Heidelberg Center for Latin America

The Heidelberg Center for Latin America (Spanish: Heidelberg Center para América Latina; German: Heidelberg Center Lateinamerika) is a postgraduate institute in Santiago de Chile affiliated with Heidelberg University. It was founded in 2001 and officially opened on 9 April 2002. It is the only European-affiliated university in Chile.[1]

It has the task of organising, managing and marketing the courses of study maintained either independently by Heidelberg University or in co-operation with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Chile. Heidelberg University has arranged co-operation agreements with both of these universities, the two most important universities in Chile. The centre also has responsibility for programmes of further training. This initiative enables Heidelberg University to pursue its aims of passing on the accumulated knowledge of German research and teaching and to promote scientific co-operation between Germany and Latin America. The centre co-ordinates the activities of Heidelberg University in Latin America and provides a platform for scientific co-operation.

The centre is financially supported in these early years by Baden-Württemberg State Ministry for Science, Research and Art, Heidelberg University and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Heidelberg Latin America Centre is run as a society subject to Chilean civil law. Its partners are Heidelberg University, with its corporate funds, and the Unterländer study fund, a public law foundation.