The academic community of the EU and LAC regions is preparing to hold its first Academic Summit on 22 and 23 January 2013 in Santiago de Chile. With support from the EU-LAC Foundation and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institut des Amériques organised the first preparatory seminar for the Academic Summit on 7 June 2012 in Paris, France.
Over 100 academics from both regions discussed different aspects of bi-regional cooperation in science and innovation during various panels, with a view to beginning to draft a declaration to be presented to the EU-LAC Heads of State and Government for consideration at the 7th EU-LAC Summit. Among others, the President of the EU-LAC Foundation, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and its Executive Director, Jorge Valdez, also took part in the seminar. A second preparatory seminar will take place on 8 and 9 October 2012 in Lima, Peru and is open to further participation from the academic sector. Further information will be published through our Events Calendar as it becomes available.