More than 100 people at UiB are working on Latin America related themes, so the announcement of the launching of the Government’s research and exchange programme, was very good news indeed.

"UiB now has a national network model, consisting of a research programme, an exchange programme and a secretariat.  We believe that this is the best way to strengthen national competency on Latin America," says UiB’s vice-rector for international relations, Kjersti Fløttum, who will do her utmost to have the secretariat established in Bergen.

Bergen first and foremost
UiB had already begun to map Latin America research when the national initiative was announced. Fløttum lead a group in which UiB, in collaboration with several other local research milieus, helped developed the competency of the “Bergen cluster”. The group has also had contact with the Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Education and Research, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The excellent preliminary work done in Bergen, resulted in Prof. Ivar Bleikli of the Department of Administration and Organization Theory, being headhunted to the national workgroup, which will evaluate various models for strengthening this field of research. The Government has now stated that it will comply with the group’s suggestions.

Organizational work and a concrete plan of action will be on the agenda up until Christmas. The programme is planned to last for a period of 7-10 years, with a gradual increase in funding from 15 million Norwegian crowns in 2008 to around 20 million over the following years.

Ivar Bleikli points out that several circumstances made it possible to achieve the breakthrough and that UiB played an important role.

"At the same time as one sees an increasing interest in Latin America, such as a marked interest in Spanish studies, increasing Norwegian investments and reinforced political interest, politicians are for the first time ready to strengthen ties with the area.  The fact that we have joined forces and highlighted our various milieus, has played a crucial role," says Bleikli.

There have been many important political changes in Latin America, which have influenced foreign policy and created new frameworks for trade and industry. A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows, for example, how Brazil is becoming more and more important in WTO and other international processes. The ministry stresses that being aware of changes is a prerequisite for successful political and economic planning.

Start planning
The funding for the national research programme comes first and foremost from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Education and Research will contribute towards researcher mobility and help strengthen international collaboration.

"We are of course glad for the exchange programme, which will provide more possibilities for our own students to study in Latin American countries, but will also enable Latin American students to come to Norway," says Fløttum and  points out that the balance between the two has been uneven at UiB.

As far as the research programme is concerned, she believes that UiB will be well able to compete in the contest for research funding.

"We are especially strong within the fields of language, literature, culture and social science.  But – and it’s particularly interesting at UiB and in Bergen as a whole - we have activities aimed at Latin America that cover a very broad area of skills.  It’s extremely important that the various milieus begin to plan research projects, so that we can present really good applications when NRF publishes the national announcement
at the beginning of 2008," says Fløttum, who suggest a “brainstorming” meeting on 9^th November.