Visiting Scholars

The Program

In 2024/2025, the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures will welcome two Visiting Scholars whose research is in dialogue with the lines of inquiry of LAIC and who will particularly benefit from the intellectual environment of the department.

According to the updated guidelines issued by Columbia University's Office of the Provost, Visiting Scholar is a courtesy designation for colleagues who plan to pursue their own independent research with no collaboration with or mentorship from Columbia faculty. Visiting scholars are not provided office space, health insurance, or any form of housing and lodging assistance. Visiting Scholars are therefore responsible for arranging for their own financial support and benefits. Visiting scholars, however, receive a special Columbia University identification card that allows them limited library borrowing privileges.

Visiting Scholars in the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures are welcome to attend all events sponsored by LAIC and may audit a graduate seminar, if allowed by the professor of record. Faculty sponsors may invite Visiting Scholars to present their research, conduct a workshop, or offer other such opportunities for them to engage with the department’s faculty and students.

Selection Process

A departmental committee will evaluate all Visiting Scholar applications received by February 15, 2024. The committee will make a recommendation to the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, based on the applicant’s application. Each Visiting Scholar recommendation requires approval from the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs as well as ISSO sponsorship of visa applications.

Applicants will only be invited to conduct research at Columbia University while the department’s fall and spring academic terms are in session, although they may certainly extend their stays beyond the end of a semester. The maximum length of stay will be one year.

Before sending an application, each candidate should contact a potential sponsor among the faculty of the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures (LAIC) and secure the faculty sponsor’s support.

How to Apply:

The application for the Visiting Scholar program should be submitted electronically by February 15, 2024 to Eunice Rodríguez Ferguson ([email protected]) and should include:

  • A cover letter addressed to the LAIC Selection Committee, specifying the dates of the proposed research visit
  • Curriculum vitae
  • One-page research proposal that includes the title and description of the project to be pursued and the academic reasons why a visit to our department would be required to advance the core line of inquiry
  • A recent writing sample (an article or book chapter)
  • An email confirmation or letter of support from a LAIC faculty sponsor (Barnard or affiliated faculty are not eligible sponsors) describing the candidate’s potential contributions to the intellectual life of the department as well as the type of activity that will allow the scholar to share findings with our community.

Thank you for your interest in joining the LAIC community during the 2024/2025 year.