Since its establishment in October 2016, IUESAL has seen significant growth, expanding from 26 researchers to 103 affiliated members from all knowledge areas. This interdisciplinary center, focused on Social Sciences and Humanities concerning Latin America, aims to promote higher education, research, knowledge transfer, and development cooperation in this vast region.
In addition to affiliated researchers, about ten research staff remain as honorary collaborators, and around thirty participate as external collaborators from other centers and universities. Since 2017, the Doctoral Program in Humanities and Social Studies of Latin America has awarded degrees to nearly 60 doctors, with women forming the majority, supported by teaching staff from the Ibero-American region.
The creation of IUESAL, driven by a proposal to the UA's Vice-Rectorate for Research, has led to substantial improvements in academic training, scientific research, knowledge transfer, and inter-university cooperation.
Over the past decade, IUESAL has offered training in various formats, including expert and postgraduate courses, such as the successful Expert in Digital Cannabis Industry and Agronomy. The doctoral program, with a strong presence of students from Latin America, has been central to cooperation and research projects, involving over fifteen active research groups across most Latin American countries.
The internationalization of the doctoral program, featuring joint supervision theses and the International Mention, along with the Habana Project for doctoral students from Cuba, are key quality indicators. The institute maintains continuous relationships with academic institutions in Latin America, facilitating international agreements with countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic.
The institute's own scientific journal, 'Revista de Ciencias Sociales Ambos Mundos', founded in 2020, promotes scientific knowledge on new research from the Latin American sphere. IUESAL is a member of several international networks such as CLACSO, REIMA, RIMS, REDUIS, and the Ibero-American Group for Business Studies and Economic History.
Under the direction of Javier Vidal Olivares since May 2025, the institute has set new objectives, including expanding research areas in health, historical heritage, construction, education, new technologies, constitutional law, and political sciences. The aim is to increase the international visibility of the research conducted within the institute.
