Latin American & Caribbean Business and Studies Center

Lourdes Gabriela Daza Aramayo, Ph.D. is a founder of Anglo-American University and Founder and Director of the Latin American and the Caribbean Business and Studies Center in Prague (LAC-Center).

She holds a Ph.D. in Economic Policy (her Ph.D. thesis specializes in the relations between Latin America and the European Union). She holds an Ing. in Political Economics with a specialization in Analysis of Socio-Economic Data from the Prague University of Economics and Business at the Faculty of Economics. She was a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of International Relations at this University.

Her research interests include EU, Latin America and Caribbean relations, International Trade, Trade Gender, Economy Policy, and Economic Analysis.

She is a member of the Bi-Regional Academic Council of the Permanent Academic Forum Latin America and Caribbean-European Union. She was the Executive Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Economics, Prague in the Czech Republic from 2008 until 2018. She was also a lecturer in the Department of Economics and International Trade at this University.

Martin Steiner

Ing. Marek Vokoun, Ph.D.

Freddy Valverde Stevanovich

Mgr. Michaela Proskočilová

Mgr. Veronika Johanovská

The International Council of LAC-Center contributes to the development and internationalization of the Center, as well as fostering the growth of the network of others research centers, universities, institutions and Latin American academics that focus on social and economic problems of the region.

The current members of the International Board are:

H.E. Mr. Roberto Alejandro Salafia
Ambassador of Argentina to the Czech Republic

H.E. Mr. Patricio Alejandro Utreras Díaz
Chilean Ambassador to the Czech Republic

Chargé d’affaires a.i. Kurt Davis
Jamaican Embassy

H.E. Mrs. Leonora Rueda Gutierrez
Ambassador of Mexico in the Czech Republic

H.E. Mr. Danilo Francisco Alonso Mederos
Ambassador of Cuba in the Czech Republic

H.E. Ms. Florencia Eugenia Vilanova De Von Oehsen
Ambassador of El Salvador in Germany with concurrence in the Czech Republic

H.E. Ms. Christa Castro Varela
Ambassador of Honduras in Germany with concurrence in the Czech Republic

Mr. Francisco José Santana Acevedo
Consul from Dominican Republic in Czech Republic

Mr. Eduardo Rivoldi Nicolini
Minister, Deputy Head of Mission,  Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Republic of Peru in the Czech Republic

The mission of the Academic Board is to promote the development of all the LAC-Center’s academic and research-related activities.

The Academic Board assists the Latin American & Caribbean Business and Studies Center in working with local, regional, national, European and other institutions to promote research, facilitate the creation of networks, consortia, and attract resources to support its mission within the University.

The Board of Academic Advisors of LAC-Center is made up of distinguished personalities from around the world, both from governmental and international organizations, similar centers, universities and the community that has a strong interest in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

The LAC-Center Director recommends candidates for membership on the Board of Academic Advisors. The Board meets formally twice a year (generally in May and September). In addition, the Board may have other meetings as recommended by the Chairman of the Board of Advisors and the Director of LAC-Center. The current members of the LAC-Center Academic Council are:

Héctor Casanueva

Former Ambassador of Chile in Geneva (2014-2018) before the World Trade Organization and other OO.II. from Geneva. He has also been Chile’s Ambassador to ALADI and MERCOSUR. He is Vice President of the Chilean Council for Foresight and Strategy. He currently resides in Spain, where he is professor-researcher of the Master in Strategic Cooperation European Union-Latin America of the University Institute for Research in Latin American Studies (IELAT) of the University of Alcalá, Spain, of the University of Political Studies and Administration of Romania and from the Miguel de Cervantes University of Chile. He is also vice president of the Permanent Academic Forum for Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union (FAP ALC-EU).

Christian Ghymers

President of IRELAC, Professor of International Economics at ICHEC-Brussels Management School, President of the Belgo-Chilean Chamber of Commerce and Vice-President of the Robert Triffin International Foundation. From 1986 to 2012, he was Counselor in Economic and Financial Affairs for the National Bank of Belgium (1978-1986), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) in Chile (2000-2004) and The European Commission (1986-2012).

Prof. Dr. Mario Torres Jarrín

Director of the Institute of European Studies and Human Rights at the Pontifical Univerisity of Salamanca (Spain). Previously, he was the director of the European Institute of International Studies (Sweden). He holds a PhD in History, a Master in European Union Studies, and a BA in Business Studies from the University of Salamanca (Spain). He is Executive Secretary Consortium of Universities IBERO-EURO-AMERICA, Council Academic Member EU-LAC Academic Forum; Task Force Member “The future of work and education for the digital age” and Task Force Member “The Multilateralism and Global Governance Future” in the G20/T20 Summits system.

Ph.D. Mónica Velasco

Director of the European Union – Latin America and Caribbean Chair at the European Institute for International Studies (EIIS) (Salamanca / Stockholm). She holds a PhD in Law – International Studies from the University of Barcelona and has been a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Luxembourg. Her current research is focused on the political dimension of European Union relations towards Latin America and Caribbean countries, especially concerning the promotion of human rights in Mexico through political conditionality under the so-called ‘human rights clause’.