Objectives

• It promotes research and social action to expand knowledge and improve human wellbeing. Research and social action are guided by a high professional ethics oriented to serve human beings, and in accordance with the principles of the anthropological discipline and the Organic Statute of the University of Costa Rica. Likewise, the relationship with the research of the students, teaching and the work of national and international academic units related to the CIAN is sought.

Main functions

• To expand and strengthen the field of research and social outreach of excellence in Anthropology.
• To seek and improve the use of resources and their articulation with national reality and the research carried out by students.
• To contribute to the understanding of sociocultural issues at the national and regional levels.
• To promote the study, protection, and recognition of the cultural heritage of humanity.
• To develop research in the field of Anthropology to contribute to teaching, social action, and vocational training in this discipline.
• To contribute to the development of Anthropology by enriching its field of study and promoting new theoretical and methodological responses.
• To intensify and promote research on the past human Costa Rican and Central American societies.
• To intensify and promote research on Costa Rican and Central American region contemporary human societies.
• To disseminate broadly anthropological knowledge through publications, audiovisuals, and other relevant formats.
• To seek the development of laboratories to support research, social outreach, and teaching.

Remunerated

• Project of Services in Anthropology (PROSEA): in diverse areas such as short refresher courses related to Anthropology, research related to Anthropology, Archeology, Biological Anthropology, and Linguistic Anthropology.

Non Remunerated

• Cultural expertise aimed at a better relationship between legal norms, access to justice and the specific culture of groups that have their own cultural practices (language, social organization, customary law, among others).
• According to the themes of the research projects ascribed to CIAN in the framework of Anthropology, Archeology, Biological Anthropology and Linguistic Anthropology, researchers provide advice to national and international organizations and institutions. Also to different individuals and groups of civil society related to Anthropology.