Centre for Latin American Studies

The Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) was one of nine research institutes comprising the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, located at 31 Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, central London. Established in 1965, its founding director was Robin Humphreys, the first professor of Latin American history in the UK, who led the institute from 1965 to 1974. Between 2004 and 2013, ILAS was part of the Institute for the Study of the Americas alongside the Institute of United States Studies, before being re-established in 2013 to focus solely on Latin America and the Caribbean. ILAS supported humanities research through scholarly networks, visiting fellowships, academic events, and digital resources, collaborating with cultural, diplomatic, and business organizations. It offered postgraduate taught and research master's degrees and a PhD in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, though as a postgraduate-only institution it was excluded from most university rankings. ILAS was the editorial home of the Journal of Latin American Studies and published books through the University of London Press. It also maintained one of Europe's premier libraries dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean studies. From April 2021, its work was continued by the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS).