Vision

The Latin American Regional IAU Meeting (LARIM) is part of the International Astronomical Union’s cycle of Regional IAU Meetings, convened in the years between IAU General Assemblies to advance scientific exchange while strengthening professional connections, especially among young astronomers across the region. The series dates back to the late 1970s: the IAU records the 1st Latin-American Regional IAU Meeting as held 16–21 January 1978 in Santiago, Chile, establishing a rotating regional forum that would subsequently move among Latin American host countries. Over the decades, LARIM has been characterized as a catalyst for interchange among students and researchers and for supporting the growth of astronomy in Latin American countries, with host locations spanning the region.

Building on that legacy, the XVIII Latin American Regional IAU Meeting (LARIM 2026), scheduled for 30 November to 4 December 2026 in the Mayan Riviera - Mexico, sets an ambitious regional vision: to serve as the premier convening point where Latin American astronomers and international collaborators align around shared scientific priorities, exchange methods and results across a broad topical spectrum, and translate dialogue into durable research networks. Consistent with the LARIM model, the 2026 meeting’s vision should foreground early-career development and inclusion by intentionally creating high-value spaces for professional astronomers, postdocs, and graduate/undergraduate researchers to present work, receive feedback, and form collaborations that outlast the event, amplifying the series’ long-standing role in cross-country researcher interchange and regional capacity building.