Competition for the selection of Higher Diplomas

The Advanced Diplomas coordinate the work of the Postgraduate Programs that comprise the Postgraduate Network of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) around diverse thematic areas of the Social Sciences and Humanities. Through this initiative, CLACSO renews and expands its commitment to the training of new generations of social scientists while strengthening dialogue among academic, governmental, and civil society sectors at a time of great struggles and challenges for the region and the world. 

The Advanced Diplomas will be offered through CLACSO's Virtual Learning Environment, a platform with over 20 years of experience in online education. The Advanced Diplomas are structured around 22 classes (opening, closing, and 5 thematic modules of 4 classes each). Unlike seminars and specializations, the Diplomas are introductory in nature, providing a framework that allows for a comprehensive overview of a topic or area of ​​knowledge. 

Within this framework, a call for applications is issued to teams of professors who are part of the postgraduate programs of the CLACSO Postgraduate Network to coordinate with other programs and present proposals to be taught during the first semester of 2022. 

If you would like to know if your postgraduate program is part of the Postgraduate Network, please enter here.

• To create and strengthen Thematic Postgraduate Networks based on collaborative work around training, incorporating broader audiences than those from strictly academic fields around relevant areas of social sciences and humanities.

• To build training pathways that complement the training proposals offered by both CLACSO and the associated Postgraduate Networks, contributing to filling vacancies and promoting pedagogical innovations based on the use of the Council's training platform.  

1. Up to 6 proposals to be taught in the 2022 training cycle. 
2. The proposals will focus on topics relevant to the development of the social sciences and humanities, and will have a regional and comparative approach.
3. Each network must consist of at least six professors from at least three postgraduate programs and may submit only one proposal. The coordination team will include at least one research professor with a doctoral degree. Participants in the Advanced Diploma program must hold a postgraduate degree and demonstrate theoretical and methodological training in the proposed topic, teaching and research experience, and basic proficiency in digital tools.
4. The program may combine classes in Spanish and Portuguese, interchangeably. Modules and classes will be taught in the language of presentation, without translation.

The selected proposals will receive financial support. Each Diploma includes USD 6.000 to be distributed as follows:

• Coordinating team: 1.400 USD. 
• Classes: 150 USD (for 20 classes): 3.000 USD.
• Tutoring: $800 USD (for 2 tutors): $1.600 USD.

1. The Postgraduate Network team suggests forming teams coordinated by two or three professors. Modules can be taught by a minimum of five and a maximum of twenty professors.
2. The Advanced Diplomas will consist of 5 work modules, each comprising 4 weekly classes. In addition, there will be an initial class dedicated to introducing the teaching team, the students, and the proposed work, and a final class for evaluation and closing the Diploma. In total, there are 22 classes.
3. The titles of the diplomas should be clear and broad, aiming to appeal to the widest possible range of interested individuals. The following are good examples of titles whose programs were approved for delivery in previous editions:

• Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Pedagogical Problems.
• Advanced Diplomas in Publishing Policies. 

4. Each module comprises four classes (which may combine synchronous and asynchronous formats), two discussion forums (to promote debate and exchange), and a list of required readings. No more than three required texts may be used per module, and students are encouraged to consult the supplementary bibliographic resources. All texts must be digitized by the teaching team. 
5. The class can be synchronous, a written text, or a video recording. When it's a synchronous session, The class should last 2 hoursIf it is a written text, it must have a minimum extension of 10 and a maximum of 15 veneers.When it comes to video, It must be no less than 40 minutes in duration.
6. Each week, an activity will be held between students and the teaching team. Teachers and students are expected to interact in the designated spaces. The teaching team will provide feedback on the contributions made by the students. This includes both synchronous and asynchronous activities.

The coordinating team will have to:

1. Coordinate the training proposal with the teaching teams that will teach each of the modules, presenting a teaching schedule and ensuring that the classes will be available within the agreed deadlines. 
2. Teach the opening and closing classes of the Diploma, and coordinate with the team of tutors the follow-up work of the students and the correction of the final integrative works. 
3. Allow 4 hours in the two weeks prior to the delivery of the Diploma to familiarize yourself with the use of the platform and clarify any doubts regarding the work methodology.

