One of the nation’s oldest centers for scholarly research,
policy development and training on Latin America, the
Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS) at Columbia
University was founded in 1962. ILAS is housed within the
School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), but the
goal of ILAS is to serve as the central clearinghouse,
campus-wide, for all internal and external activity related
to Latin America. This goal forms the basis of the next
phase of ILAS’s strategy. As Columbia embarks on a
multi-billion dollar university-wide capital campaign – one
which prioritizes Columbia’s globalization efforts –
renewed resources are being directed toward the Regional
Institutes. ILAS plans to strategically use the momentum of
the campaign to raise significant operating and endowment
funds enable itself to become an entity that truly services
the entire university.
In 2001, under the guidance of economics professor and ILAS
Director, Albert Fishlow, the Center for Brazilian Studies
was established within ILAS to promote ties between ILAS
and Brazil. In 2005, Thomas Trebat, former head of Latin
America Research at Citigroup, joined ILAS at Dr. Fishlow’s
request. Dr. Trebat currently serves as the Executive
Director of the Institute. With limited teaching and
research responsibilities, Dr. Trebat is able to dedicate
almost all of his efforts to rebuilding and renewing the
ILAS program and extending its reach throughout the
Columbia campus. Despite its severe lack of funding, ILAS’s
activities are manifold. These activities include: granting
fellowships for research and study; generating new courses
that address contemporary topics and that are not otherwise
covered by the curriculum; mounting public programs that
service Columbia and non-Columbia students, faculty and the
general public; hosting visiting scholars from the region;
collaborating with other partners (e.g., other schools at
Columbia, other universities, etc.) on multidisciplinary
efforts.
ILAS operates on an annual budget of approximately
$430,000. This budget supports staff members’ salaries and
benefits, program costs, student stipends and fellowships,
a visiting professorship, and general infrastructure. ILAS
obtains these funds primarily from the federal government,
foundations, and other individual grants and contributions.
Given its current funding structure, ILAS has to rely
heavily on subsidies from SIPA itself. ILAS aims not only
to increase significantly its annual operating budget, but
also to cease its reliance on SIPA.
ILAS’s near-term goals are: increasing its research and
study fellowship budget for students and faculty – both to
study in the region and at Columbia, influencing and
improving Columbia’s Latin America focused curriculum,
developing more sophisticated and wider-reaching outreach
mechanisms, and hiring more adjunct professors in new areas
of study. The long-term funding goals for ILAS are:
expanding the Institute’s reach to the entire University,
enhancing the research orientation of the Institute,
influencing full-time faculty appointments, and serving as
the University’s convening point for all matters related to
Latin America. In order to achieve this, ILAS needs to
build an endowment and significantly increase its annual
operating budget; establish and Advisory Board to guide
ILAS on matters related to its vision, mission, and
fundraising strategy; and fortify its base of support and,
in doing so, continue to support and service its
affiliates.
ILAS’s potential is enormous. Given Columbia’s network of
seven regional institutes, an appropriately funded ILAS
would help Columbia’s achieve its goal of having the best
and most exhaustive regional studies programs in the
nation. Latin America’s significant role on the world stage
obligates ILAS to expand its scope and operations and to
train the next generation of experts. Without a reliable
and permanent funding source, however, this is not
achievable. In order to expand ILAS’s base of support, Dr.
Trebat is working with other administrators to assemble an
Advisory Board for ILAS. ILAS has already secured the
backing of a few distinguished people from the government
and private sectors.
