COLLEGE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Graduate Institute of Latin American Studies

Degrees Offered: M.A.

TO Webpage:

Chair:Chen, Hsiao-chuan

The Institute

Founded in August 1989, the Graduate Institute of Latin American Studies at Tamkang University is the first and the only research center in the field of Latin American studies in Taiwan. The Institute is devoted to the training of well-prepared people for the country and plays an important role in promoting Taiwan’s research on Latin American affairs.

Under present director Dr. Hsiao-chuan Chen, the Institute provides our MA students with intensive and varied courses in the field of Latin American Studies, including Latin American history, philosophy, politics, international relations, economy, social issues as well as training in diplomatic and trade affairs. Currently, the faculty consists of three full-time professors and four associate professors, all with a Ph.D. degree.

Faculty

Professors

Chen, Yea-hong ; Hung Hui, Juan ; Pérez, Francisco Luis

Associate Professors

Wang, Hsiu-chi ; Kung, Kwo-wei ; Andres, Susana N. Vittadini ; Chen, Hsiao-chuan

Degree Requirements

The Graduate Institute of Latin American Studies offers one program at the postgraduate level.

Requirements for a Master's degree in Social Science:
Successful completion of 36 credits of courses, including 4 credits of Seminar.
Students are also required to submit a written master's thesis completed under the supervision of a faculty member and pass an oral examination.

Course Descriptions

A0951 Latin American Foreign Policy and International Relations (0/3) This course studies the Latin American countries' foreign policies toward the rest of the world as well as the diplomatic relations among countries in Latin America.

T0399 Nationalism and Populism in Latin American countries (2/0) Nationalism and populism has been two important and distinctive political philosophies that characterize certain Latin American
governmental policies, no matter they were, or still are, inserted in the "right" or "left" political spectrum. At present some authors also speak about neo-populism considering that some politicians modified certain past ways, but in any case national ideals still are an important element in their rhetoric.

T1240 Latin American Left-Wing Thought after the Cold War (3/0) This course studies the evolution of Latin American leftist thought after the Cold War and requires criticisms and analyses from students.

T1305 Political Cultures in Latin America (0/3) Political culture can be defined as a mixture of different written and unwritten norms and conventions, as well as beliefs, customs, and values closely connected with the political system and ways shared and accepted by the society. In the case of Latin American countries exist certain particular characteristics such as caudillism, paternalistic attitudes, client relationship as well as past traditions that differ from one group to another, though certain similarities are also present.

T1330 Cultural-Social Structure of Latin America (0/3) Latin America and the Caribbean constitute a multicultural region with homogeneous sub-regions and groups, which shared similar behavior, and other diverging ones. The political, historical and economic evolution of each group and country has specific and particular characteristics, thus their societies, and cultural identities are also different. Considering that culture is not only the sum of total values and creations of a society or group of people, but also a particular way of solving conflicts and getting prepared for problems, its analysis turns out to be more important in order to understand Latin American societies.

T1357 The Dependence and Development of Latin America (3/0) An analysis of the theories of Dependency, this course traces the development of Latin American economics and its relations with the rest of the world.

T1419 Latin American Political System (3/0) This course studies the political system of Latin American countries, including their most significant politics, parties of the left and right, institutional politics, relations between central and local governments.

T1577 Relations between Taiwan and Latin America (0/3) This course investigates the relations between Taiwan and Latin America, and the impact of political interventions made by Beijing.

T1809 Latin America Selected Readings (3/0) This course provides readings and discussions of articles by masters of Latin American studies with emphasis on political, economic and social issues.

T1814 Spanish Terms and Phrases of Politics and Economics (0/3) This course aims at enhancing students’ Spanish ability, including common phrases and colloquial expressions that are used in political and economic issues.

T2028 Introduction to the Political Economics of the Latin American Region (3/0) This course introduces the political economics, traces the development of Latin American economy, analyzes its current problems, and explores possible solutions.

T2283 Political and Economic Conditions in Latin American Countries (0/3) This course provides discussions of articles and newspapers of Latin American with emphasis on political, economic and social issues.

T2344 Latin American Cultural and Social Movements (3/0) This course observes the origins, nature, and results of major cultural and social movements in Latin America.

T2345 Latin American Economic Integration and AFTA (3/0) This course studies a series of integration movements, such as AFTA, in both economic and political aspects, in Latin America.

T2348 Studies on Latin American Indigenism (0/2) This course introduces the major theories and movements of Indigenism in current Latin America.

T2349 Social Problems in Contemporary Latin America (2/0) This course introduces the social conditions in current Latin America, analyzes its current problems, and explores possible solutions.

T2555 US'S & EU'S Trade Policies Toward Latin American Countries (0/3) This course is centered on the evolution of the trade and investment relations of the United States and European Union in Latin America, and will approach in the institutional way the economic and trade challenges that Latin America is confronting by studying the GSP, tariff system, CBI(Caribbean Basin Initiative), bilateral cooperation agreements, regional free trade agreements, and other aspects.

T2556 Modernization Process & Foreign Relations in Latin America (0/3) This subject principally studies and analyzes the modernistic evolution in the strategies of Latin American countries with the international relations and specially Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Panama and Cuba.