Fernando Astudillo

Biography

Fernando is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, where he is responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in cultural anthropology, archaeology and digital humanities. Fernando also directs research projects in archaeology and heritage conservation, as well as initiating programs to engage and collaborate with minority communities beyond the university campus.

Fernando’s area of expertise focuses on the political relationship of human-environment interactions in Latin America and the Global South. He believes that analysing the materiality of recent human-environment relationships provides valuable insights into the roots of contemporary social challenges in Latin America, such as environmental racism, inequality and discrimination, migration, ethnic conflict, environmental degradation, and the unequal exploitation of natural resources.  Working in an interdisciplinary framework, Fernando integrates research methods and theories from historical ecology, environmental history, and digital humanities to investigate recent human history, anthropogenic environmental impacts, and the resilience of people living in remote areas and frontier regions.

Aside from his work Fernando has a passion for music, specifically blues and rock, taking part in sports such as hiking and cycling, and visiting museums and art galleries.

At the British Museum

During his time at the British Museum, Fernando was based in Americas section of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas and his UK partner placement was spent at North East Museums.

Fernando’s participation in the International Training Programme was generously supported by the John S Cohen Foundation.