The News Service
38 Brown Street / Box R
Providence RI 02912

401 863-2476
Fax 863-9595

Distributed October 7, 2003
Contact Mary Jo Curtis

Former President of Brazil and Professor-at-Large Fernando Henrique Cardoso will discuss “Brazil: The Awakening Giant” on Friday, Oct. 17, 2003, at 5 p.m. in Starr Auditorium in MacMillan Hall. This lecture is free and open to the public.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil and now professor-at-large at Brown, will speak on “Brazil: The Awakening Giant” Friday, Oct. 17, 2003, at 5 p.m. in Starr Auditorium, located in MacMillan Hall, 167 Thayer St.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, in conjunction with the Watson Institute for International Studies and the Center for Latin American Studies. The format of this event will be conversational: Following brief opening remarks by Cardoso, faculty members from sponsoring and related departments will pose questions about present-day Brazil. The public will then also be invited to participate in a question and answer session.

One of Latin America’s most distinguished social scientists, Cardoso was appointed to a five-year term as professor-at-large at Brown University in July 2003. He was first elected to national office in his native country in 1986, as a senator from the state of São Paulo, and two years later helped establish the Social Democratic Party. He served as Brazil’s foreign minister (1992-93) and economy minister (1993) prior to his election as president in 1994. As economy minister and president, he oversaw the development and implementation of an economic stabilization program that controlled inflation, and his policy of reducing government involvement in the economy helped attract foreign investment. He concluded his second presidential term on Jan. 1, 2003.

As a young sociology professor, Cardoso was a vocal opponent of Brazil’s military dictators; he lived in exile from 1964 to 1968. Although he was arrested on his return in 1969 and banned from teaching for a time, he became a prominent and well-respected Latin American sociologist. His scholarly writings include the classic Dependency and Development in Latin America and numerous works in journals of sociology and political economy. Cardoso has served as a visiting professor at academic centers in Europe and the United States and is professor emeritus of political science at the University of São Paulo. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

While in residence at the University during his five-year appointment, Cardoso is working at the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies. He will continue to give lectures, participate in various symposia, interact with students in the classroom, and work with faculty in development studies, Latin American studies, Portuguese and Brazilian studies and other departments, institutes and centers.

For more information, call 401-863-2809 or 863-1830.

######

News Service Home  |  Top of File  |  e-Subscribe  |  Brown Home Page