To foster international cooperation and address global health challenges between Chile and India, the event titled “Talks on Integrative Medicine: Yoga & Ayurveda: A Medical-Scientific System Originating in India for Mental and Organic Balance in Daily Life” was successfully held.
The activity, organized by the Outreach Department of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities and the Sports Management Department of the Vice-Rector's Office for Student Support, was attended by the Indian Ambassador, Abhilasha Joshi, who signed the Golden Book of the Major Unit.
The High Representative from New Delhi stated that Chile and India are advancing together on the path to well-being. “During President Gabriel Boric's state visit to our country, both parties agreed to strengthen collaboration in traditional medicine systems, including Yoga and Ayurveda, which is an important milestone in our recent partnership that unites the wisdom of India with Chile's aspirations to promote integrative health solutions,” she said.
She added that, looking ahead, yoga and Ayurveda can be integrated into conventional healthcare systems in Chile and worldwide, offering safe, accessible, and effective solutions for people. “We will continue to collaborate closely with Chilean universities such as Usach, professionals, and institutions to expand exchanges and create joint research and training platforms to strengthen the academic and health presence of Ayurveda and yoga in Chile,” she emphasized.
In the same vein, the Vice-Rector for Community Relations, Dr. Ana María Fernández, noted that this activity marked a milestone in the university's internationalization, as it enabled it to showcase and disseminate ancestral knowledge that promotes the well-being of the population as a whole. “Having the ambassador of India, a country with knowledge of ancient medicine that incorporates this type of natural medicine, strengthens us as a university because it allows us to be at the forefront of these issues with scientific evidence. This activity gives us the opportunity to promote this bilateral contact between knowledge, international relations, teaching, and training, which is what characterizes us as a House of Studies,” she said.
The dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Dr. Bernardo Morales Muñoz, expressed his satisfaction with the visit of the Indian ambassador to our university, inviting us to reflect on the value of international cooperation. “From our faculty, we aspire to strengthen ties through student and academic exchange programs that allow our young people to have formative experiences at universities in India and to welcome Indian students to our institution, who contribute their perspective and cultural diversity, joint research projects, and scientific publications that integrate the experience and talent of both nations,” he emphasized.
He added that he is convinced that the meeting between academic units in Chile and India can forge a collaborative bridge. “We can build knowledge with impact and also bring our people closer together through respect, friendship, and collaboration,” he said.
Scientific-cultural exchange
The directors of Outreach at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Dr. Fernando Ortiz and Dr. Leonel Rojo Castillo, were present at the event. The latter was one of the speakers at the talk “Scientific Basis of Ayurvedic Medicine,” during which he took the opportunity to refer to the shift toward integrative therapies that may have scientific evidence. “We want to strengthen ties with India to create a cultural bridge that allows us to move forward with expertise, research, and even education so that, based on knowledge, we can transfer a medical system that is 4,000 years old,” he said.
He also pointed out that the Usach Faculty of Chemistry and Biology is at the forefront, with research in the field of Ayurveda carried out by researchers Mayling Wong and Fernanda Pizarro, as well as some chemistry and pharmacy students who have written their theses on the subject. “They have been able to demonstrate, for example, that through Ayurvedic medicine compounds, it has been possible to reduce inflammatory phenomena in the brain, so it is a research reality today that must be expanded because there is much to discover about this important medicine, and that is our contribution to science,” he explained.
The event also featured the participation of Dr. Susana Urrutia Riveros, a leading researcher in the field, who was part of the presidential delegation during the last state visit to India and who gave a talk entitled “Introduction to Ayurvedic Medicine.”
To close the event, a yoga class was offered in the institutional gym, instructed by Yoga School Director Cristián Núñez, with around 70 people participating in the activity.