UNINORTE-CLACSO Summer School

The Division of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Universidad del Norte and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) are pleased to present the 2026 Summer Intensive School, a joint initiative that seeks to strengthen academic ties in Latin America and the Caribbean, consolidate networks of critical thinking, and contribute to the development of future agendas. The 2026 edition, entitled “Social Transformation: Agendas and Challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean,” comprises four interdisciplinary seminar-workshops focused on current debates in epistemic justice, migration, creative research, and violence and inequality.

Objective

To create an intensive space for training, critical reflection and collaborative production that addresses the social, economic, political, epistemic and environmental challenges that mark the Latin American horizon.

Specific objectives

• To promote a critical dialogue of knowledge that questions epistemic exclusion and recognizes the political and cultural strength of ancestral knowledge in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• To reflect on the challenges of migratory integration in Latin America and the Caribbean and its inequalities in order to contribute perspectives and proposals from the social sciences.
• Exploring research-creation as a methodological and political strategy to understand and engage with the social and cultural crises of Latin America and the Caribbean.
• To analyze how social and environmental inequalities are produced and reproduced in the region, reflecting on socio-environmental conflicts and the mobilization strategies of communities in defense of their territories and ways of life.

The school will be conducted using a seminar-workshop methodology, combining lectures, group discussions, and participatory activities. This approach will allow participants to engage in dialogue, analysis, and critical reflection on four thematic areas: epistemic justice, migration, research-creation, and social and environmental inequalities.

Epistemic justice

This seminar-workshop invites participants to explore epistemic justice as a tool for recognizing and valuing traditionally undervalued knowledge, including ancestral knowledge. It will critically analyze the mechanisms of exclusion of this knowledge and its relationship to cultural, social, economic, and political power structures, fostering an open dialogue of knowledge and reflecting on its impact on decision-making and the construction of justice in the region.

Migrations: Processes of social and spatial integration

Latin America is experiencing one of the most significant migration processes in its history, marked especially by the Venezuelan diaspora and the massive influx of migrants to countries like Colombia. This seminar-workshop proposes a critical analysis of the challenges of regional migration integration, addressing structural inequalities, reception policies, and the rights of migrants, from a social science perspective that prioritizes critical thinking and a Global South approach.

Research - Creation for social change

This seminar-workshop explores creative research as a methodological, political, and aesthetic strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean. Drawing on the tradition of action research, it validates oral and performative knowledge, addressing issues such as inequality, violence, and migration. Participants will engage in dialogue and collective experimentation, generating reflections and proposals that connect creativity with social transformation, from a critical and situated perspective.

Violence and inequalities

This seminar-workshop offers a space for analysis and collective discussion on the challenges of socioeconomic and socio-environmental inequalities in the region. It will explore the main conflicts and strategies for mobilizing communities in defense of their territories, ecosystems, and ways of life. The session will combine lectures, group discussion, and a field trip, allowing participants to examine firsthand cases of social and environmental injustice.

• Adriana Anacona (Faculty of Education and Pedagogy of the University of Valle, Colombia / Member of the CLACSO Working Group on Territorialities, Spiritualities and Bodies) 
• Alejandro Camargo Alvarado (Department of History and Social Sciences of the University of the North, Colombia)
• Andrea Forero Hurtado (Minuto de Dios University Corporation-UNIMINUTO, Colombia / Co-coordinator of the CLACSO Working Group on Art and Politics)
• Camilo Puche Perneth (Department of Music, University of the North, Colombia)
• Denise Zenklusen (National University of Rafaela, Argentina)
• Jair Vega Casanova (Department of Social Communication, University of the North)
• Jorge Palacio (Department of Psychology, University of the North, Colombia)
• José Mola Ávila (Department of Economics, University of the North, Colombia)
• María Cecilia Reyes Redondo (Department of Social Communication of the University of the North, Colombia)
• Mercedes Ortega González Rubio (Department of Humanities and Philosophy of the University of the North, Colombia)
• Pedro Pablo Serna (Department of Humanities and Philosophy of the University of the North, Colombia)

The School is This forum is aimed at individuals interested in exploring social issues from a critical perspective, including researchers, university professors, and graduate students, as well as activists, social leaders, and professionals connected to community and social organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. It seeks to bring together those who wish to engage in dialogue, reflect upon, and generate new perspectives on the region's social, cultural, and environmental challenges.

A certificate of participation will be given to all participants who attend and actively contribute to the activities proposed during the summer school.

The school will be taught in person and requires full-time dedication.It is aimed at researchers, teachers, postgraduate students, activists and professionals linked to social organizations or to the formulation and implementation of public policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Participation in the school will be through a scholarship system, guaranteeing free tuition for selected individuals.The selection includes both participation in the School as its accreditationThe institutions that organize the school They will not cover air or land transportation expenses, lodging, or food..

The committee members will select the participants. The evaluation will consider academic criteria, geographic origin, disciplinary background, and the connection between academia and social movements, ensuring a pluralistic and enriching space for the exchange of knowledge and experiences. The decision will be final and cannot be appealed.

A total of 35 participants: 20 internationals and 15 Colombian residents or nationals. 

The result will be announced on the CLACSO website.

 Those interested should register on the CLACSO website. To do so, they must complete the following requirements:

• Online form with personal data
• Curriculum vitae or summary resume
• Letter of intent
• Letter of support for representatives of civil society organizations and public policy officials (optional requirement)

New date: Applications open until April 23, 2026 

Publication of results: 11 May of 2026