The Centro Latinoamericano-Suizo (CLS-HSG) is an interdisciplinary research institution of the University of St. Gallen. Its mission is to contribute to the social sciences with insights from the empirical study of the economy, society, and state in Latin America. The region is characterized by a unique blend of homogeneity and diversity among emerging markets. From street vendors to large multinational corporations, businesses structurally evolve among economic volatility, political instability, and regulatory uncertainty. This offers opportunities to study business innovation and adaptability in rapidly changing environments in a comparative perspective.
Social science research conducted at CLS-HSG focuses on three broad thematic areas - the state and governments, the economy and businesses, and society and specific social actors - with the aim of studying social, economic, and political issues relevant to the region. We study how governments and states regulate the economy; the different modes and strategies firms use to navigate regulatory uncertainty and manage uncertain futures; and how society makes sense of and develops practices around political processes, technological innovation, high socio-economic inequality, various forms of violence and cultural phenomena.
Current projects reflect this approach. First, we examine the political, legal, and social dynamics surrounding the emergence of digital intermediaries such as social media platforms and payment services. Second, we explore the interfaces of legality and illegality by focusing on the illegal market for cultural objects from Latin America. Third, we examine the emerging governance structures that are crucial to the persistence of illegal economies, such as illegal drugs. These projects pay particular attention to the interfaces between these new realities and illegal and informal markets; the distance between the law on the books and the law in action; questions of compliance and actual enforcement; the political and legal responses to digital innovations; and the emergence of new social practices and new forms of entrepreneurship.
The mission of the Centro Latinoamericano-Suizo is to promote interdisciplinary research on the economy, society, and state in Latin America to transfer knowledge to society. These goals are achieved through the following actions carried out at the University of St. Gallen:
The Centro Latinoamericano-Suizo (CLS-HSG) is an interdisciplinary research institution of the University of St. Gallen. Its mission is to contribute to the social sciences with insights from the empirical study of the economy, society, and state in Latin America. The region is characterized by a unique blend of homogeneity and diversity among emerging markets. From street vendors to large multinational corporations, businesses structurally evolve among economic volatility, political instability, and regulatory uncertainty. This offers opportunities to study business innovation and adaptability in rapidly changing environments in a comparative perspective.
Social science research conducted at CLS-HSG focuses on three broad thematic areas - the state and governments, the economy and businesses, and society and specific social actors - with the aim of studying social, economic, and political issues relevant to the region. We study how governments and states regulate the economy; the different modes and strategies firms use to navigate regulatory uncertainty and manage uncertain futures; and how society makes sense of and develops practices around political processes, technological innovation, high socio-economic inequality, various forms of violence and cultural phenomena.
Current projects reflect this approach. First, we examine the political, legal, and social dynamics surrounding the emergence of digital intermediaries such as social media platforms and payment services. Second, we explore the interfaces of legality and illegality by focusing on the illegal market for cultural objects from Latin America. Third, we examine the emerging governance structures that are crucial to the persistence of illegal economies, such as illegal drugs. These projects pay particular attention to the interfaces between these new realities and illegal and informal markets; the distance between the law on the books and the law in action; questions of compliance and actual enforcement; the political and legal responses to digital innovations; and the emergence of new social practices and new forms of entrepreneurship.
The mission of the Centro Latinoamericano-Suizo is to promote interdisciplinary research on the economy, society, and state in Latin America to transfer knowledge to society. These goals are achieved through the following actions carried out at the University of St. Gallen: