Los estudios internacionales en América Latina: realizaciones y desafíos

THE SruDY OF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY: FOUNDING OF THE FIRST INSTITUTES Arnold Toynbee . Lecture delívered at the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile wíth occasion oC its inauguration. October 1966. Let me fust than,k you for the great honor you have done me, and also for the very kind things you have said about me, in introducing me to this great audience. 1 think everybody in this hall knows the subject of my talk. It ís the study oí contemporary history. As you know the occasion fOl this talk of mine is the inauguration of the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile. 1 think this is a very important event in the intellectual history of Latin America. It is very important because this is the first institution to be founded in any Latin American country for the study of this subject. Chile has taken the initiative in this field. 1 guess that other Latin American countries, one after another, are now going to follow Chile's example, and if five or ten years from now there are institutes for the study of international affairs in at least the other more important Latin American countries, this surely will be a valuable new intellectual link between the Latin American countries. Of course the governments of Latin American countries meet te discuss their common interest from the polítical point of view. But there is also the objective, disinterested way of studying international affairs, the scientífic way. And it is good if the different countries of the world, outside governmental action, in the inteUectual sphere, in the academic sphere, also carry on studies about intemational relations. There is a place for the unofficial study of international affairs besides the official conduct of international affairs by the govemments. Now. when one founds an institute for the study of contemporary history, and international affairs is an important branch of contemporary history, one is assuming that it is possible to make a serious study of contemporary history. But this assumption cannot real1y be taken for granted without discussion. There might be many academic historians who would say that the events of the last six or eighteen months or even the last five or ten or twenty years might be the subject for journalism butthey would not be the subject fOI serious academic historical study. The foundation of this institute assumes 18