Edward Larocque Tinker Visiting Professors

Columbia University is one of five major universities to have a professorship endowed by the Tinker Foundation. The goal of the Tinker Visiting Professor program is to foster regional exchange through bringing to campus preeminent scholars and professionals - journalists, writers, artists, public officials residing in Latin America. The opportunity is open to candidates residing in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, including the Caribbean.

Since the inception of the Tinker program in 1971, Columbia has hosted many distinguished visitors for one-semester periods of residence. These guests have strengthened our curriculum offerings on Latin America, complemented departmental strengths, and contributed to understanding of Latin American issues.

A Tinker Visiting Professor offers to teach or co-teach one course, a mixed graduate/undergraduate class in their field of expertise. The visitor is also asked to give two public lectures. The visiting professor receives a stipend, office space at ILAS, assistance arranging Columbia housing, round trip airfare from their home country, and part-time research assistance. Funding can also be made available to support conferences or other events at Columbia related to the visitor’s fields of interest during or following their semester of residence.

Eligibility

Consistent with the goal of fostering regional exchange, the TVP program is open to candidates residing in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, including the Caribbean. While candidates must be based in Latin America, participation is open to scholars and practitioners of any nationality. Individuals residing in the U.S. permanently (or elsewhere outside of Latin America) are not eligible.

Candidates may work in academia or other professions, including, but not limited to, the arts, architecture, business, diplomacy, non-profit and civil society activities, journalism, and law. Candidates may be at any stage of their professional career (i.e., early, mid, or late). However, candidates should be distinguished in their fields.
 

Application Process

Applicants are invited to submit a one- to two-page statement of interest that explains the qualifications of the candidate, their research concentration, and the specific goals of the visit to Columbia. They will also need to provide a current and curriculum vitae and a note from a Columbia faculty member on campus endorsing their application. The ILAS Executive Committee reviews proposals by the beginning of May and invites a limited number of candidates to submit a full application, which will consist of a personal statement describing their research and proposed teaching areas with the description of one course, a complete curriculum vitae, and the names of two references. For more information, contact Gustavo Azenha ([email protected]). 

Applications are currently open for fellowship positions during the Fall 2027 semester (September-December, 2027), or Spring 2028 semester (January-May, 2028). 

The application deadline is March 20, 2026.