The 'Internet Studio' (or istudio) Academic Program initiative is directed to create strategic relationships with Latin American Schools of Architecture, institutions and corporations involved in the urban development of the Latin American and Caribbean region by working in collaborative semester-studio projects via the Internet.
Up to 300 architectural students from Miami, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela collaborated in semester-long design studios via the Internet and videoconference technology during Fall, 2001. The initiative is using advanced telecommunication and digital technology to enrich the education and the Pan-American collaboration experience. The program was part of the AMPATH initiative at FIU, which in 2001 obtained a $25 million grant to connect National University Networks in Latin America and the Caribbean to the Internet 2 server at FIU. The BBC, Discovery Channel, Government Video Magazine, and media outlets in Argentina, Chile and Japan have documented the initiative.
The project is envisioned to position the Internet Studio network as a main hub for architectural education, research, and urban design thinking in the Americas. The belief is that the rapid process of urbanization in Latin America, during the next two decades, will spur similar metropolitan conditions across the region. Networking professionals and academic institutions will be essential for understanding the effects of the new speed of urbanization. The goal is to attract top urban issues, students, academics, and professionals of the region to the network.