Research Initiatives

Each semester, CLACS hosts an Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium that consists of a graduate course and a related speaker series. The course is co-taught by faculty from different academic fields, enabling interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. The series invites leading scholars and artists from the United States and across Latin America and the Caribbean to share their work with the NYU community and with the general public. 

For current colloquium events, please see the Events page.

For past colloquia, see our Archive.

CLACS hosts short- and long-term faculty working groups that foster interdisciplinary exchange between NYU faculty, as well as with other academic institutions in the metropolitan area. Current working groups are:

New York City Latin American History Workshop

Directed by Sinclair Thomson (NYU) and Pablo Piccato (Columbia), this long-running working group is a partnership between the graduate programs in Latin American History at NYU, Columbia, CUNY, and SUNY Stony Brook. The meetings typically take place the last Friday of the month at one of the host campuses. To join the email list or receive copy of the papers, please contact Sinclair Thomson.

Please see the Events page for information on upcoming events.

Works in Progress in Latin American Society and History

A graduate student run series, Taller CLACS invites doctoral students and faculty to present and discuss ongoing research. Papers are pre-circulated, and sessions allow for in-depth discussion in a critical but collegially supportive environment.

To join the Taller CLACS list or request a copy of a forthcoming paper, please write to CLACS Program Administrator or Taller CLACS Coordinator, Ramon Chacon rfc295@nyu.edu

Caribbean Initiative

The Caribbean Initiative at CLACS is open to faculty and graduate students interested in innovative scholarship on the Caribbean. In 2020-2021, the Initiative will be hosting a monthly workshop designed to provide advanced graduate students the opportunity to share work that focuses on topics relating to the Caribbean across disciplines with an outside scholar serving as the discussant. 

All sessions take place between 12:30pm-2p via Zoom. Please email Khemani Gibson at kmg550@nyu.edu to join the  Caribbean Initiative email list and to participate.

Our three faculty-directed area studies initiatives—the Caribbean Initiative, the Andean Initiative, and the Brazil Initiative—have in common a commitment to scholarship, education, and outreach related to regional area studies. The Initiatives draw on NYU’s depth of expertise in each of these areas from faculty across the University, and bring together faculty, students, and the public from the New York area for public workshops, lectures, symposia, and other events. The Initiatives promote research from and in the regions, and also engage New York City as home to vibrant Caribbean, Andean, and Brazilian communities. 

Caribbean Initiative

The Caribbean Initiative at CLACS, directed by Professor Ada Ferrer (History, Latin American and Caribbean Studies), draws on NYU’s depth of expertise in the field and brings together faculty, students, and the public from the New York area for public workshops, lectures, symposia, and other events. The Initiative promotes research from and in the region, and engages New York City as home to vibrant Caribbean communities.

Please see the Events page for Initiative Events.