Harvard in the Region

Featured News • Summer 2016

New Harvard-UAI Collaborative Research Fund Program

In late May, DRCLAS and Chile's Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI) officially launched the new Harvard-UAI Collaborative Research Fund Program, which aims to strengthen connections between UAI and Harvard through research and educational partnerships around technology, innovation, and design. The program's specific objectives are to promote joint research between Harvard scholars and academics in Chile, encourage the flow of people and networking between UAI and Harvard, and facilitate the creation of long-term relationships and cooperation between research centers in Chile, UAI, and Harvard. For three consecutive years, three grants of $30,000 each to support collaborating research activities between Harvard and UAI faculty will be granted. The first round of grants will be awarded by August 2016. 

Harvard's Vice Provost for International Affairs Visits Chile

As part of his mission to advance Harvard's international academic initiatives and extend the University's global reach, Mark C. Elliott, Harvard’s new Vice Provost for International Affairs, visited Chile in June. While in Santiago, he visited the DRCLAS Regional Office (RO), and met with RO Advisory Group members, Harvard students currently participating in DRCLAS summer and study abroad programs, local Harvard alumni, RO project collaborators, and RO staff. During his visit, Mr. Elliott also led a talk, moderated by Andrés Velasco, former Minister of Finance in Chile, on the current state of the University and its global strategy.

DRCLAS Summer Programs in the Region

In June, fifty Harvard students traveled to the region to participate in the eight-week summer programs organized by the DRCLAS Regional Office. Through the Summer Internship Programs in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, thirty-seven Harvard undergraduates were placed in internships in public, nonprofit, and private organizations in diverse fields, such as education, human rights, engineering, and the arts, among many others. Simultaneously, as part of the Health and Spanish Immersion Program in Chile, thirteen students explored their interest in medicine and public health through a unique array of opportunities, such as medical shadowings at public hospitals, presentations on public health issues in Chile, and community service at health-related nonprofits organizations.

To enhance their cultural and linguistic experience, students participated in a week-long orientation, lived with local host families, and took part of weekly DRCLAS-organized cultural activities and day-trips in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, respectively.

Capturing Contemporary Latin American Business History

In July, the Harvard Business School, with support from the DRCLAS Regional Office, organized the symposium Capturing Contemporary Latin American Business History: Oral History and Digital Resources, which was held in Santiago, Chile. Led by Geoffrey Jones, Professor of Business History at HBS, and DRCLAS Associate Andrea Lluch, the full-day event focused on the ways new materials generated by the HBS Creating Emerging Markets project could transform research and teaching in management studies and business history in Latin America. At the symposium, scholars and educators from leading universities and institutions in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, had the opportunity to participate in discussions on the relevancy and use of oral history in research, and the use of digital methodologies in the classroom, among other topics.

New Initiative on Global Philanthropy

In collaboration with leading institutions from 20 countries across the world, six from Latin America (Chile, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil), the Hauser Institute for Civil Society at the Harvard Kennedy School recently launched an initiative to generate a Global Philanthropy Report, which aims to map and analyze the current state of philanthropy globally. The results of the report could help identify best practices and be useful in shaping public policy

In June, the DRCLAS Regional Office (RO) and Universidad Adolfo Ibañez (UAI), through its Center for Philanthropy and Social Investments, launched the initiative in Chile after signing an agreement at an event attended by key leaders from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. In July, the initiative was launched in Peru at Universidad del Pacífico (UP), at event led by Cynthia Sanborn, UP's Vice Provost for Research and member of the RO Advisory Group.

New Roundtable Series on Current Chilean and International Issues

The Columbia Global Centers | Santiago, the MIT Club de Chile, the MIT Sloan Management Latin America Office, the Harvard Club de Chile, and the DRCLAS Regional Office partnered to host a series of roundtables on current national and international issues with leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors as guest speakers. The first encounter Agenda de Productividad: El Rol del Sector Privado took place in May, followed by Productividad: El Desafío Digital in August.

Recupera Chile - Visit to Baton Rouge Area Foundation

In July, Marcela Renteria, Executive Director for the DRCLAS Regional Office (RO), and Pilar del Canto, Recupera Chile Project Manager, visited the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF), through an invitation from John Davies, President and CEO of BRAF, and DRCLAS Advisory Committee member, after his recent visit to the communities supported by the Recupera Chile initiative. During their time in Louisiana, USA, Ms. Renteria and Ms. Canto had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the work and impact of initiatives led by BRAF, as well as by the Water Institute of the Gulf, Nature Conservancy, and the Audubon Nature Institute's Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries, among other conservancy and community-building organizations. As part of their visit, Ms. Renteria and Ms. Canto also led a presentation and a discussion on the community-building and resiliency work led by the RO and its partner organizations through the Recupera Chile initiative.

Fundaciones Familia Luksic's New Website

The website Fundaciones Familia Luksic shares with the public the Luksic Family´s philanthropic initiatives starting in 1960, under the legacy of Andrónico Luksic Abaroa. It highlights the support to Harvard University promoted by Andrónico Luksic Craig since 2000, especially to DRCLAS. Click here for more information.