Alexandre da Trindade – ad988@cantab.ac.uk
ad988@cantab.ac.uk | Currently undertaking a CAPES Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Science and Technology “Educational Policy and Teaching Work” (INCT-GESTRADO) at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), under the coordination of Professor Dalila Andrade Oliveira. PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge (2024), supervised by Professor Susan L. Robertson. The thesis, titled Utopian Thinking in Higher Education and Its Relationship with Social Movements: Reshaping Societal Roles to Build Alternative Worlds, examines how utopian thinking can reshape the social role of universities in their interaction with social movements, with the aim of constructing alternative futures. Holds a Masters degree in Global Prosperity from University College London (UCL) (2018), with distinction, an MBA in Marketing (2000), and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from ESPM-SP (1996). In 2010, completed Changing the Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision-Making at Harvard Business School, gaining advanced skills in negotiation and decision-making. Research focuses on critical realism, concrete/insurgent utopia, and militant ethnography to investigate the transformative potential of higher education. Co-founder and co-leader of the Cambridge Latin American Research in Education Collective (CLAREC), participated in the organization of international conferences on popular education, significantly impacting the academic community at Cambridge, including coordinating the inauguration of Paulo Freires bust at the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. Member of the Knowledge, Power, and Politics (KPP) research group at the University of Cambridge, and DALE! – Decolonizing Latin America and its Spaces, affiliated with the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Active member of several research groups, including the Observatorio de la Realidad Campesina e Indígena del Paraguay II (ORCIP) at the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA), the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES), the Utopian Studies Society / Europe (USS/E), the Cambridge University Brazilian Society (CUBS), the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), and the Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Educação (ANPEd). Publications in journals such as Globalisation, Societies and Education and Journal of Dialogue Studies address critical education challenges. Nearly two decades of professional experience in leadership roles in marketing and innovation within major telecommunications corporations in Brazil, with expertise in project management, business development, and international partnerships.
My academic experience has been built upon almost twenty years of professional experience working with innovation and technology projects in prominent companies in Brazil and through international partnerships and networks. In 2017, I made the decision to embark on a new professional journey, one that offered more promising opportunities for social contributions. This new path began with an MA in Global Prosperity at University College London (UCL) and continues through my current pursuit of a Doctoral degree in Education at the University of Cambridge.
Though this process has been complex and challenging, involving transitions between different areas of knowledge and language, as well as establishing relationships within new environments and with new communities and groups, it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. This complete shift in perspective and the critical re-evaluation of the world that this new path has demanded has allowed me to explore and assess where and how I can make the most significant contributions to society.
In recent years, aligning with my research project focusing on the social role of the university, I have actively participated in transforming and democratizing the spaces within the academic community. My efforts have involved fostering debates, projects, and practices that aim to alter the university’s relationship with the outside world, particularly with marginalized communities and social movements from peripheral regions.
In 2019, I collaborated with colleagues from the Faculty of Education at Cambridge to establish the Cambridge Latin American Research in Education Collective (CLAREC). Our goal was to create a platform for Latin American perspectives and to highlight the region’s knowledge production, thereby contributing positively to ongoing discussions about diversification and decolonization within academia.
Among the initiatives we organized, one significant event was the two-week series titled “Paulo Freire 100th Anniversary: Celebrating His Legacy in Education” that took place in Cambridge in 2021. This event attracted around 1,260 participants from all corners of the globe and included 14 activities, such as lectures, reading groups, seminars, and cultural workshops. We collaborated with 16 partner entities, including research groups, social movements, and collectives from Brazil and the United Kingdom. The events, along with the installation of Paulo Freire’s bust at the University of Cambridge as part of the cultural and academic program, garnered considerable visibility both within and outside the university community. It was recognized as an inspiring collective initiative. In the following year, the II Freire Conference engaged over 50 volunteer organizers, with more than 2,000 registered participants, featuring 440 approved works and activities from 25 different countries. It fostered discussions and reflections on the role of education in Cambridge, and the event was named the “Event of the Year” by the Cambridge Student Union.
Furthermore, my initial relevant experiences as an academic author include the article ” The Case of the Popular University of Social Movements: Lessons on Dialogue From and For Humanization and the Transformation of Institutions ” published in the Journal of Dialogue Studies. Additionally, I contributed the article ” The Conditions for Building Popular Hegemony: Paulo Freire’s ‘Inédito Viável’ and the Experience of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST)” to the Special Issue “Paulo Freire – Global Educator” within the Globalisation, Societies, and Education Journal, where I also hold the role of editor alongside Professors Susan Robertson and Carlos Alberto Torres.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Senior director with nearly 20 years of business experience in prominent international companies in Brazil, with additional involvement in international partnerships and networks. Proficient in leading teams of over 50 individuals, fostering cohesiveness and motivation through a mentoring and coaching approach. Skilled in market analysis and decision-making, adept at defining competitive scenarios, identifying and capitalizing on internal and external opportunities, and conducting risk analysis in challenging environments. Extensive expertise in the telecom and Internet sectors, encompassing project management, business development, business unit oversight, customer relations strategy, innovation, product and services marketing, and financial planning.
Cambridge Latin American Research in Education Collective 