Skyline view of Recife

Latin America & Caribbean

The University of Toronto has significant engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean, much of it through important academic programs at the university such as Latin American Studies, and Caribbean Studies – the latter of which is offered through our Centre for Caribbean Studies. We also pride ourselves in our academic partnerships for learning and research, and the many students who come to U of T from a diverse range of countries including Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica Ecuador, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Partnerships in the Region

The University of Toronto’s engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean is guided in part by the advice of the Presidential International Council on Latin America and the Caribbean, comprised of U of T faculty members with expertise in the region.

Recently, this council convened a community of researchers, practitioners, faculty, and students across industries and sectors for an online symposium to nurture new collaborations in teaching and research on the theme of Migration and Health in the Anthropocene with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. This bilingual symposium featured experts from the region and attracted participants from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The University of Toronto collaborates with various academic institutions in the region. Our top research collaborators by number of joint publications are the University of São Paulo (USP), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) – all in Brazil – followed by the University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Top fields for collaborative research include neuroscience, psychiatry, clinical neurology, pharmacology & pharmacy.

image of street with bike lane in latin america

  • 856

    (Fall 2022)

    Degree students

  • 15967

    (2018-2023)

    Joint Publications

  • 2322

    (August 2023)

    Latin America & Caribbean based alumni

Partnership Highlights

Active Role in the Canada-Caribbean Institute

The University of Toronto is a member of the Canada-Caribbean Institute with the shared goal of amplifying mutual activities in the region through research collaboration and by increasing the number of students and faculty engaged in research mobility.

Also facilitating that engagement are various government programs to facilitate mobility opportunities with Latin America and the Caribbean. One such program is the CARICOM Leadership Scholarship Programs, a Canadian government scholarship that funds students, faculty and staff from various Caribbean communities to study and/or conduct research in Canada.

Learning Abroad Opportunities Through Partnerships

University of Toronto students also enjoy summer abroad opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean through courses. Examples include a recent course in Costa Rica on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights on Indigenous Peoples, and another offered by the School of Environment which explored concrete sustainability initiatives while also examining current challenges. The University of West Indies has also been and remains a valued mobility partner for student exchange.