PhD Student Rafaela Sá awarded the Ellen Louks Fairclough Scholarship and the Barkley’s of Avonmore Scholarship!

Rafaela Sá, a first-year PhD Student in the Department of Political Science (International Relations), has received two awards from McMaster University. The Ellen Louks Fairclough Scholarship – established in 2005 to commemorate the life of Ellen Louks Fairclough – awards a student enrolled in a graduate program in Political Science. The Barkley’s of Avonmore Scholarship was established in 1977 through the generosity of Fred Barkley to award a graduate student from a developing country.

Rafaela’s research interests touch on a range of topics, such as public banking, development finance, climate and energy transitions, and public policy. Regionally, her work focuses on Brazil, the BRICS, and Latin America.

Rafaela’s specific research focus is on the role of public development banks in financing green and just transitions. By critically reflecting on the blended finance agenda, her research examines the limits of leveraging public finance to catalyze private sector investments in green transitions. Rafaela is keen to undertake a comparative analysis of public financial institutions from the Global South and Global North.

Rafaela is associated with the Public Banking Project at McMaster University, under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Marois (Canada Research Chair in Public Banking).

Rafaela has published in academic journals, like MGIMO Review of International Relations, and authored book chapters in international collections, such as The Multilateralism of the New Development Bank on the Sustainable Economic Growth in BRICS Nations and Beyond., Rafaela has also produced policy briefs on Multilateral Development Banks and the Energy Transition.

Rafaela is honored to be recognized for her research and sincerely appreciates the support provided by The Ellen Louks Fairclough Scholarship and the Barkley’s of Avonmore Scholarship.