Description
In my role as Visiting Fellow host at Heriot-Watt University, I coordinated and supported José Henrique Cordeiro’s fellowship with the explicit aim of strengthening institutional links between Heriot-Watt and socially engaged, applied climate research in Brazil. As a Visiting Fellow, José advanced his doctoral research on The Role of Schools in Shaping a Sense of Place during Extreme Weather Events, while being fully embedded in the university’s interdisciplinary research environment. His work examined how public schools can foster belonging, memory and identity in communities affected by climate-related disruptions, particularly flooding, aligning closely with applied social science and climate justice agendas.Under my supervision and academic hosting, José undertook comparative fieldwork in Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee, analysing the intersections between school design, public policy and community practices in contexts of recurrent extreme weather. This included urban walks, qualitative and quantitative data collection, stakeholder interviews and policy analysis, enabling direct dialogue between Scottish and Brazilian experiences of climate adaptation and spatial resilience.
I also facilitated José’s engagement with the Institute for Place, Environment and Society, supporting his participation in seminars and collaborative discussions on climate justice, community resilience and environmental psychology. Alongside this, he contributed to knowledge exchange activities by developing visual and analytical materials aimed at academic, professional and community audiences. Through this hosting role, I actively reinforced Heriot-Watt University’s connections with applied social science research in Brazil, fostering long-term collaboration and comparative insight into the role of educational infrastructure in climate adaptation and place-based resilience.
| Period | 5 Nov 2025 → 23 Dec 2025 |
|---|---|
| Visiting from | Universidade Federal de Pelotas (Brazil) |
| Visitor degree | PhD Researcher |
| Country/Territory | Brazil |
| Degree of Recognition | International |