• University’s President Juan Manuel Zolezzi, in collaboration with other renowned leaders who studied at this institution (Escuela de Artes y Oficios (EAO); Universidad Técnica del Estado (UTE), Universidad de Santiago), is inviting professionals to register themselves in the website http://www.usachpais.cl through a campaign that includes social networks. In this way, the University will be able to identify the most demanded areas of the world of work; foster a spirit of loyalty among former students and enhance the sense of belonging at the University; and get accurate information on the fields where they are contributing to real Chile.

Based on the premise that all ways of contributing to real Chile are valuable, the University seeks to know the fields where former students are working and the way how the institution’s hallmark still characterizes their professional work with values like integration, participation and public service.

The advertisements are being broadcasted on the media, including social networks, and they show the University’s President Juan Manuel Zolezzi inviting this big network of alumni of this University, or its preceding institutions, to be part of this project. As a former student of the Electrical Civil Engineering program at UTE, he is a nationwide renowned leader in the higher education field, after heading the CUECH (Consorcio de Universidades Estatales de Chile) and as the current Vice-president of the CRUCH (Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas), which brings together the 25 universities of the Presidents’ Council.

Contributing to the country

The campaign includes an audiovisual advertisement which shows, besides President Zolezzi, the contribution of Juan Carlos Avendaño, Mechanical Engineering Technician, current General Manager of Codelco’s Chuquicamata Division; Marcela González, Industrial Civil Engineer, executive director of the X South America Games, Santiago 2014; and Héctor Alarcón, Physics Engineer, leader of the ALMA Project’s operators group.

By means of an agreement favorable to the institution, the advertisement has been scheduled on air at different times on Televisión Nacional de Chile, while the campaign on radios has been on air in all programs on Radio Universidad de Santiago (94.5 FM and 124 AM) and in two programs on Radio Cooperativa (93.3 FM). An advertisement was also included in the national circulation newspaper La Tercera and in the magazine Ingenieros del Cobre.

Alumni interested in being part of this project have to enter the website www.usachpais.cl and click the “Formulario de Registro” tab (Registration Form). Once there, they only need to fill out the fields related to personal information (name and ID number); profession (program studied, current place of work and position); name of the faculty to which they belong. Finally they have to write a short description of their professional career.

This part is the first stage of a campaign that intends to highlight the institution’s hallmark and legacy in thousands of professionals who collaborate with their daily work in developing our country, from different fields and in different functions.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The National Institute of Industrial Property recognized Universidad de Santiago as the second Chilean university at filing the highest number of patent applications in 2014. “Chile has a scientific tradition that places the country at the forefront of the Latin American productivity, and numbers reflect this fact, like the second place reached by Universidad de Santiago (last year).” The award ceremony was held in the context of the World Intellectual Property Day.

Once again, Universidad de Santiago was among the three most outstanding universities in the patent category- a category related to the rights given by the Chilean State to an inventor for the development of a new technology- in the annual award ceremony organized by the National Institute of Industrial Property (Inapi). 

The ceremony was held at Patio Los Naranjos of Universidad de Santiago and it was headed by Katia Trusich, Under Secretary of Economy, Development and Tourism, and Inapi’s NationalDirector, Maximiliano Santa Cruz. The Under Secretary said that last year was a consolidation period for Inapi. And she added that the challenge now is to set out a long-term strategy to allow “the development of industrial property considering the specific requirements of the country with regards to productive development, innovation and business ventures.”

For his part, Inapi’s National Director emphasized that our institution has a very important commitment with regards to patent application processing. “In Chile, universities are doing a good job at patenting and, if they are considered all together, in 2014 they almost doubled the number of patent applications filed, in comparison to the previous year.”

Besides congratulating Universidad de Santiago for its great work and interest in patent matters, she said that our University “is making big efforts to obtain patents, something that should be continued and promoted. Generating new knowledge through scientific activity at universities is an essential tool for economic, social and cultural development.”

