About Us
The Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean (CLAC) is an interdisciplinary Newcastle University Research Centre.
Centre organisation
Members of CLAC engage in research in Latin America and the Caribbean from a range of disciplinary perspectives, representing work in:
- the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
- Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAGE)
- School of Biomedical Sciences within the Faculty of Medical Studies
CLAC members have expertise in:
- history
- politics
- human geography
- sociology
- literature
- film studies
- cultural studies
- Spanish
- Portuguese and Quechua languages
- architecture and urban planning
- marine biology
- environmental sciences
- civil engineering
- neuroscience
- education
The Centre is supported by a steering group and an external International Advisory Board.
We also have strong links with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and interest groups based in the North East.
Communities
CLAC is represented at the Standing Conference for Centres of Latin American Studies. This is convened by the Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS).
Our members have strong links with wider Areas Studies communities. We take part in and co-host conferences, workshops and seminars.
We lead and serve on the steering committees for important learned societies and their specialist study groups.
Our History
CLAC was formally recognised as a Newcastle University Research Centre in September 2014.
1960s
The Centre builds on a long tradition of interdisciplinary teaching and research in this area at the University.
Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies BA has been taught since the early 1960s.
1990s
Interdisciplinary research was enhanced by a series of Higher Education links with South America universities. This ran for more than a decade from the mid 1990s. It was funded the British Council and Department for International Development.
These links facilitated teaching exchanges and postgraduate study opportunities.
They resulted in many joint publications and edited books in Spanish with Latin American colleagues.
2000s
By the mid 2000s the number of staff and postgraduates working on the Americas and the Caribbean at Newcastle had grown considerably.
This led to the formation of the Americas Research Group at Newcastle University.
This group drew together Schools in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. It established key linkages with researchers and academics working in Science, Agriculture and Engineering.
The Group provided a North East hub for interdisciplinary research on the Latin American and Caribbean region. This engaged with colleagues focusing on North America as well as Spain and Portugal.
2010s
CLAC was formed in September 2014 to deliver on a wider agenda - focused more specifically on Latin America and the Caribbean.