Draft:Laspau

Laspau, founded in 1966, was a non-profit organization affiliated with Harvard University. Its mission was to foster knowledge-based, inclusive societies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean by focusing on capacity building at the individual, organizational and systems levels, and leveraging the power of stakeholder networks to enhance the effectiveness, quality, and relevance of higher education. Laspau worked with public and private sectors, as well as individuals, academic leaders, faculty members, and governments from 34 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since its foundation, Laspau placed and advised 18,245 scholarship grantees at hundreds of universities in the U.S. and designed and administered more than 240 scholarship programs financed by governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations such as the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, USAID, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, among others. Laspau also placed a smaller number of students in Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Europe. In addition, beginning in 2007, Laspau designed and implemented 163 programs focusing on innovation in teaching and learning, academic research, and management and quality assurance in higher education, benefiting nearly 13,326 faculty members from regional institutions.

Laspau’s three main lines of services were:  

1. Scholarship Program Design, Management, and Evaluation.
2. Capacity building to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in higher education.  
3. PAEP (Prueba de Admisión a Estudios de Postgrado) Testing Services.

Foundation and the Early Years

The 1960s heralded a transformative chapter in educational collaboration between North and South America, punctuated by the inception of Laspau, initially known as the Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities. In this context, global leaders grappled with the challenge of equipping emerging nations for success. The initial impetus for Laspau's creation was rooted in the recognition that Latin America's development hinged on the cultivation of a skilled and educated workforce and in particular university faculty. Laspau’s founders prioritized investing and strengthening universities in Latin America through their faculty.  

In 1959, Harvard University's Director of International Students and Admissions David Henry ventured to Africa, joined by a cohort of U.S. university admissions directors, seeking to assist newly liberated African nations. Their encounter with Stephen Awokoya, Nigeria's education minister, led to the creation of the African Scholarship Program of American Universities, a program that linked students from 24 African countries with U.S. universities.

Inspired by the African program, Gabriel Betancourt Mejia of ICETEX, the Colombian educational credit agency, presented an idea in 1963: to craft a parallel initiative in Latin America. Heeding President John F. Kennedy's "Alliance for Progress" call, Harvard and ICETEX collaborated, and by 1964, with support from institutions spanning the Ivy League to NESCAC and the Ford Foundation, Laspau’s blueprint emerged. By 1965, 39 handpicked Colombian students, following immersive English training, secured spots in 35 U.S. universities. By 1966, another 140 students from nine Latin American countries embarked on their own transformative educational journeys.

Co-founded by David Henry and Professor Henry Holland from Colby College, Laspau was based at Harvard from its outset, and in 1966, it became an official entity. At its outset, it was organized as a membership organization. Its members, principally universities across the United States, provided tuition scholarships to complement living expenses arranged through LASPAU program sponsors. This model of collaborative funding remained throughout its history. In the mid 1990s Laspau changed its name to LASPAU: Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas reflecting its broadened mandate occasioned through its scholarship programs with the Colombian and Venezuelan governments and corporate-sponsored programs involving research and sending experts to Latin American universities. In the early 2000s LASPAU broadened its mandate further and transitioned to a new name, "Laspau Inc.", in 2016. This transition mirrored the organization's evolution from its original scholarship-centric model to its broader mission of improving higher education quality across Latin America and the Caribbean.

As outlined in its Articles of Incorporation, Laspau's core purpose was comprehensive. It aimed "to promote education by establishing, maintaining, and managing scholarship programs for the higher education of qualified Latin American and other foreign individuals in American institutions, and vice versa." Additionally, Laspau endeavored to "engage in activities related to the advancement of education in both Latin America and America." Collaborative at its core, Laspau was committed to partnering with a vast network: the U.S. Government, public agencies, private non-profit organizations, corporations, foundations, and universities in both the Americas and beyond.

