“The global perspective has a connection to my life”
Andrés Rivarola Puntigliano is professor in Latin American studies at the Department of Romance Studies and Classics. He is one of Stockholm University’s new professors who will be installed at a ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall on September 29.
“My research is in the field of global economic policy and geopolitics, with a historical perspective and Latin America as a main area of focus. I am interested in a deeper understanding of how global geopolitical and geoeconomic systems have emerged and how they have changed over time. The colonization of the American continent was a first step in the construction of the modern global system. Since then, the region has been strongly intertwined with economic and political processes in other parts of the world. Goods, ideas and events from Latin America have also had a major impact on the outside world.”
How did you get into this?
“The global perspective has a connection to my life. I came to Sweden as a 9-year-old refugee child, and have had both heart and soul connected to different geographical places. At the same time, themes of economic and political power, its consequences and possibilities, became something that has been constantly tangible throughout my life. Reaching deeper insight and knowledge about this has been a driving force in my research.”
“I have also been inspired by my teaching in international relations, economic history and Latin American studies, as well as by a shorter period of work as a research secretary at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). From all this arise some of the central questions that I always carry with me: Why are there rich and poor countries, and why does the position of countries in the global system shift?”
How does your research contribute to society?
“Knowledge of another region is important, especially if you are referring to a region the size of Latin America. There is an economic dimension where trade issues and investments are at the center. Although Latin America is not a significant trade partner for Sweden, there are large companies that depend on the Latin American market in order to have a leading global position. Several well-known Swedish companies took their first steps to become multinational in Latin America.”
“The region is also a global leader in natural resources that are crucial for the energy transition process that is now underway in both Sweden and the EU. It also means that the relationship with Latin America takes on an increasingly important geopolitical center of gravity, as countries compete for influence over global markets and commodity chains.”
“Sweden also has strong cultural ties to Latin America. A large part of Swedish musical tradition is connected to the region, through famous names such as Evert Taube, Sven-Bertil Taube, Cornelis Vreeswijk, Fred Åkerström, Lisa Nilsson and others. The closeness to Latin America has probably never been as great as today, when Spanish has become the most popular language, after English.”
Inauguration and Conferment ceremony in the City Hall
Andrés Rivarola Puntigliano is one of the new professors who were employed during 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023. All new professors who took office during this period are invited to the Inauguration and conferment ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall 29 September 2023. The professorial installation is the occasion when the new professors are welcomed to the university and their different subject areas are brought to attention.
Last updated: August 29, 2023
Source: Communications Office