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| Center for Latin American Studies (Cambridge) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Center for Latin American Studies (Cambridge) |
| Formation | 1960s |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, England |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | University of Cambridge |
Center for Latin American Studies (Cambridge) is an academic unit at the University of Cambridge dedicated to interdisciplinary study of Latin American and Caribbean regions. The Center functions as a nexus for research, teaching, publication, and public engagement linking scholars across colleges and departments such as the Department of History, Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and the Scott Polar Research Institute through collaborative projects and events. It maintains relationships with international institutions including the British Academy, the Royal Society, and foreign universities across Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
The Center traces its origins to mid-20th century efforts to institutionalize area studies at British universities following models established at Harvard University and University of Oxford. Early milestones included cooperative ventures with the Institute of Latin American Studies and foundation grants from philanthropic bodies such as the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Through the 1970s and 1980s the Center expanded connections to fieldwork networks in Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Cuba, hosting visiting scholars from institutions like the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the Universidade de São Paulo. In the 1990s it consolidated archives and bibliographic collections to support research on figures such as Simón Bolívar, Gabriel García Márquez, and Diego Rivera, while promoting comparative studies with scholars from the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Economics. Recent decades saw partnerships with the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum for exhibitions, and collaborative grants with the Economic and Social Research Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
The Center’s mission emphasizes interdisciplinary scholarship linking history, literature, political analysis, and visual culture through postgraduate supervision, seminars, and language tuition. Teaching programs engage students from the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, the Faculty of History, the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and the Faculty of Law, enabling supervision on theses concerning topics from the Mexican Revolution to the Peruvian War of Independence. Language training includes courses in Spanish language, Portuguese language, and indigenous languages with scholarly connections to research on figures such as Octavio Paz and Jorge Luis Borges. The Center administers graduate fellowships, arranges visiting professorships from institutions such as the Universidad de Buenos Aires and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and coordinates with the Cambridge Review of International Affairs and departmental reading groups.
Research clusters span themes including urban anthropology, environmental history, memory studies, and cultural production. Faculty and affiliates publish in collaboration with presses and journals like Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Hispanic Research Journal, and Bulletin of Latin American Research. Major research outputs have explored topics ranging from land reform under leaders such as Lázaro Cárdenas to literary analyses of Pablo Neruda and Mario Vargas Llosa. The Center curates working paper series and edited volumes that bring together contributors from the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Institute of Development Studies, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of São Paulo. It also supports digital humanities projects mapping migration flows related to the Cuban Revolution and archival digitization of documents connected to the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.
The Center offers competitive master's and doctoral supervision, short-term visiting scholarships, and travel grants for fieldwork in regions such as Central America, Andes, and the Amazon Basin. Fellowship programs have hosted scholars linked to the Fulbright Program, the Chevening Scholarships, and national research councils from Chile and Argentina. Students benefit from seminars featuring guest speakers like ambassadors from the Embassy of Brazil and curators from the British Library, and gain access to resources including special collections on Latin American art and newspapers such as El País (Spain), O Globo, and historical periodicals. The Center administers dissertation awards and coordinates internships with NGOs and cultural institutions including the International Red Cross delegations and regional archives.
Outreach activities include public lecture series, film festivals, and collaborative exhibitions with partners such as the British Museum, the Tate Modern, and local cultural centers. The Center runs language workshops, teacher training for secondary schools, and policy forums addressing development issues that draw experts from the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank. Community-facing initiatives have featured photographic retrospectives on artists like Frida Kahlo and Tarsila do Amaral, colloquia on transitional justice involving judges from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and educational projects with diaspora organizations from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Dominican Republic.
Affiliated scholars and alumni include historians, literary critics, and policymakers who have held posts at institutions such as the British Academy, the Royal Historical Society, and government ministries across Latin America. Notable names associated through visiting positions, collaborative research, or alumni status encompass figures linked to the study of Latin American literature and politics, including translators, museum directors, and recipients of awards like the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Man Booker International Prize. The Center’s network extends to fellows who later joined faculties at the University of California, Berkeley, the London School of Economics, the Universidad de Chile, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.