Latin America and the Caribbean

Penn & Latin America and the Caribbean

Penn’s relationship with the countries of Latin America & the Caribbean stretches back nearly two centuries. 

In 1829, Joseph M. Urquiola from Cuba became the first Latino to receive a degree from Penn and in 1836, Auxencio Maria Pena became the first student from Venezuela to graduate from the Medical School. In the early 1900s, Penn faculty members conducted groundbreaking archaeological research in the region, and by the middle of the century, the University had become home to the first center outside of Washington, D.C. to provide intensive training in Latin American languages and area studies.

Today, Penn students have a wealth of opportunities to engage with Latin America and the Caribbean, and faculty from across multiple disciplines are collaborating to produce innovative research on this vitally important part of the world.

Did You Know?

270+

Penn students, on average, participate annually in credit-bearing study abroad programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Pictured Left

Professor Michael Weisberg (pictured left), Bess W. Heyman President’s Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Galápagos Education and Research Alliance, leads a Penn Global Seminar to follow the footsteps of Charles Darwin, studying ecology, evolution, and the natural history of Galápagos, along with the growing impact of humans on this fragile place. Professor Weisberg has led multiple seminars to Galápagos over the last several years and also leads a Penn Global Research Institute each year over the summer to the archipelago.

Penn & Latin America and the Caribbean

Campus Initiatives

Penn actively engages with Latin America and the Caribbean through a range of partnerships and initiatives that foster academic collaboration, research, and student exchange. 

Guatemala Health Initiative

The Guatemala-Penn relationship, is rooted in over a century of research, service, and scholarship. Since 2005, the Guatemala Health Initiative (GHI) has partnered with Hospitalito Atitlán to provide clinical services to the indigenous population of the Western Highlands, with contributions from Penn’s physicians, nurses, and students, as well as those from Guatemalan universities. 

Penn in Latin America & the Caribbean (PLAC)

Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean (PLAC) was established to foster and highlight engagement in this crucial region. It organizes annual symposia and workshops, supports student opportunities like the Pulitzer International Reporting Student Fellowship, and facilitates networking opportunities among colleagues whose work focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Penn Museum American Section

The collections span the continents of North and South America from Alaska to Argentina, and document human habitation and history from the ancient past to the present day. Objects of everyday life including weapons and tools, hunting and fishing equipment, boats, clothing, medicines, raw materials, musical instruments, ornaments, toys and games, house models, and ceremonial items are included.

Event In Focus

Penn in Latin America & the Caribbean (PLAC) Conference

Each year, the PLAC Steering Committee partners with schools, centers, and departments across campus to bring together the Penn community to highlight Penn work in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to promote interaction and collaboration among all who attend. The interdiscipinary symposium often features research presentations, keynote conversations, and panel discussions focusing on a broad issue impacting the region. 

PLAC sixth annual conference centered on the theme of ‘Shared Narratives: Arts, Culture, and Conflict.’

Penn & Latin America and the Caribbean

Campus Centers

Centers and departments prioritizing the study and understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Latinx populations.

Center for Latin America and Latinx Studies

CLALS is an interdisciplinary research and teaching center for the study of Latin America and Latinx populations. The center’s vision is to provide the human and intellectual capital capable of addressing the most pressing challenges and opportunities that Latin America and Latinx populations will face during the 21st century.

Spanish and Portuguese Department

Offering an undergraduate and graduate program, the Department is also home to the Hispanic Review, a quarterly journal devoted to research in Hispanic and Brazilian literatures and cultures. Edited since 1933, the journal features essays and book reviews on the diverse cultural manifestations of Iberia and Latin America, from the medieval period to the present.