Program in Latin American Studies now housed in PIIRS, strengthening their shared mission

The Program in Latin American Studies (PLAS) will now make its home in the Princeton Institute of International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), strengthening their shared mission.

Launched in fall 1967, PLAS is one of the nation’s first interdisciplinary centers dedicated exclusively to Latin American area studies. At the program’s core is a mission to increase knowledge of the histories, cultures, economies, and environments of Latin America, including Brazil and the Caribbean, and to foster cooperation and understanding across the Americas by bringing Latin American scholars, artists, politicians, and scientists to campus, and by providing support to Princeton faculty and students for collaborative research, language training, community service, and cultural exchanges in the region. 

PIIRS, Princeton University’s primary center for international and regional studies, supports cutting-edge research, innovative teaching, collaborative learning, visiting fellows, international networks, and dynamic programming, and aims to foster academic analysis and public engagement around global challenges and regional dynamics.

PIIRS is also home to five regional programs: the programs in African Studies, Contemporary European Politics and Society, Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, South Asian Studies, and Translation and Intercultural Communication. Each is anchored by an undergraduate minor that offers immersion in international politics, culture, and language study, and brings together a close-knit community of students and faculty who share a deep curiosity about global issues. 

“We are thrilled to welcome PLAS into the PIIRS family,” said Deborah Yashar, Donald E. Stokes Professor of Public and International Affairs and director of PIIRS. “PLAS is not only one of the oldest regional programs on campus, but also one of the largest and most vibrant. PIIRS is excited to partner with PLAS to support and advance cutting-edge teaching, research and programming on Latin America. In turn, we are excited to feature more comparative initiatives placing Latin America in a global context.”

“Latin American Studies has been propelled forward as a distinct field of study by major international changes, such as the end of the Cold War. As the field continues to grow, to shape and be shaped by global politics, PLAS must rethink its role within Princeton’s scholarly community in relation to new theoretical and transnational trends that have superseded the old area studies model,” added Gabriela Nouzeilles, Emory L. Ford Professor of Spanish, professor of Spanish and Portuguese, and director of PLAS. “Our new partnership with PIIRS will provide us with an exciting opportunity to develop a dialogue with a stellar community of faculty and students, and to pursue new comparative research initiatives and interdisciplinary collaborations with other international and regional centers and programs at Princeton.”