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The famous composer Tom Jobim supposedly once said to an inquisitive journalist wondering about the “Brazilian sound” of bossa nova as the new wave of jazz: “well, you know, Brazil is not for beginners.” This pithy phrase has been used countless times as a way of introducing the complexity of this massive country, Brazil. We see it another way. Brazil is, in fact, perfect for beginners, because it encapsulates the two meanings of the word “awesome”. Brazil is both incredibly cool and beautiful as well as overwhelming and complex. The aesthetic draws the “beginner” in and inspires them to want to learn and become culturally competent in the rest. Brazil is not only influencing globalization, it is itself the result of the global movements of people, goods and cultural practices. Therefore, Brazil is an excellent place to start to understand global dynamics.

The goal of Brazilian Studies is to apply knowledge about Brazil and the Portuguese language to real world problems and international issues. The program features a term abroad with opportunities to study a range of subjects at the top universities in Brazil. Beyond obtaining proficiency in the 5th most spoken language in the world, Brazilian Studies prepares students to think critically and articulate themselves persuasively on a range of subjects, including migration, urbanization, economics, government and environment that include Brazil but are not limited to it. The program provides students with important conceptual tools from the social sciences and cultural studies and is applied, project-centered and labor intensive.

Degrees and Opportunities

Brazilian Studies offers both a BA that focuses on Brazil with references to Portugal, the former colonizer, as well as other former colonies, such as Angola and Cape Verde. Courses also situate Brazil in the South American context, since the country borders every country on the continent except for Chile and Ecuador. The courses combine history, anthropology/sociology, geography and linguistics in an in-depth area studies programme providing solid theoretical and applied knowledge which reflects the diversity of the region. Brazilian Studies includes the teaching of Portuguese as the most prominent modern language of the region. In fact, intensive language learning coupled with a course on a current developments in Brazil as well as an introduction to the history of the country fills the first propaedeutic year.

Subsequently, you will be prepared for a semester abroad in Brazil (4th sem). Students can choose in between mega-cities of São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, the historical, Afro-centric city of Salvador, Florianópolis, the city of beaches, Porto Alegre, the city of European immigrants, or the more provincial university city of Juiz de Fora. The central feature of the exchange program is an immersive experience that facilitates the language learning. In the following semesters the focus broadens to include, for example, the politics in the region and research methodologies, while other mobility opportunities further enable face-to-face interactions and help to get first-hand knowledge of the region through a study semester at a partner university or internship in Brazil.

 

While the BA takes the region as a starting point for the studies, the Master level (GLAS – Global Area Studies) broadens and deepens the understanding of the region by relating Brazil to other regions and countries in the Americas and globally, especially Japan, China, Russia and India. Bringing in a comparative and global dimension facilitates understanding dynamics in and beyond Brazil. Students are equipped with skills and competences to conduct research in the region as well as internationally and to utilize the expertise to work in teams – be it in companies or international organisations. If you are curious to find out more, have a look at detailed information on the programme structure, admission requirements and career opportunities for B.A. Brazilian Studies and M.A. Global Area Studies.

Partners and Activites

Teaching programs

Brazilian Studies is well connected with partner universities, research networks, NGOs in Denmark, Europe and globally. We actively engage with Brazilian and European partner universities through research networks, such as REBRAC (European Network of Brazilianists Working in Cultural Analysis) and CEBRAP (Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning), as well as through bilateral agreements enabling student mobility and research collaboration. Our partners include prestigious universities such as USP (University of São Paulo), UFBA (Federal University of Bahia in Salvador), UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre), UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis), UFJF (Federal University of Juiz de Fora) and PUC-Rio (Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro).

Current research projects

Current research projects focus on migrant presence and storytelling in Brazilian cities, Brazil and Latin American environmental histories and politics and the variability of the Portuguese language across the globe. All of these projects engage specifically with Brazil, but also take a global perspective.

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Derek Pardue Click Me!!!

Associate Professor in Brazilian Studies

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Georg Fischer Click Me!!!

Associate Professor in Brazilian Studies

DEREK PARDUE
Associate Professor in Brazilian Studies

Academic Background:I completed a Masters degree in ethnomusicology at the University of Texas in Austin and a PhD in cultural anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

My research in a nutshell: My research has focused on issues of urbanism, migration and expressive culture throughout the Black Atlantic, specifically the Luso-African worlds of Brazil, Portugal and Cape Verde. I have also conducted fieldwork on “Muslim youth” in Aarhus. What is particularly distinctive is my approach to textual composition. I have developed a dynamic relationship between multimodal content (sound-image-text) and style (ethnographic fiction, mixed genres). Such an approach and a willingness to explore sensibilities complement a transdisciplinary perspective on knowledge and representation of multispecial conditions. My recent work on the night as a culturally variable time-place filled with creative human anxiety and differentiated relationships with natural and human ecologies has added an essential layer of theoretical reflection and aesthetic inspiration to my work.

What was it that initially sparked your interest Brazil: In 1994 I hitchhiked from Texas to Guatemala. It was during the World Cup and I met a group of Italians and Brazilians in Oaxaca, México. It was a day before the final between these two football giants. So, I ran off with a French woman to an indigenous community and participated in a mescaline ritual. We were absolutely silent and lay still for hours. Upon hearing a word in Zapotec, we arose and gorged ourselves on fruit. We returned to the capital city and after a round or five at a local saloon, I found myself with two Brazilians playing bossa nova music. A life choice was made. Obs: Some of that was fabricated. You choose what. Or just email me and we’ll chat.

 

To learn more about my academic work Click Here

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Georg Fischer
Associate Professor in Brazilian Studies

Academic Background: Dr. phil. (History) Freie Universität Berlin. I did my MA in History at the University of Essex, Colchester, where I was able to specialize in Brazilian history. Before that I studied History and Economics at Freie Universität Berlin.

My research in a nutshell: I am broadly interested in nature-society relations, science and knowledge, and North-South inequalities. My regional focus is Latin America and its connections to the wider world with a particular emphasis on nineteenth- and twentieth-century Brazil. My ongoing research deals with agriculture, migration and environmental change in savanna-like landscapes in several South American countries. Using comparative, transnational and global history approaches, I examine state-led agricultural colonization programs since the Second World War as contested materializations of “modern” visions of rurality. I have previously worked on the history of knowledge about Brazil’s mineral resources, and I keep a strong interest in material history/Stoffgeschichte, natural collections, infrastructures and supply chains. I am furthermore interested in framings of global justice and emerging transnational memory practices in the context of the climate emergency.

What is your favorite place in Brazil? Downtown São Paulo is the most amazing place in the world. It has seen cycles of boom and bust, and it keeps attracting newcomers who seek their luck in this beautifully crazy and scary city. I begin most trips to Brazil observing street artists and preachers around Anhangabaú, enjoying Japanese food in Liberdade or visiting exhibitions on Avenida Paulista or at Luz station before taking a bus to my final destination. For almost 15 years my research has repeatedly brought me to the State of Minas Gerais, a region whose landscapes and history continue to fascinate me.

 

To learn more about my academic work Click Here  

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