Canada’s ties to Latin America and the Caribbean include commerce, investment, development assistance, immigration and the promotion of democracy. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured Latin America in 2007, he pledged that Canada is committed to playing a bigger role in the Americas and to doing so for the long term.
This focus on our neighbours further south isn’t new for a group of academics at Carleton who have carved out a place for regional studies in the Faculty of Public Affairs. More than 30 professors across campus are researching issues related to Latin America or the Caribbean.
“There is a research interest in this region of the world, and a group of scholars that can sustain it,” says Cristina Rojas, PhD/95, a professor in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. With that critical mass, the Faculty is proposing the creation of an Institute of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and a combined honours BA.
Rojas, a specialist in international political economy, Latin American politics, and development and social policy, is leading the process with Laura Macdonald in political science and Sonya Lipsett Rivera in history. With courses already in place across disciplines such as political science, business, history and geography, the proposed institute can formalize a curriculum, connect researchers across campus, increase exchange opportunities for students, and build on the frequent panels, lectures and conferences already being organized by volunteers.
With the Canadian government’s focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, the demand for expertise on the region and the interplay between academic work and policy making are strong incentives for both students and researchers.
“Our location in the capital gives scholars and students access to embassies, foreign affairs and international organizations that contribute to research,” says Laura Macdonald, former chair of the Department of Political Science and co-director of the Centre on North American Politics and Society. “There aren’t many programs in Canada that focus on Latin America, so the curriculum and the institute are a good opportunity for Carleton to lead the way.”
Fast fact…
In February 2009 graduate students at Carleton and the University of Ottawa organized the inaugural interdisciplinary conference Inside and Outside Latin America and the Caribbean to highlight research in the capital region and more widely.