Established in 1983 at the initiative of the Gildred Foundation and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the Institute of the Americas is recognized as a leading institution in United States-Canada-Latin America cooperation.

Since its inception, the Institute has brought together business and government leaders and representatives of civil society in forums designed to:

* Facilitate networking and the exchange of viewpoints

* Seek ways in which public and private entities can collaborate

* Clarify rules and regulations so private enterprise can flourish

* Promote the development of infrastructure through public-private funding

* Implement effective policies for managing economic growth in Latin America

The Institute is best known for its energy and technology programs. The Institute’s multi-national team also organizes executive roundtables and professional workshops as well as an active community outreach program. Because of its strategic location on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Institute places a special emphasis on Mexico while offering programs on a wide range of topics in the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

The vision for the Institute came from Theodore E. Gildred, a San Diego land developer and former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina. He collaborated with Richard Atkinson, then Chancellor of UCSD and later president of the University of California to create an international relations center on campus.

The Institute was headed in its early years by Dr. Joseph Grunwald, an economist from the Brookings Institution. Since then, the Institute has been led by former career U.S. diplomats beginning with Ambassador Paul H. Boeker (1987-2003), Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow (2003-2011), and current president Ambassador Charles Shapiro.

The World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) have provided funding for Institute programs. U.S. and Latin American businesses now account for much of the Institute's financial support.