“Chile has a scientific tradition that places the country at the forefront of the Latin American productivity, and numbers reflect this fact, like the second place reached by Universidad de Santiago in the national patent application ranking of 2014”, Maximiliano Santa Cruz said.

Luis Magne, Head of the Department of Technology Management of Universidad de Santiago- the unit in charge of processing patent applications of the University, among other tasks- said: “Universidad de Santiago continues to keep its spirit of technological university, so it puts an emphasis on applied research and innovation in order to contribute to the society welfare and to have an impact on Chile and the world.”

According to the information given by the Department of Technology Management, in 2014, Universidad de Santiago filed 23 new patent applications with Inapi, doubling the number of patents filed in 2013. This placed the University in the third position of the ranking that year. In addition, it filed 44 invention and protection patent applications with international agencies.

These patents are related to the fields of Sciences, Engineering, Technology, and Chemistry and Biology, and most of them belong particularly to the areas of Biotechnology, Manufacturing and Aquaculture.

Universidad de Concepción was at the first place in the patent application ranking while Pontificia Universidad Católica was at the third place.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The Montevideo Group Association of Universities is meeting this week at the ECLAC’s office in Santiago. The activity gathers together representatives of more than 30 state universities of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The program is focused on the analysis of “Reformas Universitarias y nuevos desafíos en la región”. According to Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, the Universidad de Santiago’s highest authority and head of the activity, having been chosen by the Association to host the Council of Presidents’ meeting, “means recognition of our experience.” 

The Montevideo Group Association of Universities (AUGM, in Spanish) has become one of the most significant groups in Latin America, as it gathers the most important state universities of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. This time, Universidad de Santiago is hosting the 67^th meeting of the Montevideo Group‘s Council of Presidents.

The activity is being held (April 27^th-28^th) at the Raúl Prebisch conference room of the ECLAC’s office in Chile.

On this occasion and in a context in which the Chilean Education Reform is a “must” topic at debate, Universidad de Santiago organized the forum “Reformas universitarias y nuevos desafíos en la región” (University reforms and new challenges in the region), where representatives of different Latin American public universities, as well as authorities and national and foreign experts, will discuss the processes and challenges the university reform involves.

President Juan Manuel Zolezzi

According to Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, the Universidad de Santiago’s highest authority and head of the activity, having been chosen by the Association to host the Council of Presidents’ meeting, “means recognition of our experience.” 

“We are part of almost all work committees of the Association and we head many of them, so this is in recognition of the work we have done,” President Zolezzi says, although he believes that the political and social context of our country adds “an attractive component”. 

Dr Zolezzi considers that Chile and its Education Reform made unanimous the decision of having the meeting here. The university presidents of Latin America “have great interest in being at a country where a large Higher Education Reform is being made.” 

“Every situation is unique and there are no recipes to implement a reform, but I think this debate will enlighten us,” Dr Zolezzi added.

International experience in state education

The Latin American meeting gathered university presidents with considerable experience and a very visible relation with their States. Dr Zolezzi says that “In most South American countries, free education is not part of the debate: it is a reality,” although he acknowledges that there are also experiences of private universities in different countries that are worth to know.

In President Zolezzi’s opinion, “Every situation is unique and there are no recipes to implement a reform, but I think this debate will enlighten us. We can agree with some of the systems that have been implemented but we can also disagree with others,” he says.

“The variety of approaches will be the most enriching thing of the activity. I think few people in this field in South America are not aware of what is happening in Chile, so I think this (meeting) will be a contribution to the development of our country.”

This forum precedes the Montevideo Group Council of Presidents meeting, in which a collaboration agreement between ECLAC and AUGM is expected to be signed.

Besides, the new president of this group will be elected, who will replace Dr Albor Cantard, President of Universidad Nacional del Litoral, in Argentina.

Finally, Universidad de Santiago de Chile will present the project “Biblioteca Latinoamericana de las Memorias” to the Council of Presidents.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Once again, Universidad de Santiago responds to “the appeal for help from the Chileans affected (by floods and mudslides in the north of the country). And the primary reason for responding is that we are a state and public university that is committed to society and common wealth,” President Juan Manuel Zolezzi said.

