Renan de Souza

Valuable analytical tools

As an International Affairs Analyst for CNN in Brazil, I need to analyse current world politics in real-time. The MA International Relations at Goldsmiths prepared me well for this. It gave me the analytical tools that are key to my job and made me stand out in the competitive job market in the first place. During my studies, I learned to analyse contemporary international relations from a variety of critical perspectives. In the seminars, my lecturers often pushed me to think creatively outside the box.

Real-world experience

Beyond theories and academic analyses, the course also offered me the possibility to sharpen my job profile and gain real-world experience during a work placement module. As part of my studies, I thus worked for a human rights organisation on the situation of conflict and peace in Colombia. In doing so, I gained relevant experience in advocacy on human rights, international development and peacebuilding, including informing British MPs about the situation in Colombia. I thus feel that the MA International Relations at Goldsmiths offered the perfect combination of theory and practice.

Book inspiration

In 2022 I published my first book, 'Private Military Companies and the Outsourcing of War: Re-examining the Political Rationale Towards Peace', which is the result of my dissertation on my MA. I combined my dissertation and an essay written during my time at Goldsmiths into a book. Moreover, the book's foreword is written and signed by a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and it has been featured in the ranks of the bestsellers of Amazon in Brazil. 

The book has been referenced in academia and the media globally, especially following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Also, when the war broke out, I was live on CNN for several hours as I have this knowledge after studying for an MA in International Relations. 

Personal awards

I am the winner of the Chevening Scholarship Program awarded by the British Government to study in the United Kingdom. I was selected through a competitive process involving over 60,000 candidates from all over the world. Moreover, I am also the winner of the Gobernador Enrique Tomas Cresto award granted by the Argentine Senate recognising me as a leader of Latin America and highlighting my contribution to the continent's development. I was the youngest person in history to receive this award.

In 2020, I was nominated for the 2020 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD). In support of the International Decade for People of African Descent (proclaimed by United Nation's General Assembly resolution 68/237 and to be observed from 2015 to 2024), MIPAD identifies high achievers of African descent in public and private sectors from all around the world as a progressive network of relevant actors to join together in the spirit of recognition, justice and development of Africa, its people on the continent and across its Diaspora.