Alumni event | Lustrum

Celebrating 40 Years of the Latin American Studies Program at Leiden

Date

Friday 10 April 2026

Time

13:00 - 21:00 hour

Address

Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden

Room

Lipsius room 0.19 (afternoon); evening programme at the Herta Mohr building

This year, 2026, marks a celebratory year for Leiden's Latin American Studies program (LAS). Forty years ago, in 1986, the Latin American Languages ​​and Cultures program (TLCA) was founded. While a study program in Spanish and Portuguese Language and Culture had existed in Leiden since 1954, in 1986 the focus shifted specifically to the Latin American region. Since then, the program has developed into a truly multidisciplinary knowledge center. We'd love to celebrate this anniversary with our alumni, students, staff, and other (external) partners on Friday, April 10, 2026, starting at 1:00 PM. It would be great if you could join us! 

Photos

Do you still have any photos from your time studying in Leiden that could enrich our archive? If so, we would greatly appreciate receiving them by April 1st at the latest, to include them in our slideshow. Please send them to [e-mail].
¿Tienes todavía alguna foto de tu época de estudios en Leiden que pueda enriquecer nuestro archivo? Si es así, nos encantaría recibirlas a más tardar el 1 de abril para incluirlas en nuestra presentación de diapositivas. Envía tus fotos por correo electrónico a [e-mail].

Read more about the program below the registration button.

La llegada del 2026 es un momento especial; es el 40 aniversario del programa de Estudios Latinoamericanos de la Universidad de Leiden. En 1986 se fundó el programa de estudios denominado Lenguas y Culturas de América Latina (TLCA); en la primera década del 2000 pasó a llamarse Estudios Latinoamericanos (LAS). El programa de español y portugués ya existía desde 1954, pero a partir de 1986 empezó a centrarse, específicamente,  en América Latina. Han pasado ya 40 años en los que nuestro programa se ha convertido en un centro interdisciplinario de conocimiento no solo sobre la cultura, la sociedad y la política, sino también sobre la literatura, las artes y la lingüística. Razones de sobra para una gran celebración. 

Tenemos el honor de invitarles a nuestro 40 aniversario, el 10 de abril, de 13.00 – 21.00 horas en la Universidad de Leiden.

Registration and options

Registration for the evening programme is closed! Registration for the day programme is open until 10 April.
The options are listed below; please indicate your preference on the registration form on page 2. Not a Leiden alum? Please choose Alumnus/other.
Hoping to join the evening programme as well? Please sign up for the waitlist by sending an email to [e-mail]. We will then inform you before 10 April if it is possible to join.

• Alumnus/other | Afternoon program € 10,00
• Alumnus/other | Afternoon program+ dinner € 35,00
• Student | Afternoon program (free)
• Student | Afternoon program+ dinner € 20,00

Registration 40 years of Latin American Studies: day programme

I would like to register

Programme*

13.00-13.30 Walk-in with coffee and tea (central hall Lipsius)

Start of the programme in Lipsius 019
13.30-13.45 Opening words by the dean, Prof.dr. Henk te Velde (English); and welcome by dr. Nanne Timmer (Voorzitter BA en MA Latin American Studies/LAS) (Spanish)
13.45-14.05 “Café”, keynote lecture by Prof.dr. Valika Smeulders, Hoofd Afdeling Geschiedenis, Rijksmuseum, Head History Department Rijksmuseum / Professor Museums & Heritage, Universiteit Groningen (and alumna) (English)
14.20-14.30 In memoriam Prof. dr. Raymond Buve, by Dr. Marianne Wiesebron  (English)
14.30-15.25 Roundtable discussion: Dr. Paz González in (multilingual) conversation with alumni: (English/ Spanish/ Dutch)

• Hedwig Hupkes, BA, MA LAS, afstudeerjaar 2008. Senior Project Manager Festivals,
• Arthur J. Swarts, BA LAS, afstudeerjaar 2024, Operations Assistant Movements at the United Nations International Organization for Migration,
• Isabelle Best, BA LAS afstudeerjaar 2021, curator Allard Pierson.
• Gerjan Ekenhorst. BA LAS afstudeerjaar 2014, Docent Spaans en docent Nederlands, en
• Eva Verschoor. MA LAS, afstudeerjaar 2018, Port of Rotterdam, Program Manager Critical Materials.

15.25-15.35 Piano intermezzo by Mateo Viscarra (courtesy of the Embassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia)
15.35-16.05 Coffee and tea with piano music by Mateo Viscarra
16.05-17.00 Panelsession “Latin America in a time of global turbulence: cultural, linguistic and political dynamics”. Dr. Soledad Valdivia in (multilingual) conversation with:

• Prof. Dr. Ed Amann (Modern History) (English)
• Dr. Tatiana Vargas (Cultural Analysis) (Spanish)
• Dr. Eduardo Alves (Linguistics) (Portuguese)

17.00-17.20 “Duende”, keynote lecture by Kathleen Ferrier, Voorzitter Nederlandse UNESCO Commissie (and alumna) ( Spanish/ English and Portuguese)
17.20-17.30 Festive hand-over of first copy of Je zult geen bloemen dromen, nieuwe stemmen uit Latijns-Amerika, Wereldbibliotheek, 2026. Dr. Nanne Timmer in conversation with Dennis Bus, Subjectlibrarian Latin American and Caribbean at the Leiden University Libraries and alumnus,  and Lisa Thunnissen, literary translator and alumna.  (Spanish/ English/ Dutch)
17.30-17.35 Closure Dr. Nanne Timmer (Spanish)
17.35-17.40 Moving to the Herta Mohr building for reception and walking dinner
17.45– 21.00 Reception, walking dinner in the Herta Mohrbuilding (Honorary wine courtesy of the Embassies of Chile and Peru), music by alumnus Paul van Nispen, also known as DJ Pablitosss

* please note that the programme is subject to change

Alumni information

If you haven't received our e-mails of January and/or February 2026 regarding this event, it could be that we don't have your current address. Please use this form to update your information.