LACSO (Laboratorio de Ciencias Sociales)

Laboratorio de Ciencias Sociales (LACSO) is a social sciences research center committed to the empirical studies of the society and to the development of the social sciences. The institution has a scientific and teaching bind to the Universidad Central de Venezuela while retaining its independent administration.  It also coordinates research between six universities in Venezuela. As a research group, the institution dates back to 1979. In 1993, LACSO adopted its current name and structure. For more than 30 years, LACSO has been conducting quantitative and qualitative research in Venezuela and Latin-America.

LACSO offers transdisciplinary approach to research and its team includes sociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, political scientist, statisticians, architects and health scientists. It conducts projects for both basic and applied sciences. It also runs monitoring and evaluation of social and health programs. Furthermore, the institute provides professional consulting for public and private sectors. Over the years, it has built research expertise in the area of public health and transmittable diseases, violence and public safety, citizen attitudes and values, national and international surveys, and political culture.

As part of its experiences, LACSO coordinated the program Small Grants from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Latin-American and the Caribbean. It has assumed the secretariat for the International Forum for Social Sciences and Health (IFSSH). It founded the research group Violence and Society of the Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales. It has also conducted evaluation of social programs in Africa and Latin-America. Since 1999, LACSO it is a member of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and it is responsible for surveying the ISSP modules in Venezuela.

Observatorio de Violencia

Anton de Kom University of Suriname

Centro de Estudios Publicos, Santiago

Centro de Estudios Publicos (Center for Public Studies) – CEP, is a private, non-partisan, non-profit academic foundation, founded in 1980. The Center is a forum to discuss the issues and problems that affect the Chilean population. CEP plays a leading role in fostering a national debate on issues ranging from developments in the social sciences to concepts and values that support a free social order.

CEP does not focus on specific activities. Rather, special projects are conducted every year, depending on the changing needs of the Chilean population. These include debates, workshops, and lectures, which are attended by academics, university students, businessmen, government authorities, politicians, and the general public. The Center also develops long-term projects. The most significant of these is the public opinion program.

CEP’s National Public Opinion Survey is an academic study whose aim is measuring political, economic and social attitudes, values and beliefs of all Chileans. Its purpose is measuring preferences, needs and worries of Chile’s population and thus providing accurate and reliable information to the main political actors of the country, necessary for a correct decision-making in different areas of national interest. In this way, this public opinion survey serves as a bridge between the Chilean population and those who are interested in understanding it, thus contributing to the strengthening of democracy.

CEP is financed by the sale of publications, membership dues, and contributions from private firms.