By the end of next summer, Harvard plans to open an "outpost" in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With a small staff and a few workstations, this office will function as a home away from Cambridge for visiting Harvard faculty.

The Buenos Aires outpost will be the third such center opened since 1997, joining research stations in Hong Kong and Silicon Valley, Calif. While open to staff from all Harvard schools, it will be primarily used by Harvard Business School (HBS).

Increasing Harvard's international presence has long been a priority of President Neil L. Rudenstine, and this new outpost is touted as a way to put down permanent roots in a growing economic market.

As the outpost grows, Rudenstine says, Harvard may offer continuing education courses and "short-term" classes through the outpost.

HBS hopes to announce a third international outpost in Europe by the middle of next year, according to Dean of the Business School Kim B. Clark.

The Process

The Latin America outpost has been an idea in the making for over a year.

"I think that Latin America has a fascinating set of issues and challenges," Clark says.