“The matter of integration is not a question of enlarging markets, but of having a stronger voice in the world”, Pepe Mujica, former president of Uruguay. 

The Latin American Network Initiative (LANI) was created in 2013, when a group of motivated students raised awareness of the underrepresentation of Latin America in the academic, social and professional activities at the Graduate Institute. With 10% of IHEID students hailing from Latin America, LANI was aims to cultivate increased interest in the region across our whole student community.

LANI also intends to create a network between students, professors and organisations in Geneva, around topics of interest to Latin America and facilitating events of academic and cultural importance in the region. Furthermore, LANI aims to unite the Latin American community by linking students, alumni, professors and organisations, currently studying, promoting or working on issues associated to the region. The purpose is to form a bridge between the academic and professional communities, creating scenarios for dialogue and interaction, and forming partnerships with Geneva-based organisations promoting Latin America in order to create a thriving student-directed network.

Our aim of enhancing the presence of Latin America at IHEID is achieved by organising events, by promoting exchange programmes and partnerships with institutions in the region, by facilitating the presence of visiting professors working on topics related to Latin America to promote research, and by bringing academic debates concerning the region into the classroom. Finally, we are working to create a mutually beneficial partnership between students and the Latin American community by assisting Graduate Institute students pursue internships or academic training related to Latin America.

For us, as Latin American students, it is important to continue bringing the voice of our region into discussion to make different perspectives present in the academic and professional field of the Graduate Institute community. For further information regarding LANI please feel free to contact us at gisa.lani@graduateinstitute.ch.