About
The Latin American Focus Group (LAFG) serves as a hub for the European University Institute (EUI) community interested in Latin America. Hosted at the Florence School of Transnational Governance (STG), the LAFG provides a platform for presenting and discussing key political, legal, and economic trends affecting Latin America within the current geopolitical context.
The group brings together scholars, MA students, PhD researchers, and experts to examine pressing political and policy challenges in the region. It also welcomes activities that engage with other regions and continents, enabling comparative studies and facilitating discussions on global issues that may have (dis)similar effects on local, regional, and national communities.
The LAFG organizes a range of activities, including paper and policy briefs/analysis presentations by EUI students, researchers, and faculty, as well as book launches, panel discussions, and lectures featuring external scholars and policy experts. In doing so, the LAFG serves as a focal point for external actors and members of the broader community interested in Latin American affairs.
Objectives
The goal is to discuss and better understand the theoretical and policy debates happening in the region from a transnational governance perspective. The group aims to establish itself as the EUI’s central hub for the region, producing relevant deliverables while also serving as a platform for debate and a source of expertise within the EUI, the broader EUI community, including partners in Italy, Europe, the Americas, and beyond.
The LAFG aims to become the flagship initiative on Latin America and Caribbean studies at the EUI, connecting students, scholars, policymakers, and experts to discuss the geopolitical challenges emerging from the current global (dis)order. It also aspires to serve as a meeting point for EUI partners, both within the region and beyond, to engage with students, experts, and faculty working on issues related to Latin American politics, history, economics, and culture.
Topics (non-exclusive)
- Demoracy and authocratization
- LAC and EU relations
- Finance, banking, and sustainable development
- Migration, rights, and social inclusion
- Transitional justice and human rights
- Geopolitics and the power of the Global South
- AI and democracy
- Digitalization and the impact of emerging technologies
- Security, democracy, and organized crime
- Energy transition and environmental initiatives
Contact
Interested in joining the group, proposing a blog post or an activity, or simply connecting with us? Please write to us at LAFocusSTG@eui.eu