Brazilian professor meets student Travis
BRAZILIAN politician and YouTube star Professor Heni Ozi Cukier, ‘HOC’, delivered a special guest lecture to students at Edge Hill University during his road trip to film a new documentary on terrorism.
While visiting the UK to capture footage for a production that looks at the causes, consequences and solutions to terrorism in the UK and Europe, he also shared some of his experiences of life in Brazil with students at a talk.
Prof Cukier said: “I’m really happy to be visiting Edge Hill. My documentary will explore terrorism from a South American perspective, helping viewers to contrast our understanding of the issue in comparison with the threats faced by other countries around the world. I am very grateful to the university for offering their time and expertise to support the project and have little doubt that your assistance will help produce a thought-provoking and insightful programme.”
Prof Cukier interviewed several staff and students for the documentary, one being History PhD student Travis D. Frain. Travis survived the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017 and, since then, has studied terrorism in addition to helping survivors of other attacks and advising the police on how to improve counterterrorism policy.
Travis Frain said: “It’s great to be able to welcome Heni to the campus today; the fact that Edge Hill attracts this calibre of international visitor really does demonstrate the level and reach of the academic expertise this campus possesses, and the range of opportunities available to students who choose to study here.”
As well as being a Deputy for the Brazilian Parliament, Prof Cukier is a political scientist and lecturer at Sao Paolo University, and runs a popular YouTube channel where he discusses geopolitics, with a captive audience of nearly 350,000 subscribers. Previously he was Deputy Secretary for Urban Security for the City of São Paulo, leading efforts to tackle one of the world’s largest narcotics trades. He’s announced his candidacy for the Brazilian Senate in the 2022 elections.
Prof Cukier spoke to Law, Politics,
Sociology, History, and Policing students about security issues in South America looking at crime, drugs, narco-terrorism, negotiation as well as discussing how he got involved in politics, and the inner workings of Brazilian diplomacy and geopolitics.
He also spoke to Senior Lecturer in Policing Brian McNeil and Senior Lecturer in Law Dr Simon Hale-Ross.
Brian retired from Merseyside Police in 2011 after 30 years’ service. His last position with that force was as Head of Crime and he has led reactive and proactive counter terrorism investigations.
Simon Hale-Ross is an expert in terrorism and counterterrorism, preventative legal measures and UK Governmental policy.