The teaching teams responsible for the modules will have to:

1. Take responsibility for the delivery of your module, dedicating the necessary time to complete the tasks involved in developing the training proposal. These tasks are:
2. Prepare the virtual classes and make them available to the students on the virtual platform well in advance.
3. Ensure access to the required and supplementary readings by uploading them to the virtual learning platform well in advance. The readings must be in the official language of the seminar (Spanish or Portuguese) and, preferably, should not exceed 80 pages per module. No more than two consecutive chapters from a publication may be included unless the copyright holder holds the rights. 
4. Allow 4 hours in the two weeks prior to the delivery of the Diploma to familiarize yourself with the use of the platform and clarify any doubts regarding the work methodology.

The tutors must:

1. Log in to the platform daily, at least once a day except on weekends, ensuring that students' inquiries are up to date.
2. Once the professor has started the forum, lead the discussion for each class. This involves keeping students engaged by encouraging group participation through questions and contributions.
3. Summarize the main points raised in each forum, in relation to the class proposal and the bibliography.
4. Manage and address any specific queries that may arise regarding the teaching proposal (where to find the material, difficulties in participation, etc.)
5. Collaborate in the correction of partial and final assignments.

Payments will be made in two installments. The first installment will be paid one month after the Diploma program begins (once the CLACSO Postgraduate Network coordination has received the final academic program, a brief CV of the professors, and the original signed letter of commitment). The second installment will be paid once classes have concluded and the final evaluation of the Diploma students has been completed.

Payments will be made by bank transfer. These transfers can only be made to a bank account where the account holder, or one of the account holders, is a member of the seminar's teaching team. In all cases, it is essential to present an invoice or equivalent document, in accordance with the legislation in force in the professor's country of residence, and the name of the issuer of the invoice must match the name of the bank account holder. 

1. The coordinating team will continuously evaluate students, taking into account academic criteria (content, participation in discussions, and the final project) and pedagogical criteria (weighting student participation on the platform and in the forums, among others). To pass, students must participate in 80% of the classes and forums; complete the required assignments and exercises according to the deadlines set by the teaching team; and submit an individual final project.
2. The coordinating team will establish recovery procedures for work submitted late or that has been disapproved, and will specify the criteria for its approval. 

It is suggested that the final integrative work be designed taking into account the following evaluation models:

a) Write an essay that brings into dialogue the topics covered in the Diploma with those of the research projects or topics of interest to each student. 

b) Select three modules from the Diploma, synthesizing and analyzing the learning and dialogues that took place based on the questions and bibliography covered in those thematic blocks. Present this analysis in the form of an essay.

c) Prepare a monograph that integrates the concepts or categories covered in the Diploma.

4. El The final project will be individual. and must have a minimum length of 10 and a maximum length of 15 veneers. 

5. The student will pass with a minimum of 7 points on a scale of 1 to 10. This grade must be accompanied by a qualitative comment.

6. At the end of the Diploma, the coordinators will send CLACSO the numerical grades of all students within a period that cannot exceed two months from the end of its teaching.

1. To participate in this call for applications, you must complete and submit the following documents online:

• Registration form with details of the coordinating team and the teaching team.

• Proposed program for the Higher Diploma.

The deadline for submitting applications It is October 29, 2021.

1. The evaluation of the proposals will be carried out by a jury composed of members of the Steering Committee and the Executive Secretariat of CLACSO.
2. All proposals will be reviewed for their formal and administrative aspects by the CLACSO Executive Secretariat to verify their compliance with the terms of reference of the call for proposals. This includes ensuring that the centers to which the postgraduate programs belong are up-to-date with their institutional membership dues. Proposals that meet all the requirements will be sent to the jury for evaluation. 
3. The coordinators of each of the selected teaching teams will be notified by email and must sign a letter of commitment stipulating the obligations of both parties.

The results will be disseminated through the CLACSO website, social media and electronic mailing lists.