Tinker Visiting Professors' Courses

International Migration in the Americas

LACS (UG CODE)/(G CODE) ()
Silvia Giorguli
MW 00:00 - 00:00 PM

All the countries in the Americas have a long story as highly mobile. US has been, by far and for several decades, the main magnet for international moves worldwide with more than 50 million migrants living today in the country. Canada has one of the largest proportions of foreign-born population, above 20%. Mexico is the country with the second largest stock of nationals living in another country, close to 12 million. In the cases of Jamaica and El Salvador, one of every four nationals live abroad. Central and South America have also experienced a variety of international movements related to political, environmental and economic events. The region as a whole combines documented and undocumented moves, an important flow of return migration, adult- only and family migrations, temporary-labor programs and the settlement of large communities of migrants, specially in cities. In addition, in the history of the continent one can trace rapid shifts in countries traditionally of destination to countries of origin. The case of Venezuela, where more than 7 millions (20% of its population) have outmigrated in the last decade, illustrates well how the population in the Americas uses migration as a rapid response to economic or political shocks (Giorguli, Garcí a-Guerrero and Masferrer, 2022).

This course seeks to look at the international mobility of the continent in a comprehensive way and to discuss about the management of migration and the scenarios for the next years based on what the demographic projections anticipate. For this purpose, we will analyze the historical trends of different types of mobilities and destinations, the sociodemographic characteristics of migration flows and how they are related to migration policies and how migration interacts with other economic, political and social processes in the region. We will analyze jointly the impact of migration on sending and receiving countries as well as the role that return migration plays in the whole system.

Impunity and Justice for Atrocity Crimes in Latin America

LACS (UG CODE)/(G CODE) ()
Jose Antonio Guevara
MW 00:00 - 00:00 PM

For the past 50 years, Latin America has been gripped by a cycle of dictatorships, authoritarian governments masquerading as democracies, and armed conflicts. These have facilitated the commission of atrocity crimes. In most cases, perpetrators have evaded accountability. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of victims, civil society organizations, and the international community, a measure of justice has been achieved through various truth-seeking processes and accountability mechanisms.

This course will delve into the human rights crises in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico, exploring how they led to the commission of atrocity crimes – large-scale and systematic human rights abuses, genocide and war crimes. We will examine the political, legal, and social strategies employed by human rights organisations and victims' movements to break the cycle of impunity. We will also explore the crucial role of the United Nations and the Organization of American States, highlighting the importance of intergovernmental cooperation in transforming policies and practices for the improvement of human rights on the ground.

Technology, Science Policy and Human Agency: Sustainable Resources Management in Latin America

Code TBD
Manuel Heitor
Time TBD

The course develops a theoretical foundation for understanding processes of societal innovation. It focuses on technology and policy issues in Latin America with emphasis on sustainable resources management in times of increasing uncertainty. The course will also address the “practice” of science, technology and innovation in government and business/entrepreneurship contexts. It considers practical case studies in Latin America, including the experience of the K4P Alliances – Knowledge for People, the Planet and Prosperity through Partnerships—an international collaborative network to promote emerging technological innovations and advances in data sciences, with a particular focus on sustainable resource management in complex landscapes (including urban and rural environments, forests and wetlands, as well as coastal areas).