The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at NYU, in consortium with the Institute for Latin American Studies at Columbia University, has been designated a National Resource Center (NRC) by the US Department of Education. Our consortium, the New York City Consortium for Latin American Studies (NYC-CLAS), combines the teaching and research capacities of two of New York City’s leading universities to advance knowledge and understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean through competitive degree programs, international research opportunities, nationally-recognized library resources, and outreach programs to K-12 and post-secondary institutions, and the public at large. Since 1988, we have shared a history of close collaboration rooted in shared faculty research interests, complementary academic strengths, ease of student cross-registration, and close proximity. The consortium leverages on behalf of students, faculty, and the public both the resources of our global city—a city with a 37% Latin American and Caribbean immigrant population—and of each University’s deep ties to Latin America through global sites and through a wealth of faculty research initiatives and student exchange programs with ties to every country across the region.

About the National Resource Centers Program
The launching of Sputnik I in 1957 led to the federal government’s most significant participation in modern foreign language and area studies research and training in history: The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958. The federal Office of Education began administering the National Resource Centers (NRC) Program under Title VI of the NDEA, and the U.S. Department of Education continues to administer it under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The centers supported under the NRC Program conduct a broad range of activities, that include instruction, outreach, scholarly research, maintenance of library resources, and teacher training. Collectively, these activities represent a programmatic effort that focuses on particular regions of the world and the relevant issues connected to those regions; and, they constitute a national capacity in modern foreign languages and area and international studies. For more information on National Resource Centers, visit the International Education Programs Service (IEPS) website at www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsnrc.