University of Coimbra Team

Dr Silvia Maeso is principal researcher at the Centre for Social Studies (University of Coimbra); she holds a PhD in Political Sociology (University of the Basque Country) and her main research interests include: race critical theories, the politics of anti-racism, the critique of Eurocentrism and decolonial theories. She is currently coordinating the research project COMBAT – Combating racism in Portugal: an analysis of public policies and anti­discrimination law (FCT, 2016-2019) and POLITICS – The politics of anti-racism in Europe and Latin America (ERC, 2017-2021). Her publications include: The contours of Eurocentrism (Lexington, 2015; with Marta Araújo); “The (im)plausibility of racism in Europe: policy frameworks on discrimination and integration” (Patterns of Prejudice, 2017; with Marta Araújo) and “‘Civilising’ the Roma? The depoliticisation of (anti-)racism within the politics of integration” (Identities, 2015).

Dr Marta Araújo is Principal Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra, where she integrates the Research Group ‘Democracy, Citizenship and Law’ and lectures in the Doctoral Programmes ‘Democracy in the 21st Century’ and ‘Human Rights in Contemporary Societies’. She coordinates the CES Summer School ‘Racism, Eurocentrism and Political Struggles’ and is invited lecturer at the Black Europe Summer School (International Institute for Research and Education – IIRE, Amsterdam). Marta has also been actively engaged in outreach activities with anti-racist and grassroots collectives, cultural associations and schools. She has published internationally, being currently a member of the Editorial Board of publications on sociology, race and education in Brazil, Britain, Portugal and the United States. Her research work addresses the (re)production and challenging of Eurocentrism and racism in two complimentary lines: 1) Eurocentrism, history and decolonial struggles; 2) public policy and (anti-)racism, with a focus on education.

Pedro Varela is a junior researcher at the Centre for Social Studies (University of Coimbra). He is also a PhD student in Sociology here and holds a Master on Anthropology (ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon). He is currently a researcher on the project “COMBAT – Combating racism in Portugal: an analysis of public policies and anti-discrimination law (FCT, 2016-2019)” , coordinated by Dr. Silvia Maezo. His main research interests include: racism; anti-racism and urban anthropology.

Max Ruben Ramos is postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra. He obtained his PhD degree in Anthropology (University of Lisbon) and previously participated in research project ‘The invisibility of death amongst migrants in Portugal’, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). His major research interests include: religion, secular politics, international migration, Islamophobia studies, race and (anti) racism, black thought and decolonial theory.