Latin America and the Caribbean

Duke Brazil Initiative

The Brazil Initiative (DBI) aims to develop deeper connections with Brazil through faculty and student research programs, university and industry connections, and efforts to bring leading Brazilian scholars, public officials and artists to Duke.

The initiative supports innovative two-way exchanges that foster academic and policy research while establishing new courses and experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates at Duke. 

Past Brazil Initiative projects and events have focused on energy, environment, health, human development, art, politics and governance. The 2021 Brazil-USA Black Lives Matter explores the global dimensions of the fight against racist police violence and structural racism.  

John Hope Franklin Center  

Amazon Lab
Funded by the Office of Global Affairs, the Amazon lab focuses on the regions tremendous heterogeneity. It develops a new, interdisciplinary approach to studying a region that spans national borders and ecosystems. Giving voice to those who live in and with the region, the lab features film series, writing workshops and coursework that focus on the here and now but also on the cultural and physical memory of this important biosphere.  

Fuqua: GEMBA in Santiago de Chile
Partnerships: 20
Feature: USFQ

Duke Global Health Institute

Peru

DGHI’s relationships in Peru began with faculty using a multidisciplinary approach to address the dynamics of environmental changes, population growth and human health. Strong community engagement with Peruvian leaders and health officials has enabled an ambitious research agenda, with faculty teams engaging in projects on gold mining, mercury exposure, malaria, leishmaniasis, cervical cancer, chronic diseases, and the health effects of agricultural development, highway construction and migration. 

In additional to field research, DGHI’s partnerships in Peru support faculty participation in strategic planning and scientific meetings with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Peru), The Ministry of Health Peru and the Ministry of the Environment. Students and trainees have been able to take part in cutting-edge work through the various project opportunities.

Key faculty: Bill Pan, Nimmi Ramanujam and Lavanya Vasudevan

Honduras

Led by Dr. Dennis Clements, this patient care project involves 40 students from Duke and 15 from UNC who learn about caring for patients in the developing world. Clements gives lectures on infectious disease, immunology and epidemiology to medical students, PA students, residents and fellows, including grand rounds at Duke and UNC.  

Latin America and the Caribbean at Duke  

CLACS
Duke has a vibrant community of Latin American and the Caribbean scholars. The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies brings together faculty members and students who share an interest in the countries and cultures of this region. The center:  

• Hosts visiting scholars and artists  
• Promotes local, state and national outreach to create an intellectual community of scholars and activists  
• Prepares students to be future leaders in academics, business, arts, government and other fields in the region 
• Supports lesser-taught languages, such as Haitian-Creole  
• Hosts an annual visiting Mellon professor  

Program in Latino/a Studies in the Global South  
The Program builds on its institutional geography in the U.S. South and situates the inquiry and interpretation of Latino/a/x Studies in this region through broader paradigms of southern worlds. LSG offers an interdisciplinary certificate in Latino/a Studies in the Global South as well as funding opportunities and civic engagement activities.