USAID was pivotal to LASPAU's inception, serving, along with US (United States) universities, as its principal external source of funds. This relationship underscored LASPAU's early days, but as the 1970s progressed, more changes were underway. By 1973, LASPAU had begun diversifying its financial underpinnings, stepping beyond the bounds of USAID to curate a more eclectic roster of sponsors. By the close of 1979, Laspau secured affiliations with fourteen distinct program sponsors. As Laspau continued to grow, its roster of benefactors expanded to include diverse Latin American and Caribbean governments, foundations, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and a constellation of higher education institutions.

History of the relationship between Laspau and Harvard University

Laspau began as a program of Harvard's International Office in 1964. In 1988, Laspau was designated by Harvard as an Allied Institution. In that same year, Laspau requested and received formal agreement from the Faculty of Arts and Science at Harvard to state that it was "affiliated with Harvard University." This nomenclature appeared on Laspau correspondence and public materials. In 1966, Laspau Inc. was created to legally exert control over its own funds and administration. As a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in Massachusetts, all grant and contract relationships benefiting students and other international education activities were between sponsors and Laspau, Inc.

Laspau’s was part of Harvard University Central Administration since the early 1990' s. At the time of Laspau’s closing, the line of authority was through the Office of the Provost for International Affairs under the Provost Office. Laspau’s staff were employees of Harvard University and were subject to the standards and practices of the University in recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, payroll, benefits, union negotiations, and performance evaluations.  

Evolution of scholarship programs

In its 59-year history, Laspau-managed scholarship programs resulted in the award of graduate level scholarships for more than 18,000 individuals (about the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden), most of whom are faculty members in universities throughout the region who continue close ties and research relations with former professors.  It included educational, corporate, and governmental leaders as well as a broad cross-section of public and private organizations.

In 1991, Laspau initiated the first-ever debt-for-education swap between Ecuador and Harvard. Over its 10-year program history, many Ecuadorians received scholarships to study at Harvard.  

Throughout its history, Laspau interacted closely with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. For example, LASPAU, the David Rockefeller Center, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education co-sponsored the Latin American Higher Education Fellows Program. Through a 1995 grant from the Ford Foundation, six Latin American educational leaders were in residence at Harvard for six months to develop policy directions for higher education in the region. The results of this work have led to new higher education policies at the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.

On the U.S. side, Laspau’s tie to Harvard reflected a valuable service to the broader higher education community by providing financing for thousands of graduate students at hundreds of U.S. universities.   Harvard faculty members shared their experiences with Latin American colleagues and participated in over one hundred Laspau programs on university strategy and teaching and learning innovations.

Countries Laspau served

Laspau offered scholarship programs for grantees from 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

While Laspau served individuals and institutions from across the Latin America and Caribbean region, three countries emerged as the most active participants over the 59 years of Laspau’s existence: Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil.  Across the decades, 3,584 Venezuelans participated in Laspau's programs. While many of these Venezuelans came through Fulbright and other awards, most Venezuelan students traveled to the U.S. on programs sponsored by Fundayacucho (Gran Mariscal de Ayacuho Foundation), a government scholarship program that supported professional training abroad. Laspau's pilot program supported Colombians, and Colombia continued to be a strong partner country through Laspau’s existence through scholarship programs with Colciencias known as Minciencias and support from the Colombia Fulbright Commission. Between 1964 and 2023, 2,909 Colombian students participated in Laspau's programs. Brazil was also an early country partner; throughout its tenure, Laspau served 1,338 Brazilians, most of whom came to the United States to study with funding from their country's government.

Laspau Scholarship administration

Design, Management and Evaluation of Scholarship Programs

Laspau developed an extensive expertise in scholarship administration for programs for underserved populations administered for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; for University Faculty Development and Regional Specialties for the Fulbright Scholarship Program; and for professionals on STEM fields such as the Science without Borders Program with the Government of Brazil to mention some of the most relevant programs.  

