The Center launched the Friends of the Center Program (formerly known as Corporate Partners Program) in 1997 to provide business executives with direct access to Harvard's extensive resources on Latin America and to promote collaboration on issues of mutual interest.

Currently the program seeks to expand the Center´s base of support by appealing to both corporate sources as well as private individuals who share an interest in furthering the research of Harvard professors and students in Latin America. 

The Friends of the Center Program offers companies and private individuals interested in Latin America a chance to harness Harvard's unparalleled resources on the region. Members are invited to participate in executive-level seminars on business in Latin America at Harvard, directed by eminent scholars and cutting-edge industry leaders. These events address compelling economic, political, and social trends in Latin America, and offer members a chance to interact in an informal setting with a group of leading experts from academia and private sector. 

For the first time ever, the fall 2008 seminar took place outside Harvard, it was held at the Regional Office in Santiago, Chile.  This event "Checking Latin America’s Vital Signs", featuring Harvard faculty, government officials, and corporate executives took the pulse of the region’s financial, political and business environments, while examining the primary factors, such as education and investment, most likely to impact future generations of growth. Two main faculty projects in Chile were highlighted at the seminar: a site visit to one of Elemental’s project sites and a panel on Quality and Access in Education, where Un Buen Comienzo was explored.

Additionally, the Regional Office organizes exclusive seminars and events for the Friends of the Center in the region when Harvard faculty or administrative staff are visiting.

The program also help create the opportunities for education, innovative scholarship and supports Harvard faculty members' research on topics important to the future of business in the region, including free trade and corporate social responsibility.

Special thanks to Banco de Chile and El Mercurio for being active members of Friends of the Center since its foundation in 1997. 

For a complete list of memberships, membership process and benefits please visit http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/programs/friends_of_center