The Department of Anthropology at USP mourns the passing of Professor Roberto Kant de Lima.
Brazilian anthropology lost, on the morning of May 20th, one of its leading figures and the greatest pioneer in the fields of legal anthropology and studies on public security and conflict management in the country. Roberto Kant de Lima turned 80 years old on November 13, 2024, and received many tributes for his long and rich academic trajectory.
He graduated in Law from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS, 1968) and transitioned to Anthropology for his master's and doctoral degrees, completed at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ, 1978) and Harvard University (1986), respectively. After that, he devoted himself tirelessly to creating, establishing, expanding, and internationalizing the field of legal anthropology in Brazil. He directly trained generations of researchers, many of whom are now faculty members at various higher education institutions. Indirectly, through his numerous books, articles, lectures, participation in events, and committees, he contributed to the training of countless professionals, including those working outside academia in strategic areas of conflict management and human rights advocacy. His extensive curriculum attests to the unique relevance of his intellectual, institutional, and political legacy, fortunately recognized during his lifetime through awards, titles, grants, and invitations to hold prominent positions and perform distinguished roles, such as the vice-presidency of the Brazilian Anthropology Association (ABA, 2007-2008).
The Department of Anthropology and the Graduate Program in Social Anthropology at the University of São Paulo had the honor of hosting him on various occasions, including several editions of the National Meeting of Legal Anthropology (ENADIR), which has been organized biannually since 2009 by the Center for Legal Anthropology (NADIR). In August 2023, he was one of the protagonists at the Closing Forum of the VIII ENADIR and passionately presented one of his great achievements: the creation of the Institute of Comparative Studies in Conflict Management (InEAC). Thus, it is with immense sorrow that the Anthropology Department at USP registers the loss of this great professor, advisor, colleague, and anchor of Brazilian legal anthropology, whose legacy will continue to shape new generations and inspire those already indelibly marked by him. We express our solidarity with the family, friends, and colleagues during this time of loss and mourning.