In 2009 the title “First round of the formation of Excellence center in Investigation and Education” was assigned to the Heidelberg Center for Latin America (HCLA), which is a part of the Heidelberg University. This competition was proclaimed by the German Chancellery through the German Academic Research Service (DAAD).

This award accredits the Heidelberg Center as a Center of Excellence and allows design a complete program of studies and further education in the area of Geosciences.

To develop a program in this area the HCLA cooperates with the Pontificial Catholic University in Santiago de Chile and the University of Chile.

The Centers of Excellence in Investigation and Teaching contribute to the internationalization of the German Universities. Their objective is to create networks of world class research between international and german researchers and to promote education, which generates study programs in cooperation with associated universities.

This program is realized with financial support of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany