Los estudios internacionales en América Latina: realizaciones y desafíos

Los ESTUDIOS INTERNACIONALES EN AMtRICA LATINA 1978 and it aims at forming professionats with a comprehensive social science vision of coritemporary international affairs. The program is divided into three parts, each of which lasts one semester: a basic cycle, an advan~d cycle, and a seminars and wOl'kshops cycle. Although the "Magíster" is jlist entering its third year, it has attracted many Chilean students, as well as a good number of applicants from the Latin American regíon and, the United States. Francisco Orrego Vicuña, the present director of the Institute, has contri– buted noticeably to the development of international conferences and exten– sion courses. Largely at his initiative, the lIS has organized and sponsored major conferences on: "Science and Technology in the Pacific Basin", "Ocean Policy", "Economic Integration and Cooperation in Latin America" , "The Development of the Antartic", "World Scarcity of Raw Materials", "International Dimensions of Nuclear Policy", "Human Rights and Inter– national Relations", and "Latin America-Middle Class of Nations?". These conferences often have .... been organized in conjunction with other private or governmental entities (i.e., Instituto Chileno de Estudios Humanísticos, Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear), and have brought together significant numbers of distinguished international experts. The fundamental objectives of these conferences have been to develop systematic, scientific explanations of important international events, and to outline the alternativa policy options available to Latin American countries and organizations. Extension courses have aimed at informing the general public onissues of significance to the region. Courses have been given on "Inter-American System", "Conflict and Cooperation in the International System", and ~'The Struggle for World Power in the Twentieth Century". The Institute publishes the' quartedy journal Estudios Internacionales, which has become an important Latin American publication on world affairs and international development questions. The lIS also publishes the lnter– national Studies Collections, a number of books produced and edilted by the Institute, and the Special Document Series, occasional monographs authored by Institute and guest scholars. The lIS places stress on cooperative liriks with national and foreign academic institutions, governmental agencies, and international organi– zations 3 . At the national level, the Institute has contacts with CEPAL, FLACSO, Instituto Chileno de Estudios Humanísticos, CIEPLAN, Academia Diplomática Andrés Bello, and sorne academic units of the University of Chile and the Catholic University. Internationally, the Institute is a member of 3See Francisco Orrego Vicuña, "Una década al servicio de las relaciones internaciona– les", Speech by the Director of the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the creation of the lIS, 20 October 1976. 194