Message from the Director

Welcome to the website of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) at Columbia University. I write during a time when ILAS is undergoing some important changes that we believe will consolidate and expand the Institute’s position as one of the preeminent centers for Latin American studies in the country. The first group of students at our new Masters of Arts in Latin American and Caribean Studies is ready to start classes this fall under the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. A revamped undergraduate major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is also beginning to attract students at the College, and we continue to provide one of the most important regional specializations for SIPA students. Government and private funds administered through ILAS continue to support research by faculty and students across Columbia University, including, among others, Teachers College, the Mailman School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and the School of Social Work. We organize and host presentations and discussions across many disciplines on Latin American topics ranging from recent events to advanced scientific and humanistic research, attracting general audiences from New York City and beyond. A National Resource Center, ILAS also supports and develops K-12 activities that reach thousands of teachers and students.

In addition to preparing for the new MA program and increasing undergraduate interest, the Institute is seeking to expand its base of support, reapplying for Title VI grant from the Department of Education and continuing with the development of our Advisory Board. This year we receive the first visiting professor named under the Ruth Cardoso Chair, a product of our collaboration with the Fulbright Foundation and CAPES in Brazil. Our work to bring Mexican scholars with the support of CONACYT, Mexico, continues to yield productive results, as does the long-established Tinker Visiting Professorship.

As of this year, ILAS is now part of the School of Arts and Sciences. Without diminishing our strong collaboration with SIPA, this change will allow us to better reach schools and departments across campus, and focus our energies and resources even more closely on the development of our academic programs.

ILAS, in sum, continues to thrive and work together with the Columbia community. Dynamism and intellectual energy characterize the teaching, research and discussion of Latin American topics at Columbia. During the past year, the Tannenbaum Room (ILAS seminar space), and other classrooms at Columbia, have seen lively conversations about a host of topics. If I could summarize the Institute’s goals, it would be to continue to expand our role as a sponsor and an open space for Latin America within Columbia.

Pablo Piccato