Laspau advised funding agencies in Latin America on program design and services including: (a) recruitment and selection of candidates based on the required profile; (b) academic program placement; (c) grantee monitoring and support, with special attention to grantees with diverse needs, i.e., those with disabilities, from marginalized populations, or with lower levels of English; (d) grantee engagement; (e) administration of J-1 Visa Services; (f) financial management; and, (g) reporting to funders for financial matters and grantees’ academic performance.  

Laspau’s scholarship administration model focused on hands-on placement and advising approach, working directly with individual scholarship recipients to take responsibility for their academic placement, studies, and immigration.

Funding Partners

Laspau administered more than 70 different scholarship programs. Funding for these programs came from governments, private sector, and foundations. Examples of funding partners included Minciencias (formerly Colciencias, Colombia); BECAL (Paraguay); CNPQ (Brazil); Department of State (USA); CONACYT (Mexico); MESCyT (Dominican Republic); USIA (USA); among others. Examples of private foundation partners were Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Becas INICIA Educacion.

Beyond the Fulbright Faculty Development Program, initiatives like the Afro-Brazilian Studies Program (1991–1996) and the Fulbright Program in American Studies (1984–2004) enabled scholars to engage in advanced studies, enriching their expertise and enhancing their ability to shape curricula and contribute to their respective fields. Laspau’s collaborations with sponsors such as the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the Ford Foundation, Fulbright Commissions, and various government ministries supported faculty members from Latin American and Caribbean countries and strengthened networks of collaboration in the global academic arena.  

Laspau and the Fulbright Program

The partnership between Laspau and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State through Fulbright facilitated numerous transformative educational initiatives, fostering academic exchange, faculty development, and cross-cultural collaboration. This collaboration was aimed at enhancing the quality of education and promoting international understanding in the region.  Fundamental to the success of these programs were the collaborations between Laspau, Fulbright Commissions, and US Embassies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

One of the cornerstone programs that highlighted Laspau's collaboration with Fulbright was the Fulbright Faculty Development Program. Laspau started administering the Fulbright Faculty Development Program in 1975, this program played a pivotal role in advancing faculty expertise, research, knowledge sharing, and educational innovation across Latin American and Caribbean universities. Under this program, up to 150 educators each year from diverse countries within the region were selected to travel to the United States for advanced studies in a wide range of disciplines. The program's inception saw participation from countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador, with additional nations joining over time. The Fulbright Faculty Development Program stands as a prime example of how Laspau leveraged its partnership with Fulbright to facilitate faculty growth and academic excellence.

Beyond the Fulbright Faculty Development Program, Laspau and Fulbright have collaborated on several other key initiatives that have left a lasting impact on education and research in the region. Notable examples included:

University Partnerships and Faculty Development

Laspau and Fulbright collaborated on various university partnership programs that supported faculty development and academic excellence. For example, the Central American Program of Undergraduate Scholarships (CAMPUS) enabled academically gifted students from Central America to pursue bachelor's degrees at U.S. colleges and universities. Additionally, the Central American University Partnerships program fostered collaboration between Central American and U.S. universities to strengthen academic departments and disciplines.

Caribbean and Central American Ecology Program (1993-2001)

Building on the success of the Amazon Basin Scholarship Program, Laspau and Fulbright established the Caribbean and Central American Ecology Program. This initiative provided grants to environmental scientists, researchers, and policymakers from Caribbean and Central American countries for master's-level study and one-year certificate programs in the United States. The program contributed to the development of expertise in environmental preservation and sustainable development.

Fulbright–OAS Ecology Initiative (2001-2007)

In partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS), Laspau and Fulbright launched the Fulbright–OAS Ecology Initiative. This program offered grants to individuals from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada for master's and doctoral level study at U.S. universities. The initiative focused on multidisciplinary approaches to environmental preservation and sustainable development, providing opportunities for 85 environmentalists to expand their skills and knowledge.

