Latin America

Featured News

News

“Urban Futures of the Amazon” debates urbanization issues in the biome and the region

February 27, 2025

News

Aligning AI with human values

February 04, 2025

Our programs across Latin America

Latin American countries are harnessing the power of new and developing technologies, such as AI, to reach key development goals and address climate, inequity, and other urgent challenges.

Working alongside partner institutions in the region, CIS researchers and faculty apply their knowledge in the areas of democratization, politics, regime change, and capitalist development to finding new solutions to these and other critical issues. And to support ongoing efforts combatting climate change in Latin America, we’ve also launched the MIT-Amazonia Program, which investigates climate solutions and opportunities to sustain the rainforest for the long term.

Our Experts

Staff

Rosabelli Coelho

Lead, Latin America

Managing Director, MIT-Brazil Program, MIT-Amazonia Program

Faculty and Researchers

Bradley Olsen

Faculty Director, MIT-Brazil Program

Alexander and I. Michael Kasser (1960) Professor Department Executive Officer, Chemical Engineering

Faculty and Researchers

F. Daniel Hidalgo

Associated Faculty, MIT-Brazil Program

Associate Professor, Political Science

Staff

Eduardo Rivera

Assistant Director, MISTI Data Systems

Managing Director, MIT-Chile Program, MIT-Peru Program

Faculty and Researchers

Ben Ross Schneider

Faculty Director, MIT-Chile Program, MIT-Peru Program

Ford International Professor of Political Science

Staff

Griselda Gomez

Assistant Director, MISTI Student Health and Safety

Managing Director, MIT-Mexico Program

Faculty and Researchers

Paulo Lozano

Faculty Director, MIT-Mexico Program

Miguel Alemán Velasco Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Director, Space Propulsion Lab

Faculty and Researchers

Mihaela Papa

Director of Research

Principal Research Scientist

Staff

Gabriela Diaz Quinones

Program Assistant, MISTI

Staff

Brenna Ketchum

Program Assistant, MISTI

Launch a new research collaboration

The next round of the MIT Global Seed Funds opens in September 2025.

Learn more

Events

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Opportunities

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MISTI Global Experiences

MISTI matches students with internships, teaching, research and study opportunities across Latin America, including in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

Explore MISTI programs

Global Seed Funds

The MIT Global Seed Fund grant program enables new collaborations between faculty and research scientists at MIT and their counterparts around the world.

Browse seed funds

Student Spotlights

CIS makes it possible for MIT students to experience the world while advancing knowledge, tackling tough challenges, and preparing for lives of impact, service, and leadership in an interconnected global society.

Jaden's story

Chemistry '25

During the summer of 2024, Jaden Anderson traveled to Manaus, Brazil. He worked with research groups; one focusing on clinical trials against malaria and the second focused on investigating natural compounds extracted from Amazonian fungi and plants, with potential applications in medicine.

Ana's story

Mechanical Engineering '27

Ana interned with UTEC Ventures in Peru in the summer of 2024. She facilitated the partnership between companies to create a new startup.

Kira's story

Biological Engineering '23

Kira, a biological engineering major and minoring in Spanish and computer science, went to Chile during the summer of 2022. Kira worked with a set of datasets of TARA Ocean data which gave more insight to ocean microbiomes.

Lucas' story

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science '26

Lucas Puig interned at Itaú Unibanco, the largest bank in South America, through the MIT-Brazil Program. Working in the Operational Risk Department, Lucas developed risk models for the bank's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.

Donny's story

Mathematics '25

Donny Stralkus '25 collaborated with a professor on deep learning research at UTEC in Lima, Peru.

Student opportunities

Publications

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Report

Papa, Mihaela, and Evan S. Lieberman. “Global Climate Adaptation: Overcoming Political and Policy Challenges.” MIT Center for International Studies, Post-Workshop Report (April 2025).

April 2025

Book

Routes to Reform: Education Politics in Latin America

Oxford University Press

2024

Routes to Reform: Education Politics in Latin America

Paper

Adamson, Fiona B, and Kelly M Greenhill. “Deal-Making, Diplomacy and Transactional Forced Migration.” International Affairs (London) 99, no. 2 (2023): 707–25.

March 2023

Paper

Hassan, Mai, Daniel Mattingly, and Elizabeth R Nugent. “Political Control.” Annual Review of Political Science 25, no. 1 (2022): 155–74.

May 2022

Paper

Adamson, Fiona B, and Kelly M Greenhill. "Global security entanglement and the mobility paradox." Vol. 121. Oakland: University of California Press, Journals & Digital Publishing Division, 2022.

January 2022

Paper

Bertelli, Anthony M, Mai Hassan, Dan Honig, Daniel Rogger, and Martin J Williams. “An Agenda for the Study of Public Administration in Developing Countries.” Governance (Oxford) 33, no. 4 (2020): 735–48.

August 2020

Paper

Aiyar, Sana. “Colonialism’s Afterlives and Invocations of Oceanic History.” Indian Ocean Current: Six Artistic Narratives, edited by Prasannan Parthasarathi, 74-83. Chestnut Hill, MA: McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, 2020.

May 2020

Featured News

Chancellor Melissa Nobles’ address to MIT’s undergraduate Class of 2025

Robert Wilhelm visits CIS

CIS awards 20 PhD research grants

MIT without borders

MIT Global Seed Funds announces recipients of its 2024-2025 cycle

Ben Ross Schneider discusses cuts to governmental agencies

US policy on BRICS: A temporary fix or a strategic reset?

A collaboration across continents to solve a plastics problem

“Urban Futures of the Amazon” debates urbanization issues in the biome and the region

Aligning AI with human values

Our programs across Latin America

Our Experts

Rosabelli Coelho

Bradley Olsen

F. Daniel Hidalgo

Eduardo Rivera

Ben Ross Schneider

Griselda Gomez

Paulo Lozano

Mihaela Papa

Gabriela Diaz Quinones

Brenna Ketchum

Events

Opportunities

Student Spotlights

Jaden's story

Ana's story

Kira's story

Lucas' story

Donny's story

Publications

Papa, Mihaela, and Evan S. Lieberman. “Global Climate Adaptation: Overcoming Political and Policy Challenges.” MIT Center for International Studies, Post-Workshop Report (April 2025).

Routes to Reform: Education Politics in Latin America

Adamson, Fiona B, and Kelly M Greenhill. “Deal-Making, Diplomacy and Transactional Forced Migration.” International Affairs (London) 99, no. 2 (2023): 707–25.

Hassan, Mai, Daniel Mattingly, and Elizabeth R Nugent. “Political Control.” Annual Review of Political Science 25, no. 1 (2022): 155–74.

Adamson, Fiona B, and Kelly M Greenhill. "Global security entanglement and the mobility paradox." Vol. 121. Oakland: University of California Press, Journals & Digital Publishing Division, 2022.

Bertelli, Anthony M, Mai Hassan, Dan Honig, Daniel Rogger, and Martin J Williams. “An Agenda for the Study of Public Administration in Developing Countries.” Governance (Oxford) 33, no. 4 (2020): 735–48.

Aiyar, Sana. “Colonialism’s Afterlives and Invocations of Oceanic History.” Indian Ocean Current: Six Artistic Narratives, edited by Prasannan Parthasarathi, 74-83. Chestnut Hill, MA: McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, 2020.