Priorities of the Center

1. CLAS promotes interest in academic topics pertaining to Latin America and the Caribbean. Through a variety of programs, activities and presentations, the Center unites Latin Americanists and Caribbeanists in the College of Arts and Sciences with faculty from other schools of the university including Architecture, Communication, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences among others. These linkages create opportunities for interdisciplinary research and open a dialogue within the university on topics relevant to the region.

2. CLAS sponsors Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) composed of faculty and students that concentrate on specific areas of interest.  Current IRGs include: Caribbean Literary Studies; the Andean Group; the Mesoamerican Group; Brazil and Brazilian Culture; Print Media in Latin America; Women in Latin America; and Latin American and Caribbean Diasporas. Individual groups set their own agendas and organize public sessions open to all. Call (305) 284-1854 for information, or click here for details on existing groups.

3. The Center invites to campus on a regular basis visitors from Latin America or from other parts in the world who specialize in Latin American subjects. With its Visiting Professor program, CLAS brings distinguished professors from Latin American and Caribbean universities, providing students with unique perspectives and expertise on the region. CLAS also regularly sponsors Visiting Scholars from countries as diverse as Japan, France, Colombia, and Brazil who come to Miami to further their research and teach at UM.

4. The Center offers Summer Research grants for doctoral students who wish to conduct research in Latin America and the Caribbean. CLAS additionally awards the Barret Prize for the best doctoral dissertation on a Latin American/Caribbean subject as well as prizes for undergraduate projects on the region.