Brazil. The Visiting Fellow is expected to carry out his or her research, participate fully in the College’s life, and join in relevant academic activities across the wider university –including the Centre of Latin American Studies, to which he or she will be affiliated.

The agreement was signed between Professor Christopher Dobson, Master of St John’s, and Professor Jorge Guimarães, President of CAPES –Brazil’s federal agency for the support of post-graduate education and research, a division of the Ministry of Education. CAPES already funds up to 30 full PhD bursaries for Brazilians in Cambridge, managed by the Cambridge Trusts, as well as various Brazilian postdocs and “sandwich” placements for PhD students.

The Visiting Fellowship was named after Celso Furtado (1920-2004), a distinguished Brazilian economist, public intellectual and politician, who between 1973 and 1974 was Simón Bolívar Professor at the Centre of Latin American Studies –the first Brazilian to hold that distinguished post. Though Furtado himself was a member of King’s College, St John’s seemed to be the most appropriate place for such a Visiting Fellowship following the donation, in 2010, of over 2,000 books on Portuguese and Brazilian history. The gift, made to the College by St John’s alumnus and historian Kenneth Maxwell (and now fully catalogued), is the most important single resource on Luso-Brazilian history in the United Kingdom.

Thursday’s signing ceremony, followed by a dinner at the Master’s Lodge, was attended by Dr Mary Dobson; St John’s Senior Bursar, Chris Ewbank; Manucha Lisboa, Professor of Portuguese Literature and Culture and Fellow of St John’s; and Janet Chow, Academic Services Librarian. Other Cambridge attendees included Dr Jennifer Barnes, Pro-Vice-chancellor for International Strategy; Professor Martin Daunton, Master of Trinity Hall and Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dr Charles Jones, Director of the Centre of Latin American Studies.

Accompanying Prof Jorge Guimarães alongside members of CAPES’ international affairs directorate were senior representatives of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, Professors Paulo Sergio Beirão, Alvaro Toubes Prata and Virgilio Almeida. The Brazilian embassy was represented by the new Head of the Academic Division, Flávio Werneck.

Specific details regarding the Celso Furtado Visiting Fellowship in Brazilian History and Humanities will be published in due course.

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