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The Latin American Research Centre

The community of experts on Latin America at the University of Calgary is almost as old as the University itself. In the 1970s and 80s a multi-disciplinary community collaborated regularly and mentored an entire generation of students. In the 1990s this collaboration became more formalized through the creation of the Latin American Studies program, and later in 2002 through the creation of the Latin American Research Centre.

Research on and in Latin America, as well as undergraduate programs and graduate study relating to the region, have long been a key area of excellence at the university, and continue to thrive today. Scholars from diverse faculties, including the Faculty of Arts, the Haskayne School of Business, the Schulich School of Engineering, and the Cumming School of Medicine, conduct research in and on Latin America. The Latin American Studies Program is currently administered by the Department of History.

The LARC engages students, faculty and the general public on issues related to Latin America through a variety of activities, including film screenings and festivals, a speakers series, publications on current events, conferences and workshops, and its support of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies book series at the University of Calgary Press.

Mission

The LARC helps the University lift up its eyes, broaden its horizons, and see farther. It provides a multi-disciplinary forum for students and scholars across the Americas to develop and engage in rigorous research related to the region. Through academic and public service activities, the Centre is also an accessible source of dialogue and information for the general public on a broad range of issues of contemporary relevance for Latin America and beyond.

Vision

The LARC aims to become the leading Latin America-focused research centre in Canada, and to join the top tier of such centres around the world. Because leading requires innovation, we are broadening the scope of what constitutes area studies: research not just on but also in the region, and beyond its traditional constituencies in the humanities and social sciences.