Marcos Estrada

I am a researcher with a strong focus on Sustainable Development and social protection, particularly in cross-border and transnational contexts. My work examines how individuals, families, businesses, and institutions navigate and shape activities systems that span national boundaries, influencing livelihoods, social security, and resilience within an increasingly interconnected global world.

My PhD research explored the cross-border dynamics of the Brazil–Paraguay border region, with a focus on both formal and, predominantly, informal strategies to cope with vulnerabilities and seize opportunities across borders. I examined issues of human mobility, self-determination, access to clean water and free basic education, food sovereignty, land reform, and grassroots sustainability initiatives. By immersing myself in these communities, I was able to document how local actors actively shaped sustainable futures under challenging transnational dynamics. My research resulted in the production of the award-winning film Brasiguaios: Transnational Lives and Identities.

As part of a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS), I expanded this work by producing the award-winning ethnographic film Brasiguaios: Transnational Lives and Identities. The film offers a close look at everyday practices of transnational living, revealing how local communities combine formal and informal subsistence practices to secure their livelihoods and protect their futures.

Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal

In 2017, after I was awarded an Early Career Fellowship in the Institute of Advanced Study, I assumed the role of editor at the IAS' Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research JournalLink opens in a new window.

Exchanges achieved a significant milestone by publishing its twenty-sixth issue in 2024. This special edition delved into reflections on the past ten years, including diverse topics such as AI in academic publishing. The current issue (Vol 12.1), just published, has our regular collection of articles from across the disciplinary spectrum from scholars at Warwick and worldwide.

In light of ongoing developments in ChatGPT, Exchanges is introducing a new policy relating to artificial intelligence tools and manuscripts submitted for the journal’s consideration. If you want to submit your paper, visit the journal’s website: https://exchanges.warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window