Our Harvard Origin

Since our founding, LASPAU’s work has been rooted in the idea that quality higher education is crucial to a nation’s social and economic development. In 1959, David Henry, then Director of Admissions at Harvard University, enlisted a circle of fellow admissions directors to set up a scholarship program to assist recently independent African nations. The effort eventually grew into the African Scholarship Program of American Universities, which, with the initiative of Gabriel Betancourt, founder of the Instituto Colombiano de Especialización Técnica en el Exterior (ICETEX), later evolved to serve Latin America. The Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities (LASPAU) was launched by ICETEX and Harvard University in 1964 with a grant from the Ford Foundation.

Learn more about Harvard University at harvard.edu >>