Elkin Mantilla

Elkin Mantilla (He/Him) is a senior majoring in International Relations with specializations in Latin American Iberian Studies and International Security. He is also pursuing a minor in Portuguese. He spoke with us about his research interests, favorite IR class, internship experience, and what he enjoys outside of the classroom.

What are your primary research interests? 

I am very interested in studying non-traditional approaches to diplomacy. Recently, I completed a directed reading with Professor Gil-Li Vardi on how the implementation of soccer in Brazil and Argentina in the early to mid-1900s led to how the sport is utilized as a political and diplomatic export. More broadly, however, I am interested in exploring how culture and customs influence a country's diplomatic strategy.

What is your favorite IR class so far and why? 

My favorite class at Stanford has been INTNLREL 183: The Modern Battle, also with Professor Gil-Li Vardi. The class takes a very unique approach to teaching history through the use of staff rides. Every other week, the class would recreate a famous battle from history, with each person in the class playing a general or world leader. I remember a surprising amount of niche details thanks to this approach.

Can you tell us a bit about a recent internship/study abroad experience? 

This past summer, I completed an internship in Curitiba, Brazil, at the Sivis Institute. Sivis is a democracy development think tank that seeks to use education as a tool for combating democratic backsliding in Brazil. My favorite part by far was that the internship was completely in Portuguese, which I picked up entirely at Stanford! It was a very fulfilling experience that made me interested in working in the country in the future.

Any hobbies or outside interests? 

I am a bit of a sports fanatic. You might catch me watching a New York Giants game or a Colombian national team soccer game. I also love to learn languages; I have been trying to collect the gauntlet of Romance languages by studying Latin, French, and Portuguese. Once people can actually understand my French pronunciation, I look forward to picking up Italian.

Fun Fact: I was born and raised in Colombia for 10 years, and lived in New York before coming to Stanford.