The Center of Borderlands and Integration Studies (CEFI) is an academic branch of the Universidad de Los Andes, assigned to the University Nucleus of Táchira, whose purpose is the development of research, instruction, diffusion, production, and dissemination of essential knowledge related to integration and border areas with the goal of participating in the elaboration of proposals that serve to aid the linkage between governmental instances and the community. CEFI was created in 1985 and received the name "Centro de Estudios de Fronteras e Integración José Manuel Briceño Monzillo" in recognition of the man who established standards in the research of Venezuela border areas. Objectives: * Study and research the political, social, economic, cultural, and geo-political themes of regional development and those related to integration and border areas. * Promote, organize, and administer the realization of fourth level studies and specialization courses in the fields of border areas and integration. * Develop instructional activities complementary to the undergraduate syllabus of the ULA-Táchira. Assist interested professorial chairs in relation to the studies of CEFI. * Promote the training and permanent development of CEFI's researchers. * Establish mechanisms for the linkage between local, regional, national, and international decisory entities. * Aid participation and give support to the research and projects being carried out by professors, students, and professionals relative to the scope of CEFI's work. * Provide assistance and advisement to organizations, institutions, entities, and communities. Preferrably, CEFI will carry out this assistance and advisement through the contract of services. * Compile, produce, and disseminate material of specialized knowledge and the outcomes of studies, scholarly essays, and research. Lines of Research: - Spatial-geographic analysis - Regional integration - Economic Analysis - Hisorico-cultural and socio-educational - International relations and politics.