Study Abroad in Latin America / the Caribbean

Opportunities for students to devote full-time attention to their chosen indigenous or modern language and area studies specialty are essential components of a liberal arts and sciences education at KU. At the Center of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), we believe that our community benefits from strengthened student research and global competency. This is why we encourage students to seek first-hand experience in Latin America and the Caribbean to conduct preliminary research, develop contacts in their respective fields, and familiarize themselves with the region.

Studying abroad is life changing. Here are two examples:

Catherine Pham, a pre-Medicine student and a Spanish minor, recently traveled to Argentina with help from CLACS and donors to gain fluency in Spanish and prepare herself for a career in medicine. 

“Although I was initially apprehensive because I didn’t know what to expect, study abroad was such a worthwhile experience. Taking classes in the heart of Buenos Aires and interacting with the locals helped improve my Spanish-speaking abilities a lot. Nothing compares to being completely immersed in a language.”

João Batista Nascimento Gregoire, graduate student in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, recently traveled to Brazil and to spend a month scrutinizing the archives of Vargas’ and Cardoso´s foundations located in São Paulo. 

“[Traveling abroad] provided me the unique opportunity to have access to primary sources that were not available in digital format and that are essential for my research. In addition, I was able to establish valuable connections with Brazilian historians from universities in São​ Paulo that will be important in my future career as a historian.”

Students who have studied abroad have gone on to develop strong research proposals related to public health, conservation, community development, anthropology, culture, and education. Students who study abroad often produce superior capstone projects, dissertations, and theses. Many become faculty members, while others enjoy successful careers in private industry, the nonprofit sector, and government service. Students are all too aware of the benefits, but financial concerns are often the primary obstacle for students interested in studying abroad.

With your help, we can support more students like Catherine and João.

Each year, CLACS awards prestigious and competitive awards and fellowships to students made possible by wonderfully supportive donors. With these competitive and merit-based scholarships, we will provide financial support to four additional students. Your donation will provide scholarships to travel abroad to a Latin American or Caribbean country, enabling students to:

1. Participate in an intensive program of indigenous or modern language and area study

2. Conduct primary research or fieldwork related to an undergraduate or graduate project

The Center of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at the University of Kansas is a leading research center linking faculty, students, and the community from across Kansas, the country and the world in the interdisciplinary study of the histories, cultures, societies, economies, politics, educational and healthcare systems, and environments of Latin America and the Caribbean. We enable students to participate in global conversations and promote an understanding of diverse cultures on campus and in our community.