Daniela Fazio Vargas

Daniela holds a bachelor's degree in Philosophy and a bachelor's degree in History from the Universidad de Los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), where she also did her Master's in Sociology. Currently, she is a sociology PhD student at the University of Manchester exploring the aesthetic and political significance of music in the context of the 2019 Chilean uprising (supervisors: Prof. Nick Crossley and Dr. Gemma Edwards). Throughout her career, Daniela has been interested in the interplay between arts, politics and social transformation. Particularly, she has studied how music has contributed to resisting the Southern Cone dictatorships, and she has also focused on music movements, such as The Chilean New Song.

As part of her professional experience, Daniela is currently a Teaching Assistant at the University of Manchester and, at the same time, she has been working as a Research Assistant on a project revolving around youth activism, justice, and democracy. Also, she was involved in a Research Placement at the University of Liverpool on a project on transitional justice and grassroots activism. Aligned with this, she has also been involved in the committee organising the Alternative Futures Power and Protests conference. Before coming to the UK, Daniela worked as an adjunct professor and a research assistant at the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), and she obtained a research fellowship at the University of Cornell. Further, she has also participated in knowledge exchange initiatives with the British Council, exploring the relationship between music and peacebuilding.

Email: [email protected]

2025: Co-Teaching Current Issues of Social Injustice (One Session)

2023/2024: Youth Politics and Activism in Contemporary Europe - University of Manchester

2023/2024: Politics, Power and Everyday Life - University of Manchester

2022/2023: Political Sociology - University of Manchester 

2020-2021: Academic Writing -Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)

2020-2021: Italian- Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)

2024:  Research Assistant. Project: “JustProtest: Justice Seeking Protest and Democratic Futures” (PI: Prof. Hilary Pilkington) - University of Manchester

2023: NWSSDTP Research Assistant Placement. Project: “From Transitional Justice to Transformative Justice” (PI: Dr Claire Taylor)- University of Liverpool

2020: Research Assistant. Project: “Technologies of violence” (PI: Dr Matthieu de Castelbajac)  - Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)

2016: Research Fellowship. “CienciAmérica” (PI: Dr Raymond Craib) - University of Cornell

2014:  Research Assistant. Project: “Quality of Education in Colombia (1982-2014)” (PI: Prof Fabio Sánchez) - Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)

• Present: Community Engagement and Co-Creation of La Sinfonietta de Bogotá: An Experimental and Participative Orchestra
• Present: Secondment Cultural Relations and Diplomacy, CREDO (University of Siena) & Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
• 2024: PhD Overseas Institutional Visit, Max Weber Kolleg, Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, University of Erfurt 
• 2022: Cultural Relations Collection, British Council   

Honours and Awards

• Postgraduate Research Studentship: ESRC Northwest Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership, Present
• First Prize PhD Student Category, Sociology Public Engagement Prize, University of Manchester, 2024
• Accessit Recognition in the Call for Young Researchers. CIDOB International Yearbook 2023, 2024
• Essay Prize Grant: Cultural Relations and Peacebuilding Essay Competition, British Council, 2022
• Honourable Mention in the contest “Do your thesis in culture, 2020”, Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Chile, 2020
• M.A In Sociology with the honour of Cum Laude: Top 3% of class in 5 years, 2020
• “Francisco Pizano de Brigard Master's Grant", Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), 2018
• B.A. in History with the honour of Summa Cum Laude: Top 1 % of the class in 5 years, 2018
• Academic Excellence Distinction, Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, 2016-2018
• B.A. in Philosophy with the honour of Cum Laude: Top 3% of the class in 5 years, 2017
• Academic Excellence Distinction, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Social Sciences, 2014-2016

• movements@manchester
• International Sociological Association, RC48: Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Change
• COST Action 22165: Redressing Radical Polarisation