The synergy among Laspau, Fulbright, and host US universities consistently demonstrated a shared commitment to advancing education, promoting cultural exchange, and nurturing human capital in Latin America and the Caribbean. These programs not only enriched the knowledge and skills of individuals but also contributed to the growth and development of educational institutions across the region. Through its collaboration with Fulbright, Laspau effectively harnessed the power of international partnerships to drive positive change and create a lasting legacy in the field of higher education.

The Fulbright Program had historically focused on individual scholarship awards; however, after collaborating with Laspau, Fulbright started recognizing the importance of institutional growth and began aligning its scholarship allocations to reflect this. As a result, scholarships began to flow to individuals from lesser-known, provincial academic institutions. Furthermore, in another departure from tradition, Fulbright expanded its focus areas, granting scholarships in more applied and practical fields such as engineering, agriculture, nutrition, and fisheries.

Laspau's scholarship administration results are summarized as follows:

• Total number of Grantees in scholarship programs administered by Laspau since 1966: 18,245  
• Grantees who have completed graduate degrees in STEM fields: 8, 894
• Fulbright Grantees Laspau has provided services to date: 5,918
• Countries in LAC that have Laspau-Administered Grantees: 32

University Innovation (UI)

Laspau implemented 163 programs on innovation in teaching and learning, university leadership, and other areas related to strengthening the quality and relevance of higher education. Short-term courses provided by Laspau benefited 14,000 faculty members and higher education institution decision makers, strengthening their teaching skills, leadership abilities, and techniques, opening academic research opportunities, and informing institutional strategies to strengthen performance. Programs also included best practices in the integration of university, industry, and government in the creation of ecosystems of innovation. Through these programs, Laspau built a network of experts in the U.S. and around the world on innovation in higher education and a continued global benchmarking in best practices for strengthening higher education.  

Over a span of 17 years, Laspau developed a diverse portfolio of programs that combined hands-on approaches with research-based best practices to enhance teaching and learning. Noteworthy characteristics of Laspau's University Innovation (UI) programs included a focus on institutional strengthening through individual training, program designs tailored to address specific university needs, and a comprehensive approach to promoting innovation in teaching that embraced various facets of the learning process. Emphasizing the collection of data and evidence, Laspau also fostered communities of practice among faculty in universities.

In the late 2000s, the initial programs were conducted in person at the Harvard campus in Cambridge, gradually extending to other renowned universities in Massachusetts, including MIT and Olin College. Subsequently, these programs expanded to universities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), facilitating the participation of a more extensive group of individuals. In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, all programs transitioned to an online format, resulting in a significant increase in participant numbers at reduced costs.

One of Laspau's initiatives was the establishment of programs dedicated to enhancing the quality of STEM education by fostering collaboration among public and private universities within the same country. These initiatives aimed to address challenges in teaching and learning while promoting innovation. An example is STHEM Brazil, initiated in 2014 with the participation of 11 universities and 150-200 professors annually. Employing a train-the-trainer approach, each participating professor trained 10 additional colleagues, expanding the program's reach to 2,000 faculty. By 2023, STHEM Brazil had grown to encompass 66 universities, reaching 34,000 faculty members who, in turn, impacted over one million students.

Another consortium launched by Laspau was STEM Costa Rica, implemented in partnership with SINAES (Sistema Nacional de Acreditación de la Educación Superior en Costa Rica). This initiative benefited 27 public and private universities, engaging 2,054 professors through direct program participation and the train-the-trainers approach.  

Laspau also engaged with private sector partners to offer courses on innovation in higher education for Latin American faculty. In 2020, as part of the Technological Frontiers Initiative (TFI),  Laspau partnered with Microsoft and MetaRed to offer the “Digital Evolution Education Program” (DEEP), to support innovation and the adoption of digital technologies in LATAM institutions. And in collaboration with Banco Santander, Laspau offered the “Certificate in teaching: exploring and (re)connecting with evidence” that won a PIEoneer Award in 2023 for the Public/private partnership of the year.

