Where are you:

• Research » Our research A-Z » Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) » People » Alumni » Othon Fernando Jambeiro Barbosa

Nationality

Enrolment: September 1991
Completion: June 1995

Supervisor: Nicholas Garnham

Aim of the study: TV regulation in Brazil

PhD experience

Before going to London as a PhD student, I had had an appointment with Nick Garnham in the begining of 1991, when my wife and me went to Britain to examine what would be the best place for us to take our PhD degree. We had applied to the Goldsmith College (James Curran), Loughborough (Peter Golding), Polytechnic of Central London-CCIS, now University of Westminster-CAMRI (Nick Garnham) and another one in Scotland.

My wife decided for James and I decided for Nick, after having a half an hour talk to each of them. So, when we came back in September, we did not need to any other thing than to start designing our projects, intensively visiting libraries and reading every thing that would refer to our projects. That time you could take the PhD degree without having classes.

We had than seminars, almost every Wednesday afternoon, usually with invited researchers or lecturers. In 1994 I stayed in Brazil for three months, for fieldwork. In July I started to write my thesis which I finished in the end of April 1995. My Viva was in the middle of June.

Support
I do not remember the name of the CCIS secretary before Maria Way arrive. She was very helpful and a very nice woman. And Maria I think she is a marvelous person, every time available for helping us. In the PhD degree group there was not much interaction between students. I think it was because of the nature of PhD studies. You are all the time tense, reading and writing, almost always alone, as a hermit. Usually, you think of time as it is going quickly and of you as unable to get knowledge fast.

The PhD and my career
Taking the PhD degree, and taking it in CCIS was one of the best things I did in my whole life. I really got better, in terms of knowledge on communication theory and research methodology, and the discussion meetings with Nick Garnham were very, very helpful for that.

Since I finished the PhD and returned to my university, in Brazil, opportunities got better in the academic life. I could apply for research grants in the Brazilian national research council (CNPq) and in others official branches where the PhD degree is a sine qua non condition to apply. I could also feel sure of my possibilities as a researcher and I indeed have had success in my researches.

With the PhD degree I finally could apply for being a Professor Titular, the higher degree in Brazilian universities career, in 1999. In sum, I am very happy with having taken my PhD degree in the University of Westminster, which has a very good image in the Latin American academic environment.

When I say to someone that I went there to take my PhD degree and that my advisor was Nick Garnham, people usually say 'congratulations, you are a lucky person'.

Current position

Professor Titular at the Information Science Institute, Federal University of Bahia; Lecturer at the Graduate Programme on Contemporary Communication and Culture Studies, Federal University of Bahia; Associate Researcher at the Graduate Programme on Communication, at the University of Brasilia.

I give undergraduate classes at the Information Science Institute, where I am also a lecturer in its Graduate Programme (Master degree). In the Faculty of Communication I only give classes to - and supervise - graduate students (Master and PhD degrees). I am also a researcher on information and communication policies, for the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq), at the level 1-C (Levels gradation = 2, 1-D, 1-C, 1-B, 1-A). And I am the leader of a Federal University of Bahia's research group on Information and Communication Political Economy.

Curriculum Vitae (in pdf, Portoguese only)

View/download cv