Julio Cotler Program

Young ideas for stronger, more resilient democracies

about the julio cotler program

Launched in 2024 to mark Obreal’s 20th anniversary, the Julio Cotler Program pays tribute to Professor Julio Cotler (1932–2019), a key intellectual figure in Obreal’s early years. Deeply convinced of the transformative power of higher education to address social inequalities, Cotler’s legacy continues to inspire the program’s purpose and spirit.

The program places youth participation at the heart of strengthening democracy and democratic resilience, fostering critical thinking and informed debate. Through knowledge production and support for practices that build critical thinking, it aims to help new generations discuss and develop responses to the contemporary challenges facing democracies in Latin America.

EDITION 2026

The Julio Cotler Program offers a space for critical reflection, academic exchange, and community-building.

Join this year’s edition and discover all the details of the current call.

Explore the call

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

The Julio Cotler Program is a structured, collaborative process that supports young researchers from an initial idea through to the public presentation and open-access dissemination of their work.

It promotes the circulation of evidence-based thinking on inequality, education, and democracy, and encourages dialogue among researchers, activists, advanced students, and public policy actors—contributing to stronger democracies across Latin America and the Caribbean.

1

Call for Proposals and Submission: Obreal invites young researchers, young activists, and people working in social and political organizations to submit proposals aimed at understanding and addressing contemporary challenges related to social inequality, education, and democratic strengthening. Proposals should be clear in their focus, relevant to public debate, and methodologically sound.

2

Selection, Mentorship, and Review: An academic committee selects a set of proposals and invites authors to develop them into an article, essay, or working project. During this stage, Obreal provides feedback spaces to strengthen analytical quality, methodological approach, and the coherence and consistency of arguments.

3

Recognition, Dissemination, and Open Access: The top-rated works receive financial support and are published online in open access. In addition, all selected participants are invited to take part in exchange and discussion activities with international experts.

Beyond individual outcomes, the program’s core value lies in community-building, fostering a network of emerging researchers committed to reflecting on democracy through dialogue and collaboration.

The Julio Cotler Program is aimed at young people from Latin America and the Caribbean who are at an early stage of their academic or professional trajectory.

It is especially oriented toward:

Advanced undergraduate students and recent graduates interested in developing their first essays or academic texts
Early-career researchers and emerging academics.
Activists and public policy professionals engaged with democracy, education, and social inequality.

The program is designed as a space for mentoring, learning, and capacity-building, supporting young people who are taking their first steps in academic writing and research, or in political and social engagement, within the context of contemporary debates and challenges to democracy in Latin America.

The Julio Cotler Program brings together recognition, peer exchange, and financial support, grounded in a sustained commitment to dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

In each edition, the program highlights the most outstanding works produced by participants, granting special recognition and ensuring open-access publication. These awards aim to encourage rigor and quality, acknowledge sustained effort throughout the process, and strengthen the program’s collective dimension.

Martín Benavides

Former Minister of Education of Peru and current Director of IIPE-UNESCO

Adrián Bonilla

Former Secretary General of FLACSO and former Secretary of Education of Ecuador, current Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation.

Flavia Freidenberg

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Beatriz Padilla

University of South Florida and Instituto Universitario de Lisboa – ISCTE-IUL

Maria Herminia Tavares de Almeida

Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brasil

Patricia Ames

Instituto de Estudios Peruanos Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Ricardo Cuenca

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Eduardo Dargent

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Catalina Romero

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Patricia Salas

Former Minister of Education of Peru | San Agustín University of Arequipa

Marcos Novaro

Researcher at CONICET in Argentina and professor at the University of Buenos Aires and the University of Bologna, Buenos Aires campus

Andrés Malamud

Professor at the University of Lisbon and the University of Bologna, Buenos Aires campus

Awarded Articles

The Julio Cotler Program highlights and disseminates outstanding articles developed within each edition, contributing to regional and international debates on democracy, education, and social inequality.

Selected articles from completed editions are published online with open access once the academic process has been concluded.

View awarded articles