We are presently witnessing the changes that the international system has been experiencing for some time but that have been intensified by phenomena such as the Brexit, the arrival to power of Donald Trump and its policy of retreat into the interior or the reinforcement of the internal power of Xi Jinping in China or Vladimir Putin in Russia. These changes have created new sources of uncertainty, producing even more complexity in already uncertain scenarios, including environmental uncertainty (climate change), increased human mobility (consequences of refugees and immigrants, increasing economic (inter)dependency and political interdependence. Uncertainty becomes a key concept.

Thus, a greater understanding of future trends from a systemic perspective is required. Within these complex dynamics, it is important to analyse carefully how the relations between the European Union and Latin America are developing. Although these relationships have intensified over the years, it is true that they have not developed homogeneously due to the Latin American reality and the divergent interests of relevant actors. Still, each country’s particular national dynamics—power configurations and interests--result in diverse responses to the changes in the international system and the sensation of uncertainty over the future.

The objective of this project is to share the collaborative, multidisciplinary and specialist research developed on both continents with respect to the possible future scenarios for EU-Latin America relations in the medium term. These reflections will be developed by a newly formed research team made up of European and Latin American academics who have never worked together. The result could be the start of an interesting Euro-Latin American network of prospective studies.

Objectives

1. Cross-Fertilization: Create a research group of academics from Europe and Latin America and promote the existing knowledge between them.
2. Knowledge dissemination with non-academic actors: Share the project’s research results to a broad audience, including but not limited to students, alumni, professors, and civil society, by
   1. Two workshops in which the team will participate to exchange, discuss and debate their research and delineate the conclusions
   2. Two international conferences to be held in Chile and Sweden in which the conclusions will be presented to the general public. The seminars will discuss and analyze the dimensions of the relations between the European Union and Latin America.
   3. Periodic meetings between team members to organize the activities and to refine and coordinate their research projects.
   4. Final publication in English / Spanish of the principal results of the research and discussion in the activities developed in the various instances of the execution of the project