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Latin America

Working Group

Chair: Mara Constantinescu

Mara Constantinescu is Coordinator for Latin America at Leiden University. Professionally qualified in International Relations, her research interest lies on higher education policy in Latin America and knowledge production in cooperation with Latin America. She has obtained a MA Suma cum Laude in Latin American Studies from Leiden University. She is currently overseeing research and education collaborative projects with Latin American partners and represents Leiden University in Leiden-Delft-Erasmus consortium initiative on cooperation with the Global South.

Vice Chair: Soledad Garcia Ferrari

Dr Soledad Garcia Ferrari is a Senior Lecturer at ESALA University of Edinburgh. Professionally qualified in Architecture and Urbanism in Uruguay, her research focuses on current processes of urban development and regeneration in Latin America and Europe. She was awarded her PhD in Urban Studies in 2007 at the School of the Built Environment Heriot-Watt University. Soledad has extensive expertise on research in recent planning strategies in Medellin and is currently leading Medellin Urban Innovation project awarded by British Council. She taught in the Faculty of Architecture in Montevideo, the University of Seville and was invited speaker to the School of Architecture, CEU in Madrid. She is currently University of Edinburgh Dean Latin America and Director of Edinburgh University Centre for Contemporary Latin American Studies.

Focus of Working Group

The Latin America Working Group (LA WG) aims to promote a space for scholarly exchange and interaction between Latin American Universities and Universities in the Coimbra Group, through which to ensure collaborative action takes place, that is impactful in both regions. Research, policy development and knowledge exchange, and knowledge diplomacy, should be rooted in understanding local and national priorities within Latin America, as well as strengths and benefits of collaboration in both regions, in order to implement long-term, sustainable partnerships.

Collaboration for academic advancement, knowledge dialogue and research development between European universities and Latin American institutions have a long tradition. The Coimbra Group has played an important role in providing links to institutions and networks which are relevant to this cooperation and has also in the past facilitated many initiatives and projects to the benefit of member institutions. Aimed to increasing knowledge of the opportunities and challenges in both regions, the LA WG will pursue a jointly agreed set of shared goals and synergies among Coimbra Group Universities, in order to increase the quality and quantity of academic cooperation with Latin American institutions, networks and agencies. With this perspective the LA WG will follow the numerous opportunities created by ongoing high level policy dialogues between the two regions. It is essential to understand the Latin American context from a ‘global’ perspective and define the role of Latin American experiences in tackling global challenges. 

A key priority for the LA WG has been to reinforce and develop cooperation with networks in Latin America, such as AUGM, CLACSO, UDUAL, among others, with an approach that is based on building trust through activities promoting knowledge exchange and development. These include: research round tables, leading to joint research proposals; jointly created enhancement programmes and shared capacities around themes of mutual interest; mobility and exchange opportunities; as well as joint activities aimed to generate interaction at postgraduate level.

Contributing to the achievement of the above aims, the LA WG has focused on engagement with a range of institutions and organisations across Europe and Latin America (e.g. EU-LAC Foundation, EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, CLACSO, UNESCO, etc.) to support policy and practice discussions, contributing to plans and actions that are inclusive of Latin American higher education cultures and expertise, including research, teaching and professional services.

Priorities for 2024-2026

  • To elaborate and disseminate the call for papers for the second edition of the book “Why Latin America Matters” as a platform for discussion and interaction on the role of the region in future global development, this time from a Latin American perspective. We aim at having the final draft ready for print by the end of 2024/beginning 2025.
  • To enable a platform for exchange with similar networks in the region (UDUAL, CLACSO, AUGM), in order to develop joint activities with a concrete impact in shaping the research and education EU-LAC collaborative landscape.
  • To engage with EU and Latin America-based institutions and political representatives in both regions to contribute to policy development that promotes sustainability and socio-economic inclusion in Latin America and that enables a reflection over the role of Latin America in global politics and sustainable development.
  • To explore the potential of joint activities across CG working groups, enhancing Coimbra Group’s expertise in European engagement with the Majority World.
  • Explore funding opportunities across EU programmes (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, etc.) as well as Latin America-focused funding bodies (UNESCO, EU-LAC Foundation, etc.), to support collaboration across research and education.

