Mexico | Bolivia

Collaboration leads to new graduate programs

Saint Mary’s University and the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas in Mexico have been collaborating for many years. With support from IDRC, for example, the two partners developed a PhD program that was established at UAZ in 2003; a parallel program will eventually be offered at Saint Mary’s. In another joint venture, the two universities launched critical development studies, a regional and now global network for alternative development. With support from IDRC, one of the network’s key projects is to promote cooperation among universities through, for example, offering a doctoral program in development studies in Latin America.

With this in mind, the current project sought to advance collaboration among Saint Mary’s and universities within Latin America. To that end, researchers established a network that brought together Saint Mary’s, UAZ, Universidad de Valparaíso (Chile), Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia), Universidade Estadual do São Paulo (Brazil), ALAS (the Association of Latin American sociologists) and RIMD (International Network for Migration & Development).

Working together, the network designed a new master’s program in critical development studies at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz, Bolivia, and at the Universidad Mayor de Cochabamba, Bolivia. At the same time, plans got under way to establish a PhD program at both UMSA in Bolivia and the Universidad de Valparaíso in Chile. Through exchange agreements supported by AUCC’s Students for Development Program, six students over three years can take part in internships in Bolivian NGOs.