Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA)

​Since its creation in 1964, the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA), hosted by the University of Amsterdam, has promoted Latin American Studies in the Netherlands, Europe and beyond. We do this by conducting and stimulating relevant and original research on developments in Latin America and distributing the results of this research internationally via academic education at BA, MA and PhD levels and via academic publications such as the open access journal ERLACS. Based on a long history of multi-disciplinary research and studies in the fields of both Social Sciences and Humanities (including cultural anthropology, history, political science, human geography, sociology and economics), we increasingly apply interdisciplinary approaches in our projects and education. CEDLA’s library is considered one of Europe’s largest specialized collections of material on Latin America. The CEDLA institute is part of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam. We also have close ties with the UvA’s Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences as well as with Latin American Studies programmes and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad. CEDLA’s research pertains to the Amsterdam School for Regional, Transnational and European Studies (ARTES), which stimulates cross-Regional Studies collaboration. For detailed reports of CEDLA’s activities see our Annual Reports on the years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Academic Research

CEDLA’s research focuses on present and past processes of societal change in Latin America. The CEDLA team has acquired external research funding from various agencies, including the NWO and the EU. In addition to conducting multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research, the Centre makes every effort to distribute the research results and stimulate both academic and societal debates on Latin America. This is done by writing (academic) publications, organising lectures, seminars and conferences, and working in conjunction with sister organisations in the Netherlands as well as abroad. Next to its team of researchers, CEDLA hosts a number of PhD students and fellows, and occasionally appoints temporary staff members for specific research projects. CEDLA researchers are involved in multiple research networks with Latin American and other international researchers and institutions.

Education

Education CEDLA offers BA, MA and PhD courses and programmes. At the Bachelor’s level, the programme of Spanish and Latin American Studies (SLAS) offers a special track in Latin American Studies. CEDLA also offers a broad range of topical courses on Latin America within the field of Social Sciences and the Humanities, which can be taken individually or combined into a minor in Latin American Studies. The minor and individual courses are also open to students from other universities. In the multi-disciplinary Master's of Latin American Studies (MLAS), students spend two to three months in Latin America to do research for their thesis project. The MLAS is part of the Latin American Studies Programme (LASP), an interuniversity graduate programme providing Master and PhD education, which is coordinated by CEDLA. In addition, CEDLA offers tailormade training programmes for professionals (e.g. to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs).​

Publications

CEDLA hosts the academic peer-reviewed open access journal ERLACS – European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Revista Europea de Estudios Latinoamericanos y del Caribe – that is published twice a year, in print and online. Scholars from all across the globe contribute articles to ERLACS that reflect substantial empirical research and/or innovative theoretical contributions with respect to major scholarly debates. In association with Berghahn Books, CEDLA also published the book series CEDLA Latin America Studies (CLAS), which consists of monographs and edited volumes.

Library

Library The CEDLA library has an extensive and in many ways unique collection of more than 80,000 books and hundreds of journals, as well as extensive archive material on microfilm, and many reference works and bibliographies. The library provides to all visitors an attractive opportunity to view, study, borrow, and copy material. The complete collection can be searched through the central catalogue of the University of Amsterdam.