A New Approach for the Next Generation

Hemispheric dynamics continue to change and this nation’s institutions of higher education should take note. Latin America today is a much different place than in the 1980s, a time filled with regional conflicts and financial instability. Back then, attention directed towards the region centered primarily on humanitarian and development aid. But in 2007, that view has not changed much in the academic world.

 

In this nation’s classrooms of higher education, where the world’s next generation of leaders resides, there is a sharp disconnect between what is being taught about Latin America and what should be taught about Latin America.

 

Many classes that teach students about Latin America cover a fair amount of material on politics, economics, anthropology, literature, and the arts. However, much of the substance is neither contemporary nor reflective of Latin America in the twenty-first century. These classes celebrate the region’s rich history and should continue to exist. But there is a dearth of courses that teach students what Latin America is like—and therefore why the region is important to study—today.

 

Many issues in Latin America warrant attention and further study. Immigration, economic growth, illicit drug trafficking, shifts in regional politics, new and pending free-trade agreements, and even terrorism are all subjects that affect millions of people. However, two issues are important today and will be even more critical in the near future: energy security and environmental degradation.

 

The United States, dependent on foreign oil, must look for new energy sources. Many students already know this. Canada and Mexico are the top two providers of oil for the United States, followed by Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. If estimates of the amount of recoverable oil in the Orinoco Belt prove true, Venezuela may actually have the world’s largest oil reserves. But how many college undergraduates studying Latin America learned that simple piece of information in the classroom? Most likely, not many students. Only a smattering of classes focus on current Latin American affairs. Energy issues and how they affect the United States are integral to understanding our hemisphere but have yet to make it into the classroom.

 

With three of our top four energy providers in the Western Hemisphere, our future energy security is also a regional issue. This is an issue that will become increasingly critical to a well-rounded education. However, many college undergraduates are aware of but know little about energy. Inviting more energy policy experts—former officials from energy ministries, think tank researchers, members of the private sector, and others—to teach courses as visiting instructors can be an effective way to promote understanding of hemispheric energy dynamics.

 

The environment also warrants attention. In the past, the shrinking of the Amazon Rainforest, a haven for some of the world’s most fascinating species of life—human, plant and animal—and one of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world, has tended to grab headlines. But the natural setting of Latin America is important for another reason: sustainable development is contingent on a flourishing and productive environment. Such development leads to increased competitiveness in the world market. Biodiversity and a healthy environment form the basis for many products integral to boosting comparative advantage and increasing economic growth.

 

The link between the environment and economic progress comes mostly in the form of simply noting the importance of natural resources in a given country’s growth. In colleges and universities, more Latin American studies classes must emphasize this crucial connection. Economic development courses are designed so that this linkage is either mentioned briefly, or in the abstract, with little regard to specific examples. However, Latin America is ripe with examples. There is also no shortage of experts in the United States to teach this subject. In fact, with the infrastructure to teach this issue already in place, it is only implementation that remains pending.

 

The aforementioned issues will inevitably become more important in the near future. If today’s undergraduates and tomorrow’s leaders are ill-equipped, then relations between the United States and its closest neighbors will suffer.

 

Fortunately, we have the power to not let this happen. The question is whether we will act decisively in our colleges and universities—the foundations of higher learning in this country. In the last decade, Latin America has become more important in world affairs. Its relationship with the United States is also critical. Therefore, it is ultimately the United States that will suffer from the lack of real attention devoted to the region in our classrooms.

 

It is on these campuses where the minds of the next generation of ministers, ambassadors, business leaders, and professors devoted to Latin America are molded. Empowering them with tangible, current knowledge of regional issues serves both the students and the United States. A tall order but our future rests on it.