MERCOSUR Network Members

Since its start the multidisciplinary Center for the Study of State and Society (CEDES) has been oriented towards the study of social, political and economic problems in Argentina and Latin America. Its mission is to strengthen social science research capacity in Argentina and Latin America, and to promote the dissemination and use of its results. It aims to contribute to economic and social development, strengthening of democracy, the promotion of human rights, social and gender equity.

CENIT is a nonprofit organization created in April 1990 with the aim of contributing to the debate on the possibilities and alternatives of economic and social transformation in Argentina. With this objective, CENIT carries out studies and research directed towards analyzing structural changes in the international economy, and in particular Argentina. Its research looks both at Argentina and Latin America?s internal configuration as well as the fundamental aspects of their insertion into the new global scenario.

The Torcuato Di Tella Institute was created with the mission of promoting high level study and research in scientific, cultural and artistic development, without losing sight of the Latin American context where Argentina is located. The Torcuato Di Tella University is a non profit organization founded in Buenos Aires in 1991, with the mission of training new generations of business, academic, social and political leaders. It provides an environment for teaching and basic and applied research, based on the pluralism of ideas, academic excellence and equal opportunity

The Universidad de San Andrés is a secular non profit institution founded in 1988 by the Asociación Civil Educativa Escocesa San Andrés in order to provide continuity to the educative excellence program which began in Argentina in 1838. Through research and applied academic debate in undergraduate and graduate humanities and social sciences studies, UDESA seeks to expand knowledge boundaries to contribute solutions to Argentina?s problems. It has an active role in the national and international debate maintaining a constant dialog with the public sector, private and non-governmental organizations. In this way UDESA participates in the construction of possible scenarios for a more just and equal society.

The Economics Institute at the UFRJ came about in 1996. The Institute?s mission is to present and discuss, in a thorough and critical way, the principal paradigms that make up modern economic theory, the vision each one is based on, their interdisciplinary boundaries, their analytical instruments, their power to explain the reality of current economics and the contradictions between their propositions. The IE-UFRJ is one of Brazil?s centers of teaching and research excellence, playing an important role in the training of high level professionals for public and private institutions in Brazil and in the production of relevant applied and theoretic knowledge.

IPEA is a public federal foundation linked to the Brazilian Presidency?s Secretary of Strategic Affairs. Its research activities provide technical and institutional support to the government?s formulation and reformulation of public policy and Brazilian development programs

FUNCEX is a private institution whose aim is the development of Brazilian external trade. Founded in 1976, FUNCEX has been carrying out valuable work supporting and helping businesses that operate in the external market as well as governmental organizations. It elaborates and disseminates sectoral studies on the main aspects involved in export and import activities, offering technical support and managerial tools to businesspeople and administrators, and publishing reports and periodical bulletins of interest to the sector. It is a permanent and independent channel of communication between the private and public sector in Brazil, important in developing coherent foreign trade policies which take into account the concerns and capacities of entrepreneurs.

CINVE is a private academic institution which began its activities in 1975. It is an independent non governmental organization unrelated to any professional, religious or political association. Its objectives are: to promote and undertake research on the national and regional economy; to contribute to the development of economic science in Uruguay; to train human resources in its area of specialization. In order to meet its objectives CINVE carries out studies and research, disseminates the result of its work, organizes workshops, meetings and seminars, gives training and specialization courses, and offers a training program for young researchers

The Department of Economics in the Faculty of Social Sciences (DECON) at the UDELAR, is a centre of economics research and teaching activities. At the undergraduate level, it is responsible for the economics courses for students studying political science, sociology, and social work and at the postgraduate level it offers a Masters in International Economics and a Diploma in Economics for Non-Economists. With regards to research, DECON works in research areas traditionally recognized as economic research and thematic areas of high priority for Uruguay such as international trade, econometrics, labor economics, productive internationalization and entrepreneurial strategies, macroeconomics and finance, industrial organization and economic regulation and microeconomic topics.