Inter-American Program: Past, Present, and Future

The M.I.T. Inter-American Program in Civil Engineering is an education-research venture involving collaborative work with personnel at certain Latin American universities. Research is done on civil engineering problems generic to both regions; approximately a dozen such projects are now in operation. In the research projects, individual relationships are emphasized rather than institutional ones; the responsibilities are personal instead of organizational. More freedom and flexibility are thus attained. The IAP had its origins in two desires: to improve the teaching of civil engineering, and to strengthen the profession itself through research on important problems. In both of these, the degree of achievement renders the IAP a valuable component of the Department's activity.