INCIHUSA   20883
INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS HUMANAS, SOCIALES Y AMBIENTALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
The first UNESCO experts in Latin America (1946 -1958)
Autor/es:
BEIGEL, FERNANDA (ED.); ANABELLA ABARZÚA CUTRONI; RIZZO, NATALIA; NAVARRO, JUAN JOSÉ; NAVARRO SANZ, GONZALO; VOLOSCHIN, LUCILA; QUESADA, FERNANDO; LAZZARO JAM, JORGELINA; DIEZ, MARÍA AGUSTINA; BAYLE, PAOLA; BEKERMAN, FABIANA; ALGAÑARAZ SORIA, VICTOR HUGO
Libro:
The politics of Academic Autonomy
Editorial:
Ashgate
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2011; p. 47 - 64
Resumen:
This chapter intends to analyze the role of “Latin Americanism” in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  In addition, we will describe the most relevant aspects of the program implemented by this intergovernmental organization in the region.  We will review its first years of operation (1946-1958), since this brief historical period will allow us to analyze a key issue in UNESCO’S institutionalization /specialization process: the emergence of its international “experts” and the role of politicization in the evolution of the cooperation system in Latin America. An observation of UNESCO’S historical evolution based on its documentary files and our team’s empirical findings on academic field development in Latin America enable us to assert that this organization played a decisive role in the internationalization process of higher education and that regional governments displayed an active participation. This research is thus targeted at analyzing whether UNESCO’s intervention triggered specific historical situations of academic dependence (Beigel 2010) and/or expansion periods both of institutional autonomy and research and teaching agendas. From its outset in 1946 to the end of Luther Evan’s term of office in 1958, UNESCO consolidated gradually as a UN specialized agency. In the process, its organizational structure resulted from the organization’s increasing politicization and the growth of East-West, North-South international tensions. This intergovernmental structure featuring a balanced political representation of its member states was nonetheless beset by asymmetries deriving from states’ differing monetary contributions. As a result, the universalist model of intellectual cooperation gave way to a regional model of technical assistance to developing countries. This latter model was encouraged both by the United States and Latin America. We sought to identify specific situations of academic dependence resulting from UNESCO’s intervention in the region and the emergence of its "international experts". Our research indicates that both aspects cannot be separated. Latin American governments´ regional strategy allowed them to incorporate themselves to UNESCO’s organizational structure with a relative representation, thus consolidating Latin America as a region requesting and receiving technical assistance at least up to 1960, when Africa took centre stage. Since 1946, assistance was mainly targeted at education. In 1955, it was extended to higher education and scientific research. Domestic development of technical assistance projects and its proactive implementation by Latin American governments, as well as participation of local experts largely contributed to reduce situations of absolute academic dependence. UNESCO’s intervention did not result in core countries imposing their interests and educational and scientific perspectives on periphery countries, specifically, Latin American countries. With regard to UNESCO´s contribution in terms of professionalization, this organization encouraged massive demand for experts, both for program “field” implementation, that is, at the domestic and regional level, as well as for the administration and management of its complex intergovernmental structure. UNESCO´s actions, as well as those of other UN organizations, in the post-war political scene consolidated the role of the “expert” associated to core and periphery countries´ foreign policy, thus overriding the intellectual expert model at the service of “universal” causes.