Marisa, what are the goals of Una Europa’s Latin America Sub-Group?
Una Europa’s International Task Force created the Latin America Sub-Group in 2023 with the goal of strengthening Una Europa’s links with Latin American universities, taking into account that most European universities have established links with Latin American universities. They're very diverse, but almost every university has these links.
The Group aims to establish strong partnerships with Latin American universities to create an ecosystem that facilitates research, teaching and learning in innovative ways to achieve global and social impact. We felt we had an excellent opportunity as Una Europa to strengthen these links with the universities in the region.
Marisa Ramos Rollón (centre) as played a key role in steering the work of the Latin America Sub-Group, alongside Sub-Group co-chairs Nora Jacobs (left) and Mara Constantinescu (right).
We started with a mapping exercise of partner universities’ activities with Latin American universities to capture a snapshot of our existing links. There are an important regional dimensions in our links with Latin America that are distinct from other regions – regional structures, regional networks of universities. For instance, the Unión Iberoamericana de Universidades and Asociación de Universidades Grupo Montevideo are networks of very relevant Latin American universities.
We decided to work closely with the alliance’s Self-Steering Committees [Una Europa's academic bodies aligned to our six Focus Areas] to identify synergies with the Latin America Sub-Group. One key example is Europe and the World: as part of its Winter School in February 2025, the Europe and the World Self-Steering Committee created a dimension of the programme focused on Latin American issues, developed in partnership with the Latin America Sub-Group.
Why is it important that we build partnerships globally, and in Latin America in particular?
We are in a very complicated and difficult moment geopolitically right now. Universities are highly relevant actors, while also undergoing change themselves. As we have strong historical, cultural, commercial and political links with Latin America, universities have the opportunity to consolidate a strong Euro-Latin American space focused on research, teaching and learning.
From the European side, being in engaged with the agendas and activities of Latin American universities is very beneficial. We have a lot to learn. For example, in the area of sustainability: Latin America is the most biodiverse region in the whole world. Similarly, future materials is a key issue in the region – a conflicted issue, but a very important one – as is One Health, because of tropical diseases.
We can also support Latin American in areas in which we are especially strong – mobility, for instance. Latin American universities are very interested in the kind of mobility our alliance enables, and the potential for Latin American researchers to participate in our activities in Europe.
How will the Rectors' meeting in Madrid advance the Una Europa's relationship with Latin American partners?
Similar to the meeting with African Rectors that took place at University of Helsinki in 2022 [the first step in the establishment of the Una Europa–Africa Partnership], the Group was eager to arrange a first Una Europa meeting with Latin American Rectors. It was very natural for Universidad Complutense de Madrid to host this dialogue.
The idea is to establish an open dialogue between Rectors on strategic issues, like the role of universities in this complicated world, as well as exploring more concrete actions to strengthen our links, such as mobility and the participation of Latin American students and researchers in our activities in Europe.
" To strengthen links with Latin American universities, we must be in contact directly with Latin American universities. We cannot prepare partnerships with Latin America only from the European side. We must work completely horizontally. "
Marisa Ramos Rollón, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Tell us about the Una Europa Talk that will take place in Madrid.
The initial Rectors’ meeting will be a closed discussion but we have also organised an Una Europa Talk [The Future of the University: A Dialogue Between Europe and America] to facilitate a dialogue open to everybody. It will be held at Casa de America [and streamed online], an institution that fosters collaboration between Spain and Latin American.
The Talk will take place in Spanish, Portuguese, and English with simultaneous interpretation. This reflects the Latin America Sub-Group’s strong commitment to multilingualism. It’s important to recognise that that knowledge exists in different languages – there are different kinds of knowledge, reflecting cultural and linguistic diversity. Having the Talk take place in multiple languages is a political symbol.
Nora Jacobs (left) and Marisa Ramos Rollón (right) at the Una Europa Latin America Subgroup Meeting in the General Assembly at Università di Bologna in 2025.
