The North-South Circulation of Experts and Knowledge in Latin America: the Asymmetric Impact of UNESCO Missions Between 1945 and 1984

ANABELLA ABARZÚA CUTRONI

París

Conferencia; UNESCO 70th anniversary; 2015

Aalborg University - Global History of UNESCO Project

The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of the UNESCO scientific missions in Latin America. An observation of the UNESCO based on its documentary files allows us to explain the unequal distributions of the technical assistance in our region. Since 1945, Members States like Brazil, Argentina and Chile obtain a large number of scientific experts. These experts was recruited by the members of the headquarters in Paris and selected, in order to national priorities, by academic and governmental authorities in the local level. When we analyze each mission we identify a series of diplomatic practices (developed by academics, internatioNal officers and local authorities) that explain how the UNESCO program was executed and legitimated in the national field. The ability of the local Universities to support the UNESCO missions, the latinoamericanization of the scientific practices of the European and North American experts and the scientific training in Europe or the USA (fellowships to study abroad) of local academics were three crucial factors to the success of the initiatives. The international prestige of projects supported by the UNESCO was the key to make acceptable the Organization program. The major objective from the Organization was the development of the basic sciences in the regional level. However, the result was to reinforce an unequal structure of production and circulation of knowledge in the regional (and global) science system.