The Latin American School of Social Sciences (FLACSO) is an inter-governmental autonomous organization for Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated to research, teaching and spreading of socio-economic research and political analysis on Latin America through graduate programmes and academic research in the field of social sciences and public policy. The first FLACSO campus was created in Santiago de Chile in 1957, following a UNESCO initiative in the Latin American Conference on Social Sciences in Rio de Janeiro. Its membership is open to Latin American and Caribbean countries that suscribe the FLACSO agreement. Current members include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic and Surinam.

In order to ensure quality education for new generations of researchers, academic faculty and government officials, FLACSO offers a variety of graduate studies, continuing education and professionalization programmes. Its faculty engages in serious research in the field of social sciences, with emphasis on Latin American themes and issues. In addition, it develops teaching materials and has set up co-operation agreements with several universities, research centres, as well as with several nuiversities, research centres, and international, government and private organizations.

The FLACSO campus Mexico, which participates with a research team in EULAKS, was established in 1975 by an agreement between the Mexican government and FLACSO, and started its academic activities in 1976. In the 30 years since then, it has contributed to the training of professionals and academics, as well as promoted and nurtured regionally relevant problem analysis. The school has grown to become recognized as an institution of academic excellence in which students and outstanding experts, from Mexico and other countries, converge. Thus, it makes an important contribution to strengthening relations between the academic world, and public and private decision-making spheres.
Academic excellence

From its inception, FLACSO-Mexico has brought together renowned social scientists and specialists in different areas of knowledge from Mexico, as well as from other countries in the American Continent and Europe. As a result, as of March 1992, the exclusive dedication Masters and PhD programs are included in the CONACYT Graduate Studies National Register.  

This recognition reflects the high level of teaching, research and publications of our institution, and has enabled us to reaffirm our commitment to maintaining high educational standards and improving institutional performance.

FLACSO-Mexico’s educational and research activities are carried out mainly by full- and part-time professors with distinguished academic records, a vast majority of them with doctoral degrees.

The academic profile of the institution is highlighted by the fact that most of our teachers are included in the National Researchers’ System Registry. In addition, FLACSO-Mexico employs a network of professors enjoying high prestige in Mexico and abroad.

FLACSO-Mexico contributes to the development of knowledge in the field of Social Science through its activities in research, training specialized human resources and by providing scientific input for the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies.   

The four thematic research tracks at FLACSO-Mexico are:   

• Political order, public policies and social cohesion challenges in Latin America
• Governance, institutional change and good government
• Population, territory and citizenship    
• The new social issues in Latin America   

 
As part of the research activities, cooperation is encouraged between teachers and students, in order to design and carry out  projects that aim to respond to fundamental theoretical issues. The goal is to make a contribution to the quest of finding creative solutions to the challenges faced by Latin American societies in a world of accelerated social, cultural and technological changes.

The projects co-coordinated by FLACSO and other centres of research in the scope of research in knowledge society, are: a) with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and b) Eurpean Union and Latin America Knowledge Society (EULAKS).

a) IDRC

The Knowledge Economy Project for Latin America and the Caribbean is a research program (period 2006-2008) managed by FLACSO Mexico and financially sponsored by IDRC (Canada) with the aim of supporting multidisciplinary research projects and interinstitucional as a form of consortia research, aimed at encouraging new networks of knowledge, together public and private support for the development of studies and proposals in priority sectors and themes related to knowledge-based economy.

This programme was directed to the following research areas:

i)    New forms of innovation and knowledge flows in the circuits of production and distribution of goods and services.
ii)    Threats and employment opportunities for the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.
iii)    Trade and new business opportunities
iv)    The horizons of the Knowledge Economy.

The programme recieved 250 project. Actually in the phase of implementation of the diferent experiences in transfering knowledge. This programme will concluye by july 2009.

The following link can provide detailed information about the programme: http://www.continentedigital.net/

 
b) EULAKS

EULAKS is a project funded by the European Community's Cooperation Programme (Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities -SSH) under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.
As a horizontal support action, EULAKS connects socio-economic research on the dynamics of the Knowledge Society in the European Union and Latin American and Caribbean Countries. FLACSO in one of the seven members of the consortium  [Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), L'Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), London School of Eonomics and Political Science (LSE), Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Universidad de la República, Uruguay (UdelaR), Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento (UNGS)].
During the project cycle one conference and several expert and policy workshops in Latin America and Europe will be organised.

FLACSO-Mexico hosted a 2-days Workshop on "Co-operation in Foresight between Europe and Latin America" on October 22-23, 2008 in Mexico City.
FLACSO will be the setting for a joint Summer School for young SSH scientists from countries of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean in 2009.

The following link can provide detailed information about the project: http://www.eulaks.eu/