The Instituto Camões took over from the Institute of Portuguese Culture and Language in 1992 to strengthen the guidance, coordination and implementation of Portugal's cultural policies abroad, and in particular to disseminate Portuguese. It has offices in Berlin, Brussels and Vigo, as well as 28 Portuguese language centres and 15 cultural centres in 21 countries. It also organises activities in as many as 84 countries in Africa. America, Asia and Europe, besides having a teaching network in study centres in universities in the five continents, departments, university chairs, institutes and associations.