ABSTRACT
In the context of the Cold War, the circulation of American scholars was increased by the institutionalization of area studies, in order to produce social knowledge in relation to the regions on which US foreign policy had an influence. UNESCO played a decisive role in promoting the research and teaching of the social sciences around the world, because these disciplines were considered an important source for citizenship training and international understanding. Latin American governments participated actively in the planification and execution of assistance programs, along with the creation of regional centers. Surely, this was reinforced by recognized Latin American intellectuals in charge of relevant posts in the organization and UNESCOs predecessors between 1922 and 1939, the Institute Internationale de Coopration Intellectuelle (IICI) and the subsequent Organization for Intellectual Cooperation (OCI), led by the renowned Brazilian social scientist Josu de Castro and the Mexican poet Jaime Torres Bodet.
