Lucas Brito: Angelines Scholarship

We’re delighted that Lucas will be joining us this year to study an MSc in Economics for Development with the Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) as a St Antony’s Angelines scholar. In this interview, Lucas discusses how he’s planning to use the master’s course to contribute meaningfully to his government career in Brazil.

Could you tell us your name, where you are from and the programme you will study at St Antony’s College?

My name is Lucas Brito, I am from Brazil and will begin the MSc in Economics for Development of the Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) in September.

What inspired you to apply to the University of Oxford?

Considering that I have narrowed my field of interests since my undergraduate studies in Economics, I was looking for a specialized master’s that could contribute meaningfully to my existing career as a government official. For me, the MSc in Economics for Development offered by ODID strikes the right balance between quantitative methods and a more conceptual view of development. The prospect of learning from excellent faculty and studying alongside students from different backgrounds was a great motivation to applying to the University of Oxford.

Can you share a bit about your journey to get here? Were there any particular challenges or milestones that stand out?

I completed my undergraduate studies in economics fifteen years ago at Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then, I have worked in different areas of the Brazilian government, first in the Central Bank and for the last eight years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). I have recently decided to pause work for a while and resume my academic life, as I had been longing for the opportunity to dedicate myself to my topics of interest and to acquire a broader perspective that would benefit work itself. The big professional changes I have undertook, first taking the highly competitive examination for the MoFA and then resuming my studies, were far from painless. Both decisions took a few months of reflection and a lot of planning and preparation, always alongside my professional duties, and I am very happy that both of them have worked out.

What is your field of research? Could you explain it a bit about it?

In recent years I have developed an interest in sovereign debt issues, and I intend to dig deeper during the course. The economic history of developing countries, such as my own, has been dotted with periods of debt distress or downright default, which can derail much-needed development for many years and scar a generation. More broadly, I want to refine my understanding on the ways in which governments can harness international financial conditions to promote their development goals while properly managing the associated risks.

What excites you most about your field of research?

It may seem a dry subject, but I believe that finding ways to boost financing of governments, domestically or from outside, is a capital subject for the coming future, as the increasing financial needs associated with mitigation of and adaption to climate change compound the already great amounts necessary to kick-start development.

What are you looking forward to about your time at St Antony’s College?

I am very excited about the prospect of meeting my new colleagues, learning from their different experiences and discovering together the great facilities at St Antony’s (I am particularly keen on the library!).

Do you have longer-term aspirations that you hope your time at Oxford will help you achieve?

I intend to use my time at Oxford to use my professional experience to build up academic credentials, which will surely improve the quality of my work and allow me to aim for higher positions. I am a firm believer on the power of governments to change people’s lives for the better and want to be able to better contribute to this effort.

Do you have any advice for people considering applying to Oxford?

It is never too late to decide to go back to studying. With a lot of effort and careful planning, it is possible.