Ao abrigo de uma Bolsa Fulbright para Investigação com o apoio da FLAD, Pedro Teixeira, estudante de mestrado da Universidade de Coimbra, desenvolveu parte da sua pesquisa na área de estudos de “Early Modern History” na Brown University, RI, EUA.
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The Fulbright grant with the support of the Luso-American Foundation for Development (FLAD) enabled me to make my dreams a reality: to immerse myself in another culture and to see through their eyes how to study and live History and Anthropology. The grant also allowed me to live this experience at one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States of America, Brown University.
The Portuguese and Brazilian Studies Department (POBS) was my home during my time in the US. There, I encountered the Lusophone diaspora and formed bonds that stretched from Brazil to Angola. We showcased the importance of the Portuguese language and the broader Lusophone culture to the other nationalities that also attend Brown University.
While looking for new testimonies about the Portuguese Inquisition auto da fé ritual, I also discovered transatlantic connections between Portuguese and American archives. These included books from the Early Modern Period and stories of migrants pursuing their dreams in America. Throughout my research, my supervisor, Professor Gabriel de Avilez Rocha, and many others – professors, graduate students, researchers, and even scholars from fields such as Anthropology – offered me valuable support.
Providence is a small but loving city full of life and activities. From their prestigious museums to the Waterfire festival, I felt fully integrated into the city, experiencing both their snowstorms and sunny days! I met new people and formed lasting, global connections at events like the 46th “William Church Memorial Lecture” and the “Atlantic Voices in Colonial Newport” conference. Besides Providence and the academic world, I experienced Halloween, Thanksgiving, and had a white Christmas. I traveled from coast to coast, from Boston to Los Angeles!
Overall, I felt part of the Brown University community – I became a Brunonian. I wouldn’t be able to experience such transformative experiences and be part of such an amazing group without the support of Fulbright and FLAD. Thank you so much!
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Thank you, Pedro, and welcome home!