The AustrianLatin America Institute is an interdisciplinary orientated organisation, aiming at intensifying dialogue and exchange between Austria and Latin America. It was founded as an association in 1965 and receives subsidies for its work indevelopmentpolitics as well as scientific and cultural events and projects. About half of the annual budget originates from its own resources, mainly language courses as well as membership fees. In 1994 the institute moved to the historic Palais Schlick in Vienna's 9th district Alsergrund.
Interdisciplinary Master Degree Programme in Latin-American Studies
The Austrian Latin America Institute coordinates the Interdisciplinary Master Degree Programme in Latin-American Studies in cooperation with the University of Vienna. This is the only "university level" course about Latin America in Austria. The degree is Master of Arts in Latin American studies.
Library
The Austrian Latin America Institute has the only library and documentation centre in Austria specializing in Latin America. The collection focuses on specialist books and journals on economy, politics, history, culture, society and ecology of the Latin American countries. Furthermore, it has literary works by Latin American authors in Spanish and Portuguese and their translations. The library represents Austria in REDIAL.
The Austrian Latin America Institute offers information and advice to all people interested in Latin America and Latin American students in particular.
Events
The event calendar includes exhibitions, book presentations, concerts, lectures and discussions.
Austrian Study-Group for Latin-American Research
The Austrian Latin America Institute itself is no research institute, but it supports the Austrian Study-Group for Latin-American Research. The object of this association is scientific networking, interdisciplinary exchange and cooperation of researchers in Austria. It regards itself as an open forum offering young scientists the opportunity to present and discuss their work. In 2007 the Study-Group had 108 members from Austria, Europe and Latin America. The annual conference is held in Strobl am Wolfgangsee. The Study-Group was founded in 1983 by members of the Austrian Latin America Institute and is partner of CEISAL.
Publications
Atención: Jahrbuch des Österreichischen Lateinamerika-Instituts. Yearbook with scholarly articles in German, Spanish and English
Investigaciones: Forschungen zu Lateinamerika. Publication by the Austrian Study-Group for Latin-American Research in which master thesis and dissertations are made accessible to a wider audience
Literature
Marcus Klein: , in: Revista Europea de Estudios Latinoamericanos y del Caribe, 72, April 2002.
Gerhard Drekonja-Kornat : Lateinamerikanistik – der österreichische Weg. LIT, Münster u. a. 2005,.