Recent highlights

  • Participation at the EU-LAC International Foundation Knowledge Forum, which took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, in April 2023, where the LA WG contributed to the agenda for bi-regional cooperation, that was then presented at the Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Brussels in July 2023 in the field of access to knowledge, higher education, and science, technology, and innovation.
  • Active participation in the Academic Forum of the Permanent Academic Forum between Latin America and the European Union (FAP ALC-UE) that took place in Alcalá de Henares, on 7-8 July 2023. LA WG has participated in the panel “The contribution of the LA-EU academic community to the strategic autonomy and the inherent challenges of XXI century – the Common Area of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation”.
  • Co-organisation of  the workshop on “Encouraging equitable research and innovation partnerships with low- and middle-income countries”(18 January 2024) in collaboration with the European Commission, The Guild, the German Commission for UNESCO, Euroscience, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), TRUST project, Spain, France, Australia and South Africa.
  • Developed in the framework of the European Commission’s Multilateral Dialogue on Values and Principles underpinning international research and innovation (R&I), it has gathered 123 participants from 35 countries and 16 stakeholders. The aim of this workshop was to have an open discussion in order to establish an understanding of the main commonalities, differences, challenges and best practices that exist in different countries (regions) of the world.
  • INCAS Erasmus+ funding application submitted in February 2024.
  • Coimbra Group Statement on Universities in Nicaragua (24 April 2024).

Ongoing/forthcoming activities

2024 – 2025

  • Participation at the EU-LAC International Foundation Knowledge Forum, which took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, in April 2023, where the LA WG contributed to the agenda for bi-regional cooperation, that was then presented at the Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Brussels in July 2023 in the field of access to knowledge, higher education, and science, technology, and innovation.
  • Active participation in the Academic Forum of the Permanent Academic Forum between Latin America and the European Union (FAP ALC-UE) that took place in Alcalá de Henares, on 7-8 July 2023. LA WG has participated in the panel “The contribution of the LA-EU academic community to the strategic autonomy and the inherent challenges of XXI century – the Common Area of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation”.
  • Co-organisation of  the workshop on “Encouraging equitable research and innovation partnerships with low- and middle-income countries”(18 January 2024) in collaboration with the European Commission, The Guild, the German Commission for UNESCO, Euroscience, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), TRUST project, Spain, France, Australia and South Africa.
  • Developed in the framework of the European Commission’s Multilateral Dialogue on Values and Principles underpinning international research and innovation (R&I), it has gathered 123 participants from 35 countries and 16 stakeholders. The aim of this workshop was to have an open discussion in order to establish an understanding of the main commonalities, differences, challenges and best practices that exist in different countries (regions) of the world.
  • INCAS Erasmus+ funding application submitted in February 2024.
  • Coimbra Group Statement on Universities in Nicaragua (24 April 2024).

2025 – 2026

  • Develop a funding application, in either education or research, under the framework of relevant European Commission programmes (e.g. Erasmus+, Horizon etc.)
  • Explore the possibility of organizing a second high-level event with significant academic input and the broad participation of private and public stakeholders aiming to co-create a joint agenda for collaboration (first edition took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, 5-6 December 2022).
  • Publication “Why Latin America Matters – volume II” in collaboration with CLACSO.
  • Joint (potentially with CLACSO) academic seminar in LAC (Colombia, around the dates of the CLACSO conference) on selected common/cross cutting challenges for LAC and Europe.
  • Foster ties, and explore possibilities for formal cooperation agreements, with central European actors in LAC such as Fundación Carolina, DAAD, SEGIB, CALAS and others.

        Contact person at the CG Office: Catarina Moleiro (moleiro@coimbra-group.eu)