Georgetown Center for Latin American Studies

The Center for Latin American Studies was one of the first of its kind in the United States, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009. The center regularly welcomes visiting scholars from both the United States and Latin America and sponsors many projects and programs, including the Mexico Project, which focuses on bilateral issues such as governance and trade between Mexico and the United States; the Political Database of the Americas (in collaboration with the Organization of American States), which presents a comprehensive collection of documentary and statistical information on the hemisphere; and the Brazilian Studies Program, which augments the center's academic offerings on Brazil and hosts events relevant to Brazil and the Portuguese-speaking world. The center also sponsors summer programs for teachers and publishes occasional working papers as well as a weekly online newsletter.
Georgetown is a world-class university located in the heart of Washington, D.C. The nation's capital and its dynamic international character pervade a Georgetown University education. Georgetown faculty include a former secretary of state, ambassadors to the United Nations, economists at the World Bank, White House domestic and foreign policy advisors, attorneys in influential law firms, and prominent academics. CLAS benefits from its close connections with leading international organizations such as the Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank; strong ties with non-profit organizations such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Washington Office on Latin America, and the Inter-American Dialogue; and a working relationship with Latin American embassies. The political culture and cosmopolitan population of Washinton and the dynamic community of the metropolitan area touch students' lives in many ways. This environment significantly enhances the blend of theory and practice that lies at the foundation of the School of Foreign Service curriculum.
The Latin American Studies program is a leading program of its kind, with particular emphasis on issues of democratic governance, economic integration, inter-American affairs, and culture and society. The presence of a host of international and non-profit organizations, U.S. government agencies, businesses, and embassies and agencies of foreign governments provide unparalleled opportunities for GU students.
GU offers courses relevant to Latin American Studies in 22 disciplines of the arts and sciences, including 110 courses per year, with total enrollments of 3,558. Spanish and Portuguese language study is an integral part of GU's many degree programs, particularly those within CLAS. The academic programs available through CLAS, which currently enroll 115 students, are: Undergraduate Certificate; Master of Arts in Latin American Studies; Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service/Master of arts (M.A.) in Latin American Studies; Bachelor of Arts/M.A. in Latin American Studies; Juris Doctor/M.A. in Latin American Studies; and M.A. in Latin American Studies/Ph.D. in Government. CLAS also assists in training 69 non-CLAS Master degree students and 89 Ph.D. students per year in the area of Latin American Studies. The Latin American collection at Lauinger library includes more than 58,800 items.
CLAS consists of 30 core faculty members, which are complemented by numerous visiting professors, scholars and affiliated professors from the Washington policy world as well as from Latin America, all of which provide comprehensive coverage of Latin America's nations and sub-regions. CLAS' unique outreach program includes activities with K-12 students and teachers, postsecondary institutions, and over 100 lectures, conferences, and seminars per year. These activities bring students and the community in direct contact with a diverse network of specialists on Latin American issues, such as diplomats, policy professionals, and intellectuals.
CLAS has been a Title VI National Resource Center since 2006. Activities funded under the Title VI grant include public outreach programs that focus on indigenous peoples in Latin America, U.S. policy towards the region, and building a bridge to the Latino community. Such activities draw upon Latin American and U.S. scholars as well as government officials from the United States and the region. Title VI funding also allows the linkages with Latin American partner institutions to be strengthened, including the expansion of study abroad opportunities. Library acquisitions have increased; area studies and language courses have been strengthened, including the addition of foreign language across the curriculum courses; and joint National Resource Center (NRC) global conferences have been organized together with the other two NRCs at GU. Teacher training has become an important part of our program through teacher workshops, language acquisition workshops, the creation of lesson plans, and participation in the NRC/CLASP Teacher Training Network. NRC funding will be a stimulus to innovation, permitting CLAS to combine scholarly distinction with a commitment to creative scholarship, teaching and outreach.