NETWORK OF LATIN AMERICAN ORGANISATIONS IN EUROPE

Proposal for an online/virtual university supported by the Latin American organisations in Europe / the diaspora (living outside Latin America) and based on the pilot Universidad Internacional Andina / Andean International University

The pilot project for the Andean International University.

The backgound image shows the buildings which were retained as part of the infrastructure for these post-graduate, post experience faculties. The 'Salaverry campus' is now no longer necessary as the proposal for the resubmission is for a 'virtual' postgraduate school. The pilot project made a formal submission to the Peruvian government. It was backed by the Embassy in London and in consultation with the delegation to UNESCO but blocked by other universities in Peru, fearing that it would compete unfairly with (at that time 1996) their new masters programmes. The fear was based on a misunderstanding of the proposal, as the support from the diaspora (mainly latinamericanists and Latin American academics living abroad) was offered to universities in the Departments (provinces) to facilitate the starting up of their own masters. This was to be done through the discussion and development of bibliographies and online materials. The resubmission has the advantage of Internet which scarcely existed when the original application was being drawn up - a decade ago. The resubmission will also be able to draw on the experience of other pilots / projects: study visits to European universities; the EU supported Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar; knowledge sharing schemes; iterative relays (see example webpage) ; educational schemes in Europe; retorno of specialists and many other developments during what has been a very creative period (1984-2004).