• “Our university cannot ignore an emergency situation like this, so we invite everyone to participate in this solidarity campaign,” he stressed during a coordination meeting with Manuel Arrieta, the Vice President of Student Support; Marta Matamala, the President of Feusach, and Diego Flores, a Student Senior Adviser.

• The purpose of the campaign is that all members of our university community contribute with five-liter bottles of water, that are essential good for the affected people in the Antofagasta and Atacama regions.

• Besides, the university continues collecting basic medicines, non-perishable foods, infant formula and baby food, batteries, diapers (both for adults and children) and basic cleaning supplies, in Room #511 (at the EAO facilities), at the Vice Presidency of Student Support’s Office and at the campus main entrance. The goal is to send soon a truck with a shipment of 10 tonnes of goods to help people in the north.

   

  Historically, our University has contributed to society in national emergency situations. This time will not be the exception.

  Facing the tragedy occurred in the north of Chile for the heavy and unusual rains, our University has started a solidarity campaign to help people affected by this tragedy. 

  The challenge is to fill a ten-tonne-capacity truck with basic goods, like non-perishable foods, blankets, mattresses, diapers (for adults and children), cleaning supplies, pet food and, mainly, bottled water. The truck is expected to leave Santiago on April 02^nd for Atacama and Antofagasta.

  With this idea in mind, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago; Manuel Arrieta, Vice President of Student Support; Marta Matamala, President of the Feusach (the University Students Federation), and Diego Flores, a Student Senior Adviser, met on April 31^st. They invited the University community to contribute to the campaign. Donations are being collected at three different points: Room #511 (at the EAO facilities), at the Vice Presidency of Student Support’s Office (Paseo Los Naranjos) and at the campus main entrance (Av Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Estación Central). 

  Social commitment

  During the meeting, President Zolezzi highlighted once again that Universidad de Santiago responds to “the appeal for help from the Chileans affected (by floods and mudslides in the north of the country). And the primary reason for responding is that we are a state and public university that is committed to society and common wealth.”

  “Our university cannot ignore an emergency like this, so we invite everyone to participate in this solidarity campaign,” he said, referring to students, administrative staff and academics.

  “I invite each member of this community to collaborate with this first step: the most urgent supporting help. We want to focus on the motto “one community member, on bottle of water”, in addition to all the other contributions the community may want to make,” Dr Zolezzi added.

  For her part, Marta Matamala, President of the Feusach, said that solidarity is a “basic pillar” for building a fairer society.

  “Our University is unique in its social role. We are future professionals, with a commitment to society. Being touched by people in precarious situations is an essential part of the imprint of this University,” she said.

  Volunteers

  Besides sending basic goods, the University Presidenct, the Feusach and the different faculties are evaluating the possibility of doing volunteer works in the affected areas.

  President Zolezzi said that he is in contact with Universidad de Atacama, a former campus of Universidad Técnica del Estado, “because we feel morally committed to it,”  to define the areas of greatest needs.

  The School of Medicine, the School of Obstetrics and Child Care, and the School of Psychology are among the schools and departments that could initially contribute by sending student volunteers.

   

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The  Memorandum of Understanding signed today in the United Kingdom establishes an unprecedented partnership between that renowned English university and a Latin American institution to implement an experimental laboratory focused on conducting research on Social Sciences.
• In his address, the President of Universidad de Santiago, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, said that this centre means “a new development path for Social Sciences in Latin America, the beginning of a new model for the future development of science collaboration between the United Kingdom and Chile, and the first step towards the creation of a global centre for the experimental analysis of public policies.”
• The memorandum will be valid for four years and both institutions will work in partnership for the implementation of the Centre for Experimental Social Sciences (CESS) of Santiago that is expected to produce a significant volume of academic publications and become a benchmark consultancy for the region. “The research carried out by this centre will have a big impact on the social and economic development of Chile and Latin America, through the consolidation of common research lines and their integration,” President Zolezzi said.