PAEP Testing Services  

Laspau implemented standardized testing services for Higher Education targeting universities in Latin America. Laspau’s testing services offered academic institutions the Prueba de Admisión a Estudios de Posgrado (PAEP), a graduate-level admissions test developed by Tec de Monterrey in 1992 with support from The College Board. Laspau implemented this test from 1994 until early 2023, when the closing of Laspau’s operations was announced. Tec de Monterrey uses PAEP as part of its admission process.  

Some of the institutions for which Laspau administered PAEP included: INCAE in Costa Rica, IESA in Venezuela, ESPOL in Ecuador, INTEC in Dominican Republic, and Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.

Governance

Board of Trustees and Advisory Council

The Laspau Board of Trustees held the primary responsibility for overseeing Laspau's mission and operations. Comprised of typically ten to twenty members, the board boasted diverse representation from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Historically Trustees included representatives from Harvard faculty, administrators, and alumni. Since its inception, the board aimed to include influential individuals with extensive experience, connections, and a vested interest in advancing higher education across the Americas. Over the course of its history, a total of 183 Trustees served on the board.

Within the Laspau Board structure were specialized committees: the Executive Committee, the Finance and Audit Committee, and the Nominating and Governance Committee. Ad hoc committees were also formed as needed, aligning with the organization's priorities. The Board of Trustees held responsibility for electing key positions such as the Chairperson, the Clerk of the Corporation, the Treasurer, and the Executive Director.

The board convened annually during the fall in Cambridge and would occasionally hold meetings in Latin America. Other committees met on a quarterly basis. For certain years, an additional mid-year Board of Trustees meeting was conducted.

Prospective members of the Laspau Board were recommended to the Nominating and Governance Committee before being considered for board membership. After a thorough review, the committee made final recommendations for a vote at the annual Board of Trustees meeting. Distinguished individuals who served on the board included Margot Gill, Muni Figueres, Brian Farrel, Christine Nelson, Moises Naím, Douglas Orane, César Peña-Vigas, Fernando Reimers, Rafael Rangel, Carolina Tohá, among others.  In 2017, an Advisory Council was established to provide strategic advice to Laspau. Members of this council included Julio Frenk, Beatriz Merino, Alexander Watson, among others.

Executive Directors

Throughout its history, Laspau had a total of 10 Executive Directors.

Name	Tenure years
Henry Holland	1967 – 1969
David D. Henry	1969 – 1972
William Brisk	1973 - 1979
Jeff Coburn (Interim)	1979
Barry Shuman	1979 – 1982
Lew Tyler	1983 – 1995
Ned Strong	1997 – 2010
Peter DeShazo	2010 – 2014
Angélica Natera	2014 – 2023
Eugenia Garduño (Interim)	June-Aug 2022
Angélica Natera	Aug 2022-Nov 2023

Closure of Laspau

In 2022, Harvard University decided to cancel its affiliation with Laspau. Laspau Inc. ceased operations on September 30, 2023, and is currently in the process of dissolution.

See also

• David Rockefeller Center  
• World Bank
• Inter-American Development Bank
• USAID
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• Harvard University  

Further Reading  

• Cueva Navarro, Ana Paola (2018). Impact of Laspau-Administered Scholarships 2007-2017. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School.
• DeShazo, Peter and Angélica Natera (2012).  Strengthening Teaching and Learning in Latin America.  Revista.
• Langosy, Elizabeth (2008).  Making a Difference: Maintaining Academic Excellence in Latin American Universities.  Revista.
• Tatto, Maria Teresa (1987). Report on the Evaluation Study of the Training for Development Program.   Ed.D Dissertation, Harvard Graduate School of Education.
• Strong, Ned (2023). ¿Por qué invertir en intercambios científicos y académicos internacionales? Revista de educación superior en América Latina. Universidad del Norte.

External Links

• U.S. Department of State Fulbright  
• Fulbright Foreign Student Program in USA
• Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)