The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Spanish: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Portuguese: Faculdade Latino-Americana de Ciências Sociais or FLACSO) is a graduate-only university and inter-governmental autonomous organization for Latin America dedicated to research, teaching and spreading of social sciences. Headquartered in Costa Rica, it has several campuses and centers spread across Latin America.
It was created on April 17, 1957, following a UNESCO initiative at the Latin American Conference on Social Sciences in Rio de Janeiro. Its goal was to promote academic research and development in the region.
Its membership is open to Latin American and Caribbean countries that subscribe to the FLACSO agreement. Current members include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Suriname and Uruguay.
Josette Altmann Borbón, a historian and former First Lady of Costa Rica, was elected Secretary General of FLACSO in June 2016. She succeeded Manuel González on July 31, 2016.
Notable people
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – Professor at FLACSO Chile (1964–1967); received honorary doctorate from FLACSO (2001); former President of Brazil (1995–2003)
Juan Carlos Portantiero – Professor and researcher at FLACSO Buenos Aires (1974–1975) and FLACSO Mexico (during exile); received honorary doctorate from FLACSO (2006); Argentine sociologist and Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Buenos Aires (1990–1998)
Ricardo Lagos – Secretary General of FLACSO Chile (1971–1973) and FLACSO Argentina (1974); received honorary doctorate from FLACSO (2006); President of Chile (2000–2006)
Paulina Aulestia – Specialization in Gender and Development, FLACSO Ecuador (2010); first Ecuadorian woman to summit Mount Everest (2013)
Paolina Vercoutere - Governor of Imbabura Province (Ecuador)
Teresita de Barbieri
Fernando Cortés Cáceres
Carmen Diana Deere
Ricardo Lagos Escobar
Enrique Correa
Geraldina Guerra Garcés, women's rights activist and campaigner against femicide
Elke Gryglewski, German political scientist and historian
Hilda Herzer
Amparo Menendez-Carrion
Suzana Prates
Gentiana Susaj, human rights lawyer and aikidoka