Greetings from the New President of the IAS/EIA /
Dear Members of the International Association of Inter-American Studies (IAS/EIA),
I hope this message finds you well.
My name is Luz Angélica Kirschner, and I am writing to greet you as the newly appointed President of the IAS/EIA, succeeding Graciela Martínez Zalce (CISAN-UNAM, Mexico), to whom we owe deep gratitude for her dedicated leadership. It is truly an honor to serve our association in this role.
Some of you may know me from my years at Bielefeld University (2008–2016), or from our most recent gathering at the Eighth Conference of the IAS, “Possible Futures in the Americas,” held in Mexico City (February 17–19, 2025). That meeting was a vibrant reminder of the intellectual generosity, interdisciplinary dialogue, and collegial spirit that define our community.
I am currently Associate Professor of Spanish and German at South Dakota State University (USA), where my research and teaching focus on transnational, hemispheric, and comparative approaches to the Americas. In my new capacity as President, I look forward to working closely with the Executive Board to continue strengthening the Association as a dynamic forum for interdisciplinary scholarship on Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada—always attentive to the transnational entanglements that shape the hemisphere.
In light of the complex geopolitical moment we are experiencing and the shifting global order that directly affects the Americas, Inter-American Studies seem more necessary than ever. Our field offers vital perspectives for understanding hemispheric relations, migration, environmental challenges, cultural production, and the ongoing negotiations of democracy and human rights across the region.
With the invaluable support of the Executive Board and our host institution, we are now beginning the organization of the Ninth Conference of the IAS, which will take place in Bielefeld, Germany. A call for papers will be circulated in the near future.
I am also pleased to share that the conference is planned for the first half of 2027. I very much hope that many of you will be able to join us for what promises to be an engaging and inspiring exchange of ideas and collaborations.
I look forward to working with you and to continuing the important conversations that sustain our association.
Sincerely,
Luz Angélica Kirschner
President, IAS/EIA