Visiting PhD Students
Francisca Valenzuela Villaseca (January 2025 - June 2025)
Before coming to the UK, I studied a BA in History at the Catholic University of Chile. In 2016 I did an MA in Nineteenth Century Studies at King’s College London, and in 2019 I started a PhD at the History Department and Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at KCL. I am broadly interested in the study of the history of infrastructure, technology and the state. I am also interested on historiographical discussions about science and industrial policy in Latin America. I have participated in projects related to material and immaterial cultural heritage.
Research plans whilst at CLAS: During my visit, I intend to finalise my thesis. My thesis explores the development of telecommunications (telegraphy) in nineteenth-century South America, and I compare the cases of Chile and Colombia. My research intersects the history of technology and political and economic history. Situating the adoption of telegraphy within a broader process of diffusion, I find that the state was crucial to the process of adoption of this communication technique.
While at CLAS, I intend to be involved with the vibrant community of students and lecturers, by assisting to seminars and other activities. Dr Adrián Lerner Patrón will be my mentor, helping me with feedback on some drafts from my thesis.
Luiz Felipe Rocha Baute (January 2025 - June 2025)
Ph.D. candidate at the University of Campinas and a Visiting Student at the University of Cambridge. I am currently researching both the development and the uses of crime genres in contemporary screen and media.
Research plans whilst at CLAS: My research aims to study the production, distribution, and reception of crime films in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, from 2000 to the contemporary. Thus, I am especially interested in CLAS's interdisciplinary approach to Latin American studies, as well as consulting the Latin American collection at the University Library, which features influential books and journals. I firmly believe that my research will benefit in this exceptional environment and I plan to participate in its numerous events and seminars. I have chosen CLAS due to its impressive resources and research practices. This experience will contribute to an enriching period abroad and will have a positive impact on my thesis.
