Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the immediate past president of Brazil and one of Latin America’s most distinguished sociologists, will discuss “Globalization and Development: The Brazilian Experience” March 26 at 7 p.m. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Doors will open at 6; it is advisable to arrive early to obtain good seating and parking.
The free public lecture will be in the theatre of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center (150 South Road), followed by a public reception in the lobby. Limited parking will be available in the Bell Tower parking lot adjacent to the Stone Center on South Road. South Road runs between South Columbia Street and Raleigh Road on the southern part of the campus.
President Cardoso’s lecture will be introduced by Anthony S. Harrington, the former U.S. ambassador to Brazil, who received a B.A. in history from UNC in 1963. Harrington is CEO and co-founder of Stonebridge International, LLC, an international business strategy firm.
Cardoso, who served two terms as Brazil’s president, comes to UNC as the Frey Foundation Distinguished Visiting Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. During his visit to campus March 24-27, Cardoso also will lead discussions with two undergraduate classes, attend a meeting of the advisory board for global education in UNC’s new FedEx Global Education Center, and meet with faculty engaged in research on Latin America, globalization and development issues.
A former senator, foreign minister and finance minister, Cardoso served as the president of Brazil from 1995 through 2002, following two decades of military dictatorship (including his own period of exile) and the impeachment of his predecessor on corruption charges. He was the first president ever democratically re-elected in Brazil.
Cardoso’s social programs during his presidency increased primary school enrollment to near-universal levels, reduced infant mortality and slowed the spread of AIDS by providing free medical treatment for all HIV-positive Brazilians.
Cardoso served as minister for foreign affairs from 1992 to 1993. As national finance minister from 1993 to 1994, he was credited with successfully controlling inflation and turning the troubled Brazilian economy around through his “Plan Real.”
Cardoso also is an internationally known sociologist. He was a professor of sociology and political science at the University of Sao Paulo, and he served as president of the International Sociology Association from 1982 to 1986. His publications include “Dependency and Development in Latin America,” a 1970s classic in the field of sociology and political economy, and “Charting a New Course: The Politics of Globalization and Social Transformation” (2001). His many honors include an honorary doctorate conferred by Oxford University in 2001.
In 2003, Cardoso was appointed to a five-year term as professor-at-large at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies. He has previously taught at other universities in the U.S. and Europe. His areas of interest are analysis of large-scale social change, international development, democracy and state reform.
Cardoso discussed his country’s turbulent political and economic history in his 2006 memoir, “The Accidental President of Brazil,” which includes a preface by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Publisher’s Weekly wrote of the book: “His story is that of a maverick whose curious mind and love for his country helped bring Brazil into the 21st century as a formidable economic and political power.”
The Frey Foundation Visiting Professorship was established in 1989 to bring to campus distinguished leaders from a variety of fields, including government, public policy and the arts. The professorship is supported by a gift from the Frey Foundation, established by Edward J. and Frances Frey of Grand Rapids, Mich., and chaired by their son, UNC alumnus David Gardner Frey, BA ’64, JD ’67.
For information, contact Dee Reid, (919) 843-6339, deereid@unc.edu.
