Meet our Newest Graduate: Bryanne De Castro Rocha!

Meet Our Newest Graduate!

Bryanne De Castro Rocha’s MA thesis was entitled “Why Do Mercosur's Trade Agreements Have Few Environmental Provisions? A Mixed Methods Study of Brazil's Ruralist Lobby”. It was written under the supervision of Dr. Roberta Rice

 

Tell us a bit about your thesis! What was it about and what were its main arguments?

My thesis looked at environmental clauses in international trade agreements signed by the Mercosur countries—that is, it looked at regulations to protect the environment in trade agreements signed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. I wanted to know whether the agreements these countries signed tended to have more or fewer environmental protections than other agreements signed by other countries.

Through a quantitative analysis, my thesis argued that Mercosur's trade agreements had indeed fewer environmental protections than other agreements signed by countries not only from the Global North but also South. That is relevant when looking to increase environmental protection and limit global warming.

The second section of my thesis analyzed interest groups in approving these agreements in Brazil (the ratification process). It argued that Brazil has a powerful agricultural elite that benefits from agreements with low environmental protection since they export environmentally damaging goods. It also argued that this elite mobilized to approve such agreements in Congress, while Brazilian civil society did not mobilize to get Congress to reject them. These arguments are key if we are looking to increase environmental protection in Brazil.

Any favourite memories from your research or at UCalgary Political Science you’d like to share?

I really enjoyed being on Campus in a more immersive research environment than what I had previously experienced. From closer contact with the professors to smaller class sizes where you get deeper discussions, interesting readings, and a wonderful library, it was a unique research experience for me.

Where has your degree taken you now?

I am now a Senior Policy Analyst at Northern Policy Institute in Northern Ontario. It is a small, quiet town, but the region is beautiful and definitely unique. It has been a great career opportunity in the policy field, which I am really interested in. Doing research on this field allows me to have a concrete impact on the ground with the local and regional communities.

Any final words of advice?

To any graduate student, I would advise you to deeply enjoy your time in the UCalgary Political Science department. There are great minds in the faculty and other graduate students to learn from. Make questions, connect, share, and learn from them as much as possible, giving your fair share in return. It was really wonderful getting to know all these great professionals.

 

Congratulations Bryanne De Castro Rocha on your degree!

 

To find out more about our current and past graduate students, please visit the Political Science website!