LAMEA – Latin America, Asia and Middle-East – Global Relationships in Transformation 7,5 ECTS

Specific knowledge of an area, region or country is an important basis for research projects in different academic disciplines. This interdisciplinary course is a collaboration between the Nordic Latin American Institute (NILAS) at the Department of Romance and Classical Studies and the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. The course provides specific area knowledge of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East and highlights historical and contemporary relations between these geographical regions.

Foto: Pexel

Course content

The course is aimed at PhD students in the areas of Humanities and Social Sciences and may also be of interest to PhD students from the Faculty of Science who need to complement their studies with a solid basis on the socio-cultural contexts of these major regions of the world.

This interdisciplinary course provides specific area knowledge of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East and highlights historical and contemporary relations between these geographical regions. The course is divided into three modules: Global Connections, Socio-Cultural Flows and Social Movements and Revolutions. Each module consists of two seminars.
The first module, Global Connections, discusses contemporary, historical and theoretical aspects of global studies. It examines how connections with Asia and the Middle East have influenced Latin America, and vice versa, how links with Latin America have influenced Asia and the Middle East. Module 1 analyzes transnational relations and international systems and discusses the emergence and transformation of global relations and how these have affected local conditions.

The second module of the course, Socio-Cultural Currents, focuses on local and transnational flows of ideas, people and goods. Module 2 takes empirical examples from media, art and literature to discuss issues of politics, identity, representation, and depictions of countries in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East that develop within, between and beyond these regions.
The third module of the course, Social Movements and Revolutions, examines social mobilization in these regions from the early 20th century to the present. Module 3 addresses the social and historical roots of various forms of inequality and discusses and analyzes how different groups mobilize in the struggle for rights and for more equal ways of living in society.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, the doctoral student should be able to:

account for and critically analyze, from a historical perspective, the interaction of regions with different international systems in trade, politics and culture,
describe different theories that deal with the structure of and changes in the global system, and how these affect local communities in countries or regions,
critically examine the interaction between media, art, literature and politics in the different regions
account for and analyze issues of identity and representation in the context of transnational flows of ideas, people and goods
critically analyze theories of social movements and revolutions
explain the social and historical roots of different forms of inequalities in the regions
convey specific area knowledge of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East and discuss historical and contemporary changing relations between these geographical regions.

Practical Information

Mandatory elements

Attendance at 80% of the seminars is mandatory. For more detailed information, please refer to the course description.

Examination

The course is examined through three written individual assignments based on each course module, active participation in seminars and oral presentations where the doctoral students apply and reflect on the knowledge gained and in connection with their own dissertation project.

Instruction

Period: Autumn semester 2025
The course is given over a period of ten weeks, once a week.
It consists of 6 seminars (2 for each module: one seminar is led by a NILAS teacher, one by a Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies’ teacher).
If there are 5 students, the course is offered as a reading course only, with three joint seminars. If there are fewer than 5 students, the course is not offered.

Teaching takes place on campus or remotely (web-based teaching with real-time lessons)

Language of instruction: Teaching is in English.

Apply to the course

Application Period

Applications for courses starting in the autumn semester 2025 are received between May 15 and June 15, 2025. Notifications of acceptance are sent out as soon as possible after the final date.

All applications are sent by the supervisor to: doctoralschool@hum.su.se. Official transcript of records, or certificate of registration, verifying the applicant's status as doctoral student should be enclosed with the application.

All courses are free of charge, and they are open to all who are admitted to studies on PhD-level, regardless of faculty or university. Prerequisites and special admittance requirements may apply for some courses.

How to Apply

The application form (document link below) is used to apply for a place in a course. The supervisor (or equivalent) must support the doctoral student’s application with a motivation as to why the doctoral student should participate in the course. The supervisor also submits the proposal to the following address: doctoralschool@hum.su.se.

Application form for place in a joint faculty course

Doctoral candidates enrolled at universities other than Stockholm University must attach proof of registration in Ladok (or equivalent), confirming admission to third-cycle (doctoral) studies.

Who can apply?

The Faculty of Humanities’ doctoral students have priority for places, and external doctoral students (from Stockholm University or another university) can be admitted to a course subject to availability. External doctoral students will be registered in Ladok in order to enable the Board to monitor all participants in a course.

Last updated: 2025-12-09

Source: Faculty of Humanities