Program: Visiting Faculty in Economics
Home Country: Brazil
Universities: University of Brasilia and University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
Languages: Portuguese (native), English (fluent), French (fluent), Spanish (Fluent), Japanese (intermediate)
Pronouns: He/Him
Mauricio S. Bugarin is a full professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil. He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 1997 and is the founder and current leader of the Economics and Politics Research Group at UnB. From 2006 to 2011, he was a full professor of Economics at Insper Institute, São Paulo, where he served as Director of Undergraduate Studies in Economics and created the joint degree program in Economics and Business Administration. He is currently a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Economics at Rice University.
Prof. Bugarin is a research fellow of the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq) and served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Latin American Chapter of the Econometric Society from 2007 to 2011. His research focuses on policy-oriented issues, with particular emphasis on public sector challenges in Brazil. He has authored numerous articles published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Mathematical Economics, Oxford Economic Papers, Public Choice, Social Choice and Welfare, Economics of Governance, LACEA’s Economía Journal, The Japanese Political Economy, and the Journal of Applied Economics. His scholarly output also includes books and edited volumes on public expenditure control, electoral finance, and institutional design, as well as several academic book chapters.
Throughout his career, Prof. Bugarin has received multiple academic distinctions, including several Brazilian National Treasury Secretariat Awards in Public Finance, a National Health Economics Award, the Haralambos Simeonides Prize for the best economics article by a Brazilian author, the 2012 Robert D. Cooter ALACDE Award for Scholarship in Law and Economics, and the 2013 Edgardo Buscaglia ALACDE Award for Empirical Research in Law and Economics. While a graduate student at UIUC, he was ranked three consecutive times in the “An Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students.”
Prof. Bugarin has held visiting research and teaching positions at the University of Illinois (as a Jorge Paulo Lemann Visiting Scholar), the Universities of Rochester and Vanderbilt in the United States, and at several institutions in Japan, including Tsukuba, Sophia, Kobe, Yokohama National University, and the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE/JETRO), where he served as Senior Visiting Researcher.
His main research interests include institutions and their role in promoting democracy, economic efficiency, and the rule of law; public economics and public finance; political economy; and comparative studies involving Brazil and Japan. He regularly teaches PhD-level courses in public economics, positive political economy, game theory and mechanism design, and the economics of incentives and information. Owing to his research on electoral campaign finance and democratic institutions, he was invited to participate in a public hearing at the Brazilian Supreme Court. His research has also been featured in major Brazilian media outlets, contributing to public debate on democratic institutions, fiscal policy, and electoral reform.
What I like about Rice/Houston
What I value most about Rice University is the outstanding academic infrastructure combined with a genuinely welcoming and supportive environment. From the very beginning, I have been impressed by the efficiency, professionalism, and kindness of the administrative staff. In particular, I am deeply grateful to Elaine Palinkas Sanches, Department Administrator of the Economics Department, and to Maria Corcuera, International Advisor at OISS, whose constant support, attention to detail, and generosity have made my transition to Rice both smooth and pleasant.
Beyond the university, I have been struck by the friendliness and openness of people in Houston more broadly. The city’s welcoming atmosphere has greatly contributed to making our stay enjoyable and enriching, both academically and personally.
What I like about Fulbright
What I most admire about the Fulbright Program is the exceptional level of care, courtesy, efficiency, and continuous support offered to scholars throughout the entire process. The Fulbright team demonstrates a remarkable commitment not only to academic excellence, but also to the well-being of participants and their families. I am particularly grateful to Camila Menezes and Tatiana Ades for their professionalism, responsiveness, and thoughtful guidance, which have made every stage of the program clear, secure, and welcoming. This close follow-up truly embodies the spirit and values of Fulbright.