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About CLACS
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) serves students, faculty and scholars from across the University of Illinois campus, along with communities across Illinois and the Midwest, by promoting innovative research, specialist teaching, and public awareness of the Latin American and Caribbean region. CLACS is a designated National Resource Center for the 2022-2026 period, supported by the Department of Education under Title VI funding.
- Assistant Professor of Studio Art, Dr. Cristóbal Bianchi (Art & Design), together with the Colectivo Casa Grande, recently inaugurated the art installation Panóptico at the Palacio Pereira Art Gallery in Santiago, Chile.Funded by... Read full story UIUC Professor Dr. Cristóbal Bianchi and Colectivo Casa Grande Unveil Panóptico Art Installation in Santiago
- The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) is dedicated to advancing the scholarly study of the history of American foreign relations. Through research sponsorships, annual meetings, and publications, SHAFR promotes the study, advancement, and dissemination of... Read full story SHAFR: Opportunities for Graduate Students in American Foreign Relations
- Carlos Molina, Quechua instructor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was recently featured on Nuqanchik, a national Quechua-language news program in Peru. In the interview, he discusses the Qinti Project, an initiative that promotes the teaching and learning of Quechua in the U.S., and... Read full story Quechua Instructor Carlos Molina Featured on Peruvian TV
Ayni — An E-Textbook of Southern Quechua by Carlos Molina-Vital and the QINTI Project
Developed under the leadership of Quechua Instructor Carlos Molina-Vital and the Quechua Innovation and Teaching Initiative (QINTI), Ayni is an open-access e-textbook designed to teach Southern Quechua through a communicative and inclusive approach. The book unites the Chanca, Collao, and Bolivian varieties of Quechua-mutually intelligible dialects that share deep cultural roots and presents the language from a transregional and international perspective.Rooted in the Andean concept of ayni (reciprocity), the project emphasizes collaboration among Quechua speakers across...
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Explore our Courses
Title
LEARN Q'ANJOB'AL WITH US! TITAN HAKUY Q'ANJOB'AL JETOQ!
Q’anjob’al is a living Maya language spoken in Guatemala and growing communities in the U.S. Studying it opens the door to understanding Mesoamerican Indigenous heritage, Maya worldviews, and cultural practices. It’s especially valuable for educators, researchers, and professionals working with Maya communities.
Title
COME LEARN QUECHUA! HAMUYCHIK RUNASIMI YACHARIKUQ!
Quechua is the most widely spoken Indigenous language in the Americas, with 8–9 million speakers across six Andean countries. Learning Quechua offers valuable insight into Indigenous heritage, Andean worldviews, and linguistic structure. It’s especially useful for researchers, educators, and professionals working in the region.
Q'anjob'al Language and the Community (Spring Last 395)
This course is an introduction to the Mayan language and community of Guatemala known as Q’anjob’al. It is designed to provide students with an overview of the Q’anjob’al speakers and their complex everyday sociocultural interactions.
Beginner Quechua II (QUEC 411, CRN 72624)
Continuation of intensive course for beginner level Quechua. Expansion on developing basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Quechua. Emphasis on production and comprehension skills. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours
Que Pasa in Latin America? (LAST 170)
Introduction to Latin America offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the ways of life of Latin American peoples, their origins, historical legacies, and current cultural expressions.
Life in the Andes (LAST 210, CRN 72623)
An overview of contemporary Andean culture, as practiced by the people in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
Beginning Q'anjob'al I (LAST 445)
This introductory course offers a foundation in Q’anjob’al, a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala and southern Mexico. Designed for beginners, the course emphasizes basic vocabulary, pronunciation, reading and conversational skills.
Archaeology Field School in Peru (LAST 395)
This course is an archaeological field school where students will have the opportunity to engage in innovative original research at the archaeological site of Cerro Blanco, a Chancay Administrative Center located in central Peru.
Spatial theories from/with the Caribbean (ARCH 403)
THE CARIBBEAN has long been rendered peripheral in architectural history and theory. This seminar instead approaches it as an affective ground for rethinking space altogether.