The most important thing is comprehending that Latin America is a complex region. It is considered a cultural region, which, for the purpose of this article, entails starting from Mexico and going to the south of Chile. Various countries in Latin America share both a linguistic and historical background due to colonisation and the propagation of romance languages.
Furthermore, Latin American nations share similar political structures and governments, mainly presidential republics (i.e., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico) or parliamentary republics (i.e., Barbados, Dominica, and Trinidad and Tobago).
In addition, there are two main education systems in Latin America: public and private, from elementary school to postsecondary and higher education. Basic education includes primary (grades 1 to 6) and secondary education (grades 7 to 12). After secondary education, students can pursue higher education in technical institutes (i.e., vocational training) or universities (undergraduate and graduate degrees).
Admission to postsecondary education mainly depends on standardised tests, high school grades, and sometimes entrance exams. Bachelor’s degrees typically take around four to six years, a master’s degree usually requires two years, and a doctoral degree four years.
While public institutions have high academic standards, private universities offer a more comprehensive education to students. Private universities range in size and tuition fees:
- Bachelor´s degree: 18,000 – 25,000 $USD annual domestic tuition fees
- Master’s degree: 16,600 – 26,500 $USD annual domestic tuition fees
- PhD degree: 19,900 – 27,000 $USD annual domestic tuition fees
Middle-upper-class families usually enroll in private education and seek for their children to study abroad. The most popular academic programs (undergraduate and graduate) in Latin America include medicine, economics, law, and business.
Not all countries follow the same academic system. Some, such as Mexico and Venezuela, follow the regular academic calendar where schools start in late August-September and end around mid-June/July. Others, such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, commence in January-March and end in December. Understanding the school calendar year will ease in planning your recruitment activities.
Building trust and cultural understanding
While it is essential to recognise that each country within the Latin America region has unique characteristics regarding their culture and history, there are some central values and morals across the entire area including the sense of family, respect, hospitality, and community. There exists a sense of respect for authority, elders, and community members, focusing on politeness, courtesy, and deference.
People around Latin America are well-known for their hospitality, welcoming guests generously and warmly, regardless of their relationship with the host. Building a sense of collective identity and belonging is important for Latin American societies, including cooperation, solidarity, and mutual support.
Navigating regulatory challenges
Spanish and Portuguese are the dominant languages spoken in Latin America. In public academic institutions, English is taught as a language course. In contrast, in most private institutions, English is taught as a language course in the first years of elementary school, then, the students take courses in English (i.e., Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Journalism).
However, while English is offered in many private and public academic institutions, language proficiency still needs to be improved for Latin American students to study abroad, as only a few students meet admissions language requirements.
There is also a wide diversity of educational systems, as each country has its standards, regulations, and curriculum, presenting challenges for Latin American students seeking to transfer credits or continue their studies in another region. For example, the majority of Latin American countries have their own national school exams to enter university: Bolivia (Ceneval), Brazil (ENCCEJA and ENEM), Ecuador (Transformar), Mexico (Ceneval), Panama (PAA), and Peru (ENES).
There exists a sense of respect for authority, elders, and community members, focusing on politeness, courtesy, and deference
Financial constraints play a crucial part when studying abroad. Economic disparities across Latin America exist, resulting in some private high schools having high tuition fees and segregating the student population academically and socially. Lastly, while numerous reputable universities and research institutions exist in Latin America, some may need more resources than organisations in other parts of the world.
Embracing innovation and adaptability
While Latin America has traditionally been seen as a market for language schools, there has been an increase in interest in international education, presenting excellent opportunities for collaboration.
For example, the role of high schools in preparing students for international education presents a beautiful way for new partnerships. There are 447 International Baccalaureate high schools in Latin America. Furthermore, Latin America offers the American, British, French, and German high schools’ systems.
Universities also present key ways to innovate, including increasing the demand for Latin American students among international students, collaboration opportunities between Latin America and institutions abroad, and the role of universities in providing financial aid and awards to study abroad.
Government relations are also keen to develop your footprint in Latin America. For example, governments may establish policies and funding programs supporting student mobility and exchange programs. There is also an interest from international students to study in Latin America:
- US: over 50,000 students per year
- Spain: over 33,000 students per year
- Australia: over 24,000 students per year
- Canada: over 19,000 students per year
- Portugal: over 18,000 students per year
- Germany: over 5,000 students per year
- France: over 2,000 students per year
Suppose you are looking to expand your footprint in Latin America. In that case, it is important to emphasise the importance of collaboration in identifying the key stakeholders in promoting international education within Latin America.
Contracting an expert from the region to access crucial information – like leading academic institutions, government officials and representatives, key private high schools, and the leading educational agents in the market – is imperative to developing a comprehensive strategy.
