The President has decided that the Institute of Latin American Studies at Stockholm University will have a new name and amended statutes. The new name is the Nordic Institute of Latin American Studies.
“The objective is that the Institute will become a platform for the institutionalisation of Nordic collaboration in the field of Latin American Studies and the identification of synergies. This involves research, education and collaboration between, in the first instance, Latin American and Nordic countries, but also between our Nordic centres and universities and institutes in other parts of the world that focus on Latin America. The USA is an important element, but interest in Latin America is increasing significantly in, for example, China and South Korea,” says Andrés Rivarola, Director of the Institute.
There are different kinds of research groups and Latin America-oriented courses in Finland, Norway and Denmark, and also at other Swedish universities. Nordic researchers will now be given priority when choosing candidates for the Board of NILAS.
“It’s our hope that this new Nordic platform will enable us to form international research groups and educational programmes that increase the opportunities for external financing, for example through the EU Commission or the Nordic Council,” says Andrés Rivarola.
One example of collaboration he wishes to highlight to increase the international competitive strength is one recently started by the Institute together with the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Sorbonne Nouvelle in France. This will offer students opportunities to study in Stockholm, Paris and Salamanca within the framework of an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD).
Find out more about the Master’s programme »
About the Institute of Latin American Studies
The Institute of Latin American Studies was formed in the early 1950s and was then part of the Stockholm School of Economics. Since 1977 the Institute has been part of Stockholm University, and the organisation is based on four pillars: research, education, information and documentation. The Institute has about ten employees and three affiliated researchers, as well as collaborative partners from other European and Latin American universities. It offers opportunities to pursue entire programmes in Latin American Studies, at both first cycle and second cycle level.
One central feature of the Institute is the library with more than 50,000 volumes, making it the biggest collection of literature in the Nordic region dealing with Latin America from a Social Science perspective. The Library also holds open lectures on the subject of Latin America.
Visit the Institute’s website www.lai.su.se