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Dr Beatriz Buarque

LSE | University of Hertfordshire

AI | Security | Truth
Digital Capitalism | Global Far Right | Conspiracy Theories

Critical theory | Lacanian Psychoanalysis | Inclusive Education

Início: Bem-vindo
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On the spotlight

Watch this video summarising key insights from my research on AI and the far-right riots in the UK: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54r2rIaVMzo

About me

My name is Beatriz Lopes Buarque

I was raised in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and my love for Politics started in my childhood. When I was 6 years old, I used to ask people for whom they would vote in the upcoming elections and, trust me,I used to question their choices. Curiosity and a strong sense of social justice have, firstly, influenced me to pursue a career in Journalism. Ten years later, they brought me back to academia, where I now aim to explore the ways in which digital capitalism intersects with issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and truth.

 

​In Brazil, we usually say that Brazilians are essentially mixed race. Each Brazilian is the product of centuries of ethnic and racial encounters. Brazilians are also well-known for their resilience. No matter how hard life can be, they don't lose hope. The diversity and resilience that constitute the hallmark of Brazilian culture have decisively influenced my research expertise, my teaching style, and my ability to move between academia and industry.

 

Beatriz by Beatriz? ​Some acceptable definitions would be: I am an expert on the far-right politics of (conspiratorial) truth. I am a lecturer committed to inclusive and creative teaching practices. I am a researcher and lecturer who has made efforts to build bridges among academia, civil society organisations, international institutions, and media companies.  I am a Latina scholar named Beatriz Lopes Buarque. 

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Highlights

November 2024 - Now

Visiting Lecturer in Politics and IR
(University of Hertfordshire)

As a Visiting Lecturer in Politics and IR, I convene the undergraduate module International Conflict and Peace and supervise MA dissertations in the areas of technology/AI, security, and democracy.

My passion for creative teaching methods and digital communication has driven me to design innovative asynchronous learning materials that incorporate social media aesthetics, making education more accessible and engaging for students from diverse backgrounds. 

I also started using my Instagram account to expand on concepts explored in the classroom, share research findings, and provide further career support. 

September 2023 - Now

LSE100 Fellow
 

November 2024 - Now

Course Convenor - EMFSS Dissertation Module
(LSE - University of London)

 

September 2019 - March 2024

Doctoral Researcher (Politics)
(University of Manchester)

 

January 2022 - June 2023
January 2022 - June 2022

GTA / Lecturer Conspiracy Theories and Democracy
(King's College London)

September 2022 - January 2023

GTA Questions about International Politics
(University of Manchester)

September 2021 - January 2022

Lecturer MA Digital Culture and Society
(King's College London)

October 2018 - January 2022

Founder and CEO
(Words Heal the World)

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Research Projects

 

 

AI and the Far-Right Riots in the UK

Funded by the LSE Urgency Grant Scheme (£2,762.35), I investigated how AI contributed to recent far-right riots in the UK, particularly focusing on how X’s recommendation algorithms amplified racist conspiracy theories. As part of this project, I brought together six scholars from different institutions and disciplines for a workshop to explore how recommendation systems and generative AI tools fuelled the racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic violence seen across the UK between July and August 2024.

Read the evidence published by the UK Parliament:

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/142626/pdf/

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Publications
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Peer-reviewed articles

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Allington, D., Buarque, B. L., and Barker Flores, D. (2021) ‘Antisemitic conspiracy fantasy in the age of digital media: Three ‘conspiracy theorists’ and their YouTube audiences’, Language and Literature.

Thesis

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Buarque, B. (2025). "Marxists want to destroy the Traditional (Christian) Brazilian Family: Understanding the Legitimization of Cultural Marxism Conspiracy Theory in Brazil. In M. Gides, D. and Braune, J. (eds) On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological PerspectivesLondon: Routledge. 

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Buarque, B. (2023). A quinta onda de terrorismo: radicalização além das fronteiras. In Veloso Leão, A. e Guiral Bassi, D. (eds) Para começar a entender o Estado Islâmico. Rio de Janeiro: UFRJ.

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Book
chapters

Buarque, B. and Zavershinskaia, P. (2022). The Far-Right Politics of ‘Truth’: an exploratory analysis of the ‘truths’ produced by AfD Kompakt and Patriotic Alternative. In Alfonso Bruno, V. (ed) Populism and Far-Right: trends in Europe. Milano: Polidemos. 

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Buarque, B. (2018). Counter Extremism Project: a informação a serviço da paz. In Victor, C., Goktepe, M., Chiachiri, R., Elemen, Y. (eds.) Posições diante do terrorismo: religiões-intelectuais-mídias. São Paulo: Labrador.

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Buarque, B. and Cretton, M.  (2021). Hate Map of Brazil 2019. Words Heal the World.

Reports

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Buarque, B. and Cretton, M.  (2019). Hate Map of Brazil 2018. Words Heal the World.

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Blogs

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Events / Other activities

Consultancy

 

2020 - Facebook Policy Initiative: providing feedback

on Facebook's policy against misinformation


2019 - Facebook Policy Initiative: providing feedback

on Facebook's policy against hate speech

Paid Talks

27/07/2021 - The Future of Online debate: event organised

by Facebook and the cultural strategy agency Flamingo

Workshops

06/11/2025 - Reclaiming Democracy from AI

manipulation and algorithmic bias.

Forward College (Paris).

Reviewer

Reviewed articles for: BJPIR, Millenium,

Ethnic and Racial Studies

Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review

Awards

I have been awarded Fellow  of Advance HE in June/2021, confirming my commitment to excellence in teaching and learning while incorporating my research within academic practices 

LUXEMBOURG PEACE PRIZE
(Luxembourg)

The Luxembourg Peace Prize, an initiative from the Schengen Peace Foundation, recognized the efforts made by the NGO founded by me, Words Heal the World, to promote peace in 2020

ACADEMIC: UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
(United Kingdom)

I received  ££116,627 from the Politics Department of the University of Manchester in 2019 to investigate the legitimisation of alt-right conspiracy theories in online spaces

TRANSCENDENCE AWARD
Michigan State University (USA)

I was awarded the Transcendence Award on behalf of Words Heal the World in 2019 for our efforts to empower young people to challenge hate speech in 2019

ACADEMIC:
FCDO CHEVENING

(United Kingdom)

I received £27,910 from the prestigious scholarship programme FCDO Chevening to complete my Masters in the UK in 2017

Fellowship of Advance HIgher Education (FHEA)

​News

Interviews

2025

2024

2023

Porvir Institute - School free of hate (Escola Livre de Ódio)

https://porvir.org/especial/extremismo/ 

2022

TECH Against Terrorism - Episode 5: Tracking violent far-right behaviour online:

https://podcast.techagainstterrorism.org/1684819/10252501

Yeah Nah Pasaran! - Beatriz Buarque on the alt-right and truth industries

https://www.3cr.org.au/yeahnahpasaran/episode/beatriz-buarque-truth-industries

2021

2020

Jornal O Globo

https://oglobo.globo.com/ela/gente/brasileira-ganha-premio-internacional-de-promocao-da-paz-com-ong-que-ajuda-jovens-desconstruir-discursos-de-odio-24467398

Oxford International Relations Society Podcast: “The fight against hate speech proliferation during the Covid-19 pandemic” with Beatriz Buarque

https://soundcloud.com/user-951209983-279640904/tt20-episode

2019

©2020 por Beatriz Buarque. Orgulhosamente criado com Wix.com

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