Since its inception, in 1986-1987 the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños Exchange Programs have focused on strengthening institutional links between the City University of New York (CUNY) and institutions of higher education and research in the Caribbean through academic and cultural exchanges and scholarly collaboration. Thus far, the Centro Exchange Programs have facilitated research and other academic/cultural activities for more than three hundred faculty and students.

The Centro Exchange Programs, Intercambio and CUNY-Caribbean promote institutional, faculty, and student intellectual and scientific exchange with academic institutions in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. Through a broad range of scholarly projects, these CUNY-wide Programs aims to:

1. Foster on going dialogue between faculty and students from CUNY and with universities and other scientific research centers in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico.

2. Contribute to an enhanced mutual understanding of culture and scholarship.

3. Strengthen the network of CUNY faculty and students whose research and professional interests focus on the Caribbean and Puerto Rico.

4. Strengthen CUNY curriculum pertaining to the Caribbean and advance the field of Caribbean studies within CUNY.

5. Strengthen the capacity of universities in the Caribbean to understand and address the economic, social and cultural problems of the Puerto Rican and other Caribbean communities in New York and the Caribbean.

6. Broaden the research and instructional activities of universities in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico with CUNY.

7. Complement, strengthen and develop the human and technical resources of universities in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico in collaboration with CUNY.

8. Provide experiences of cultural immersion in the respective social contexts of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and New York to faculty and students of these regions.

9. Promote mutual comprehension among persons grounded in the rich diversity of cultural experience -ethnic, gendered, national, religious- in New York City, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico and enable universities to benefit from this multiplicity of viewpoints.

10. Contribute to improving the quality of higher education at all levels that is accessible to Caribbean faculty and students.

11. Contribute to strengthening of the relations of many Caribbean societies with their communities of Caribbean origin in New York City.

The Programs supports several categories of projects:

Research

• Faculty research and study
• Graduate student exchange and research
• Lectures, seminars, symposia, & conferences
• Dissertation research

• Undergraduate student exchange and research