Alex Alvarez

Dr. Alex Alvarez is an Academic Director at SIT Study Abroad, leading programs in Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization, and Climate Change: Politics of Land, Water, and Energy Justice. He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva), with additional training from Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. His research focuses on environmental governance, cultural landscapes, natural resource extraction, and biodiversity conservation in indigenous territories. He has received fellowships from the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program and the National Centre of Competence in North-South Research, and the Exchange Legacy Lelong Grant.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Anthropology, National University of Cuzco
• Master’s in Social Sciences (Environmental Management and Development), FLACSO
• PhD in Development Studies, Graduate Institute, Geneva
• Certificate in Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Policy, Columbia University

Research Interests: Environmental governance frameworks, Amazonian territorial rights, and participatory conservation strategies. His work bridges anthropology, policy analysis, and indigenous sovereignty.

Publications highlight participatory conservation in the Amarakaeri Reserve and land governance in Andean communities. He frequently presents at international conferences, including the University of East Anglia and the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America.

Grants and Awards: Honorary membership in the TICCA Consortium (2017), fellowships from Swiss and international institutions. He advises the Indigenous Federation of Madre de Dios on environmental governance and resource rights.