Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies

Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies

Established in 2001, the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies was created to offer a place for scholars and students to pursue and share research and scholarship on Brazil. Learn about our academic mission:

Our Academic Mission

Stimulate Research and Debate

The center promotes collaborations between the Columbia community and Brazilian scholars and institutions, working closely with Columbia University Global Center Rio de Janeiro. In addition to our own original research, we support other Columbia faculty research with a focus on Brazil.  The Global Center Rio de Janeiro has recently published a report on Columbia Brazil History, which contains a collection of articles written by Columbia students on the history of relationships between Columbia University iand Brazil. 

Create Public Programming

Our rich programming includes sponsored seminars and lectures on contemporary and historical aspects of Brazil, including culture, economics, and politics. The center serves as a regular forum for lectures and conferences by visiting Brazilian academics, government officials, business leaders, political actors, and representatives of civil society.

Organize Courses

We organize regular courses for graduates and undergraduates focused on Brazil, including courses on economic and political development, as well as a variety of other topics—history, education, sustainable development, gender studies, and public security, among others.

Support Students

The center provides travel grant opportunities for students to engage in research and internships in Brazil. And our Lemann Fellowship program aims to contribute to accelerating positive social change in Brazil by providing financial assistance to master’s students with commitments to addressing development challenges such as public health and education. For prospective Brazilian students, we have created a guide to applying to graduate programs at Columbia University in Portuguese

Engage Visiting Scholars

We administer three programs for visiting scholars: the Lemann Visiting Public Policy Fellows Program, the Visiting Scholars Program and Professional Fellows programs. For a list of current fellows, please visit our Visiting Scholars and Fellows page.

Our Team

A man, Paulo Blikstein, wearing a pink button up shirt smiles into the camera.
Paulo Blikstein

Director, Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies;
Associate Professor at Teachers College

Black and white headshot of Thomas Trebant
Thomas J. Trebat

Director, Columbia Global Center | Rio de Janeiro

Teresa Borges
Teresa Borges

Program Manager

Romina Quezada
Romina Quezada

Program and Outreach Manager

Affiliated Faculty

Image of a man, Gustavo S. Azenha, wearing glasses and smiling at camera
Gustavo S. Azenha

Executive Director of ILAS, Director of Graduate Studies, Lecturer in Anthropology

José A. Castellanos-Pazos
José A. Castellanos-Pazos

Senior Lecturer in Spanish,
Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures

Amy E. Chazkel
Amy E. Chazkel

Bernard Hirschhorn Associate Professor of Urban Studies,
Department of History

Maria José De Abreu
Maria José De Abreu

Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology

Albert Fishlow
Albert Fishlow

Professor Emeritus of International and Public Affairs,
School of International and Public Affairs

A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and wearing a bright-colored blouse smiles into the camera.
Ana Paulina Lee

Assistant Professor of Latin American and Iberian Cultures,
Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures

Silvia S. Martins
Silvia S. Martins

Associate Professor of Epidemiology,
Department of Epidemiology

Sidney N. Nakao Nakahodo
Sidney N. Nakao Nakahodo

Lecturer in International and Public Affairs,
School of International and Public Affairs

Richard Peña
Richard Peña

Professor of Professional Practice in Film,
School of the Arts

Rodrigo Reis Soares
Rodrigo Reis Soares

Lemann Professor of Brazilian Public Policy and International and Public Affairs, School of International and Public Affairs

Kendall Thomas
Kendall Thomas

Nash Professor of Law, Director Center for the
Study of Law and Culture, School of Law

Support the Center

The Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies and its initiatives are made possible by the generosity of our donors. We are especially grateful to Brazilian entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann and the Lemann Foundation for their dedication and support of Brazilian studies at Columbia.

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