Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies

The Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS) is a central research institution at Heidelberg University founded in 2019 at the intersection of the humanities, social sciences, and behavioral sciences. Complementing Heidelberg University’s long-term regional foci in South Asia, East Asia, North America, and Europe, the HCIAS contributes to further developing the profile of area studies by zooming in on interdisciplinary issues relating to the macro-region of Ibero-America. Research and teaching at the HCIAS focus on Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula and explicitly include those areas with which there are close historical, cultural, political, or socioeconomic ties, such as the Mediterranean, the Caribbean or the USA. The HCIAS’ overarching goal is to build a comprehensive framework for collaborative research, study and teaching, as well as knowledge transfer on, with, and in Ibero-America.

The HCIAS is Heidelberg's cornerstone for building bridges to Ibero-America in research, teaching, and knowledge transfer. The HCIAS expands and strengthens the University's academic networks in Latin America and complements them with region-specific research expertise. In order to promote academic dialogue on, with and in Ibero-America between the region and our university, we partner structurally and in terms of infrastructure with the Heidelberg Center Latin America (HCLA) in Santiago de Chile. We supplement Heidelberg University's campus in Latin America with interdisciplinary perspectives from the social sciences and humanities in research and teaching, and initiate new thematic foci in collaboration with local universities, e.g., in the fields of communication and sustainability research.

At the HCIAS, we understand that the complexities of the Ibero-American macroregion demand a plurality of voices, perspectives, and approaches. We believe that meaningful progress in research, study and teaching arises from dialogue and exchange across disciplinary, institutional, and national borders to engage in joint projects, co-authored publications, and shared events. We collaborate with individual scholars from around the world whose research aligns with our regional and thematic priorities and actively partner with other research units of Heidelberg University, national and international academic as well as cultural institutions to bring together diverse perspectives and expertise.

Research at the HCIAS unites a variety of disciplines from the social sciences, the humanities, cultural studies, and environmental studies which all aim at contributing to an integral description and analysis conducive deeper understanding of the macro-region of “Ibero-America” and its dialogue with other regions of the world. In our research and teaching, we set a focus on Latin America as well as the Iberian Peninsula, explicitly including those areas with which there are close historical, cultural, political, or socioeconomic ties.
Framed under the theme of “Spaces and Dynamics”, our cross-cutting research program explores the social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of Ibero-America. Drawing from diverse perspectives, in three main focus areas we study the networks, institutions, and discourses of Ibero-America in order to explore continuities, ruptures, transformations, and internal and external interrelationships within the macro-region.

Research at the HCIAS contributes to current debates on the social, cultural, ecological, and communicative realities of Ibero-America with diverse scientific perspectives from the humanities and the social sciences. We are committed to making this knowledge accessible to both the scientific community and society at large. The HCIAS runs several scientific publication series and develops various science communication formats, such as public lecture series, the HCIAS Podcast, the HCIAS Blog or the OBSERVA documentaries series in collaboration with the Karlstorkino of the city of Heidelberg.