International Association of Hispanists

The International Association of Hispanists (Asociación Internacional de Hispanistas, AIH) is an open, non-profit scholarly organization founded in Oxford, United Kingdom, in 1962. Its mission is to promote the study and teaching of Hispanic languages and literatures, to advance research in the field of Hispanic studies, and to foster the exchange of ideas, methods and approaches among scholars from the different countries represented in its membership. The association was initially recognized by the International Federation for Modern Languages and Literatures (FILLM) and by UNESCO. Later, by decision of its members in a General Assembly held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 19 July 2013, it was entered in the National Register of Associations of the Ministry of the Interior in Madrid, Spain, on 5 June 2015 (Group 1 / Section 1 / National Number: 607851). The AIH organizes triennial congresses, each followed by the publication of the proceedings, and every three years it also publishes a Directory of members. Since 1998 the Directory has included a mention of each member's fields of research. The association also publishes an annual Bibliographic Bulletin, whose first issue appeared in 1994. Its activities are supported by the Fundación Duques de Soria. According to its official website, the association has around 660 members across 43 countries and has been active for 63 years. The AIH is governed by a president and an executive committee, with a line of honorary presidents that includes many leading figures in Hispanic philology, such as Ramón Menéndez Pidal, Dámaso Alonso, Marcel Bataillon, Rafael Lapesa, Ana María Barrenechea, Margit Frenk Alatorre, Alan Deyermond and Aurora Egido. The current president is Mariano de la Campa Gutiérrez, whose term runs from 2025 to 2028. The association maintains a strong international presence, with members drawn from Europe, the Americas and beyond, and it serves as a central forum for scholarly exchange in Hispanic studies.

The International Association of Hispanists (AIH) was founded in Oxford, United Kingdom, in 1962. Its creation responded to the need for a permanent international forum for scholars of Hispanic languages and literatures, at a time when Hispanic studies were expanding in universities across Europe and the Americas. The association was conceived as an open, non-profit organization that would promote the study and teaching of Hispanic languages and literatures, encourage research in Hispanic studies, and facilitate the exchange of ideas, methods and approaches among members from different countries. In its early years the AIH received recognition from the International Federation for Modern Languages and Literatures (FILLM) and from UNESCO. Its first honorary president was Ramón Menéndez Pidal, the eminent Spanish philologist, who held the title in 1962. He was succeeded by Dámaso Alonso (1962–1965), Marcel Bataillon (1965–1968), Angel Rosenblat (1968–1971), Edward M. Wilson (1971–1974), Rafael Lapesa (1974–1977), Ana María Barrenechea (1977–1980), Juan López-Morillas (1980–1983), Franco Meregalli (1983–1986), Elias L. Rivers (1986–1989), Margit Frenk Alatorre (1989–1992), Alan Deyermond (1992–1995), Augustin Redondo (1995–1998), Lía Schwartz (1998–2001), Aurora Egido (2001–2004), Jean-François Botrel (2004–2007), Carlos Alvar (2007–2010), Aldo Ruffinatto (2010–2013), David T. Gies (2013–2016), Aurelio González Pérez (2016–2019), Ruth Fine (2019–2022) and Gloria Chicote (2023–2025). The current president is Mariano de la Campa Gutiérrez, whose term runs from 2025 to 2028. A key institutional development came in the 2010s. By decision of its members in a General Assembly held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 19 July 2013, the association decided to register formally in Spain. It was entered in the National Register of Associations of the Ministry of the Interior in Madrid on 5 June 2015, under Group 1, Section 1, National Number 607851. This step gave the AIH a clear legal identity while preserving its international character. The AIH has long organized triennial congresses, each followed by the publication of the proceedings. These congresses have become major meeting points for Hispanists worldwide. In addition, the association publishes an annual Bibliographic Bulletin, whose first issue appeared in 1994, and every three years it issues a Directory of members; since 1998 the Directory has included the research fields of each member. The association's activities have been supported by the Fundación Duques de Soria. According to its official website, the AIH has around 660 members from 43 countries and has been active for 63 years. Its next major event, the XXIII Congress, is scheduled for 1 July 2028 at the University of Alicante.

• 2025

  Mariano de la Campa Gutiérrez becomes president (2025–2028).

• 2015

  Registered in the National Register of Associations of the Ministry of the Interior in Madrid (5 June).

• 2013

  General Assembly in Buenos Aires decides to register the association in Spain.

• 1998

  Directory of members begins including members' research fields.

• 1994

  First issue of the annual Bibliographic Bulletin published.

• 1962

  Founded in Oxford, United Kingdom.

• 1962

  Ramón Menéndez Pidal serves as honorary president.

• 1962

  Dámaso Alonso begins term as president (1962–1965).

• XXIII Congress scheduled at the University of Alicante (1 July).

A non-profit international scholarly association dedicated to Hispanic studies, recognized by FILLM and UNESCO and registered in Spain.

• Triennial Congresses

  International congresses held every three years, followed by publication of proceedings.

• Boletín bibliográfico

  Annual bibliographic bulletin, first published in 1994.

• Directorio de socios

  Directory of members published every three years; since 1998 includes research fields.

• Congress proceedings

  Published after each triennial congress.

1. 1Inicio - Asociación Internacional de Hispanistasaihispanistas.org
2. 2Asociación Internacional de Hispanistas - Wikipediaes.wikipedia.org
3. 3International Association of Hispanists - Wikidatawikidata.org