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| Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES) |
| Established | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Leader title | Director |
Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES) is a Chilean research center focused on social conflict, cohesion, and public policy analysis. It conducts interdisciplinary research bringing together scholars from sociology, political science, psychology, and economics to study social dynamics in Chile and Latin America. The center interacts with universities, ministries, international agencies, and civil society actors to translate research into policy recommendations.
COES was founded in 2010 amid debates sparked by events such as the 2006 student protests in Chile, the 2011–2013 Chilean student protests, and the constitutional processes leading to the 2019–2020 Chilean protests. Early institutional partners included the Universidad de Chile, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and the Universidad de Concepción, drawing scholars who had worked on topics related to the Chicago Boys era and post-dictatorship transitions. COES evolved alongside initiatives like the Comisión Valech and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Chile), positioning itself in networks that include the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank projects on social policy. Leadership and founding researchers had prior affiliations with the Instituto de Estudios Públicos and collaborations with figures linked to the Concertación coalition and the Nueva Mayoría.
COES's mission emphasizes understanding drivers of conflict and mechanisms of cohesion in contexts exemplified by episodes such as the 2019 Chilean riots and the Mapuche conflict. Objectives include generating evidence for institutions like the Ministerio del Interior (Chile), the Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia (Chile), and municipal governments in Santiago de Chile. The center seeks to inform actors including the Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile, the Defensoría Penal Pública (Chile), and non-governmental organizations like Amnistía Internacional and Human Rights Watch through applied research, training programs, and public dissemination. It frames goals compatible with regional agendas promoted by the Union of South American Nations and the Organization of American States.
COES operates under a governance model combining academic councils and administrative boards with representation from institutions such as the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, the Universidad Católica del Norte, and the Universidad Austral de Chile. Its leadership has included directors with prior roles at the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONICYT) and advisors connected to the Presidencia de la República (Chile). Research is organized into thematic clusters overseen by principal investigators affiliated with departments like the Facultad de Ciencias Sociales (Universidad de Chile), the Facultad de Derecho (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), and the Centro de Estudios Públicos (CEP). External advisory boards have included members from Harvard University, Stanford University, and the London School of Economics, and partnerships extend to think tanks such as Centro de Estudios Públicos (Chile) and Fundación Chile.
COES runs programs addressing topics linked to high-profile events and studies such as the PNUD assessments and comparative projects involving Argentina, Perú, and Colombia. Major research lines investigate protest dynamics in contexts analogous to the Arab Spring, urban segregation comparable to Cape Town case studies, and indigenous rights disputes similar to those in Bolivia and the Mapuche conflict. Projects combine methodologies used in studies by scholars from University of Oxford, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley and tools referenced in works by Elinor Ostrom and Robert Putnam. Program outputs include longitudinal surveys, experimental interventions inspired by methods from National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and qualitative analyses referencing cases like the Mexican drug war and the Colombian peace process.
COES has partnered with national bodies such as the Servicio Nacional de la Mujer y la Equidad de Género (SERNAMEG) and international agencies including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organization, and the European Union research frameworks. It participates in consortia with universities like the Universidad de Antioquia, the Universidad de Buenos Aires, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and collaborates with research centers such as the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) and the Instituto Milenio. COES-led projects have been co-funded by agencies including the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT), the National Science Foundation, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, producing comparative work alongside teams from Princeton University and the European Research Council.
Research from COES has informed policy debates during episodes like the drafting of the 2019 Chilean constitutional referendum and municipal interventions in Valparaíso and Concepción. Publications, policy briefs, and media appearances have reached outlets including El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, The New York Times, and BBC News. COES organizes conferences with participation from figures linked to the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and regional policy networks like the Red de Investigadores Sobre Democracia en América Latina (RIDAL), contributing to dialogues on policing reforms comparable to initiatives in United Kingdom and United States jurisdictions. Its findings have been cited in legislative debates in the Congreso Nacional de Chile and by commissions linked to the Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos (Chile).
Funding streams for COES include competitive grants from organizations such as the Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDEF), contracts with the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, and philanthropic support from entities akin to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. Human resources combine faculty from institutions like the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and postdoctoral researchers with fellowships patterned after programs at the Max Planck Society and the Fulbright Program. Administrative and technical teams include data scientists versed in tools used by the World Bank and project managers with experience in collaborations with the European Commission.
Category:Research institutes in Chile