With Latin America and The Caribbean

IRELAC has been actively involved in the preparation of the EU-CELAC Academic Summit since its origin in 2012 and was the main organizer and sponsor of the Brussels Academic Summit in June 2015 (gathering 500 academics and 220 universities from 48 countries). IRELAC has also organized specific events and research preparing the bi-regional Summits.

Each year, IRELAC organizes in Brussels with partners (Belgian Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sciences Po Paris – LAPO, Free University of Brussels – ULB/VUB) a conference for presenting macroeconomic outlook and political analysis of Latin America and the Caribbean. More specifically, in 2013 IRELAC organized in Brussels, the first seminar dedicated exclusively to the Caribbean partners, and this formula was reproduced at the request of Caribbean states in 2017 and organized at the Egmont Palace with the cooperation of the Royal Egmont Institute and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

From 2011 to 2014, IRELAC was part of the Project “Conocimiento, Inclusión, Desarrollo – CID” as member of a consortium coordinated by the Fondazione CRUI – Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities. From 2012 to 2016, it was part of the project NETCERMAT – EU-LA NETWORK IN CERAMIC MATERIALS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. IRELAC was in charge of the impact assessment of nanotechnologies, under the coordination of the University of Barcelona. 

From 2016 to 2020, IRELAC was founding member and coordinator of the Jean Monnet Network. This Network works under an ERASMUS+ project co-funded by the EU, dedicated to the issues of “Crisis – Equity – Democracy” in Europe and Latin America. It gathers several high-level academic partners from Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Chile) and Europe (Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, and United Kingdom). IRELAC continues presently as an active member of this Jean Monnet Network in its second phase (2021-2023) coordinated by the PUC-Rio de Janeiro. IRELAC is a member of the European networks CEISAL (the European Council of Social Research on Latin America), REDIAL (European Network of Information and Documentation on Latin America), the global network LASA (Latin American Studies Association) and the International Congress of Americanists (ICA).

With Africa

IRELAC was also solicited by African organizations, namely the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), for its experiences in regional integration and crisis management. In 2021 and 2022 IRELAC organized at IGAD (Djibouti) training services on regional integration, crisis management to its staff, and leadership. In particular, IRELAC was contracted to design and develop the Curriculum Development Program for the high-level civil servants and regional diplomats of the 8 member states of IGAD region (East Africa). From 2015, it has been working as a consultant for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Institute of Diplomatic Studies) of the Republic of Djibouti and organized various high-level seminars and training sessions.