Latin America

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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: Rosa Nogueira

(To be updated soon)

Working Group Focus

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 DG RTD, 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 2025-2026

To elaborate and disseminate the call for papers for the second edition of the book “Why Latin America Matters” (link to first edition) 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 2025/beginning 2026.
To enable a platform for exchange with similar networks in the region (focusing on CLACSO and AUGM), in order to develop joint activities with a concrete impact in shaping the research and education EU-LAC collaborative landscape.
- We strive to organize a joint high-level event in collaboration with CLACSO (end of 2025 in Brussels). Its main focus is to set up a co-created cooperation agenda that will enhance the potential of EU-LAC cooperation bridging different initiatives in both regions (e.g. Global Gateway, new EU R&I framework programme etc.)
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.
- The CG Durham Declaration offers a broad and inclusive framework aligned to the objectives of EU-LAC cooperation. We will henceforth focus on finding an appropriate funding scheme to implement the principles of the declaration in cooperation with partners in the region.

Recent highlights since June 2024

Following up on the LA WG participation at the CLACSO conference in 2023 and initial conversations during CG high level event in Montevideo, Uruguay, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Coimbra Group and CLACSO in August 2024.
Together with the Global Partnerships and Cultural Heritage WGs we organized a first workshop on “Decolonizing the university”,with support from CG WGs funding scheme. The core idea of the workshop was to share experiences of researchers who have built solid research/teaching experiences with non-European realities based on intercultural and collaborative principles in order to enhance added value and good practices.
Development of an Erasmus+ funding application submitted in February 2025 under the title INCAS (‘INstruments to Connect Academia to Society’).

Ongoing/forthcoming activities 2025-2026

Cooperate in an international, interdisciplinary and multi-actors event organized around the celebration of Coimbra Group 40^th anniversary, both in Europe and Latin America (around the upcoming COP 2025 in Brazil).
LA WG event in Brussels, Autumn 2025. This event aspires to highlight the spirit, and crucial importance, of intellectual independence in securing the traditional role of universities as knowledge-based influencers on public policy. The event will join academics, researchers, and policymakers from Europe and Latin America fortifying partnerships based on the fundamental principles of academic freedom that have long defined university traditions in both regions. Eyed outcome: two (thematic) policy briefs on academic freedom as a prerequisite for being able to provide sound and reliable research on global challenges important for Latin America, the Caribbean (LAC) and Europe. The policy briefs will be submitted to the EU Commission/EEAS before the high-level EU-CELAC meeting.
Develop a funding application, in either education or research, under the framework of relevant European Commission programmes (e.g. Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, etc.)
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.
Continue to engage with EU-LAC Foundation and the Academic Forum of the Permanent Academic Forum between Latin America and the European Union – FAP ALC-UE (and other relevant networks), through participation at key events and collaboration in the development of concept notes and supporting documentation for international organisations and governments in both regions.
Foster ties, and explore possibilities for formal cooperation agreements, with central European actors in LAC such as Fundación Carolina, DAAD, SEGIB, CALAS and others.
Elaborate and disseminate the call for papers for the 2^nd edition of the book “Why Latin America Matters” (potentially in cooperation with CLACSO). We aim at having a final draft ready for publishing in the beginning of 2025.
Explore the possibility of organizing a second CG 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 2022under the title “Strengthening academic collaboration between Latin America and Europe”).