Global Higher Education Interdisciplinary Network

Latin America Members

First Latin America and the Caribbean Meeting: 29th April 2026

Interdisciplinary Coordination, Internationalisation, and Institutional Alignment

The Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Chapter first convened on 29th April 2026, bringing together senior research leaders from universities across Mexico, Chile, and Brazil to explore how the Global Higher Education Interdisciplinary Network could strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and institutional coordination across the region.

Participants agreed that interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly important for improving research impact, visibility, and relevance, particularly in addressing major global challenges. However, members also noted that many institutions across the region remain heavily oriented toward discipline-specific structures, partnerships, and subject-based networks, creating barriers to broader interdisciplinary engagement.

A major theme throughout the discussion was the need for stronger institutional coordination and leadership-level collaboration. Members viewed GHEIN as a valuable opportunity to connect universities strategically, balancing top-down institutional leadership with existing researcher-led interdisciplinary initiatives. There was also strong interest in using the network to support more structured internationalisation efforts, including coordinated partnerships, mobility schemes, and collaboration across institutions facing similar challenges.

Participants identified several structural barriers currently limiting interdisciplinary research across the region, including governance arrangements, externally controlled funding models, and limited institutional autonomy over research investment. Members also cautioned against overly broad thematic agendas, stressing the importance of maintaining clear focus areas to ensure meaningful outputs and high-quality collaboration.

Priority areas identified for the network included strengthening international collaboration and researcher mobility, sharing institutional best practices and governance models, and focusing interdisciplinary activity around clearly defined high-impact themes such as sustainability, health, energy, and artificial intelligence. Participants also emphasised the importance of supporting research with measurable social and economic impact.

Going forward, the chapter will focus on building stronger alignment between institutional strategy, governance, and funding mechanisms to support interdisciplinary research at scale. Members expressed strong appetite for practical collaboration, shared learning, and leadership-driven action that can deliver meaningful regional and international impact.