UCLA professor of education Carlos Alberto Torres recently received a Doutoramento Honoris Causa from the Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias. The private university has campuses in Portugal, Brazil and throughout Africa.
“It is with a deep feeling of happiness, pleasure and humility that I receive this honorary doctorate from this exalted place of study,” said Torres at a ceremony which was held in Lisbon in October to honor him and fellow recipient António Manuel Sampaio da Nóvoa of the University of Lisbon.
“As professors, we express deep beliefs we have come to in the process of research and theoretical reflection. Ours is an existential dialogue involving theory, investigation, and praxis that makes the experience and meaning of disciplinary practice a quasi sacred act; an act of respect for the truth, even if truth is always a social construct. Thus, as professors, we are cultural workers and, because all narratives are culturally constructed, we need to question them.”
Professor Torres, who serves as the UNESCO UCLA Chair in Global learning and Global Citizenship Education, also traveled to João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil, on Dec. 2 to take part in the Zé Peão School Project’s 25th anniversary celebration.
“This initiative of workers’ education is a formidable and lasting experience of collaboration between universities and trade union in promoting literacy at the grass root level,” noteed Torres. “inspired by the work of [Paulo] Freire but also with a very original approach, nourished in the work of Timothy Ireland (UNESCO Chair of Youth and Adult Education at the Federal University of Paraíba) and a team of teachers-activists.”
Three of Torres’ books on Brazilian philosopher Freire were written in Portuguese, including “Dialogue with Paulo Freire” (1979); “Consciousness and history: Paulo Freire’s Educative Praxis” (1979); and “A Critical Reading of Paulo Freire” (1981). In addition, Torres’ first novel, “Sir Charles’ Manuscript” (2005) was written in Portuguese.