​

At the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between that university and Universidad de Santiago de Chile for creating the Centre for Experimental Social Sciences (CESS) of Santiago.

It is an unprecedented partnership between the University of Oxford and a Latin American higher education institution focused on developing Social Sciences and promoting scientific collaboration across the region.

In his speech at the Nuffield College Tower Room, President Juan Manuel Zolezzi said that the CESS will open “a new development path for Social Sciences in Latin America and will begin a new model for the future development of scientific collaboration between the United Kingdom and Chile.”

President Zolezzi added that, as a state and public university, Universidad de Santiago “owes much to the society it belongs to,” and stressed the importance of receiving a fair treatment from the Chilean State, with more inclusion, equality and free education, because “at present, Chile is the country with the most expensive and most unequal education system in the world.”

For the above, he showed himself pleased for joining forces with Nuffield College of the University of Oxford. Nuffields’ model for approaching Social Sciences views Social Sciences as active in society, rigorous, ambitious and with the courage to question, evaluate and propose alternative ways for the development of society. President Zolezzi explained that this approach shows a path for Universidad de Santiago that can contribute to evidence inequalities and produce knowledge for developing better public policies.

“Universidad de Santiago de Chile will contribute to this project with all its skills and will go beyond strict compliance with the objectives proposed by both institutions,” he said. These objectives include conducting joint research projects, laboratory experiments, assessing public policies, exchange, cooperation and teacher training, and developing continuous education programs, among others.

Challenges

The ceremony was attended by the highest authorities of the renowned British university, particularly by representatives of the Nuffield Centre for Experimental Social Sciences, who will be in charge of implementing this collaboration agreement that will allow these institutions to work together from two different regions in order to deal with the big challenges faced by the developing world.

CESS Santiago is expected to become a model in the region and a future global centre for experimental research and evaluation. “This is the first step towards the creation of a global centre for the experimental analysis of public policies,” Dr. Zolezzi said. “The research carried out by this centre will have a big impact on the social and economic development of Chile and Latin America, through the consolidation of common research lines, the joint participation of Social Sciences researcher from different countries, and the strengthening of these sciences,” he added.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the President of Universidad de Santiago, Juan Manuel Zolezzi; the Director of CESS Santiago, Juan Carlos Oyanedel; the Warden of Nuffield College, Sir Andrew Dilnot, and the Director of the Centre for Experimental Social Sciences, Raymond Duch.

The agreement considers the research teams of Nuffield and Universidad de Santiago as strategic partners with regards to funding research studies for requesting and implementing consultancy projects in Latin America.

The agreement also establishes the implementation of an experimental laboratory overseen by both institutions, so that the CESS generates a significant volume of academic publications. The agreement will be countersigned in March this year, in Santiago.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The comprehensive cooperation agreement will formalize the pre-existing relation between Universidad de Santiago and many French institutions and will provide co-funding for students of Universidad de Santiago who want to pursue internship programs in that country. President Juan Manuel Zolezzi and the Cooperation and Cultural Action Counselor of the Embassy of France, Patrick Bosdure, made the agreement official in a ceremony attended by the directors of the doctoral programs offered at Universidad de Santiago.

 

Keeping in mind that the School of Arts and Crafts- the alma mater of our University- was inspired by the French education system, the President of Universidad de Santiago, Juan Manuel Zolezzi signed a collaboration agreement with the Embassy of France, represented by its Cooperation and Cultural Action Counselor, Patrick Bosdure, in order to strengthen research and academic links between both countries.

The agreement signing ceremony was held a few days ago at the Casa Central of Universidad de Santiago, with the presence of the Pro President Pedro Palominos; the Vice President of Outreach and Engagement, Sergio González; the Director of the Graduate Studies Office, Gloria Cárdenas, and the Head of the Department of International and Inter-University Relations, Carol Johnson. The Director of the Neuroscience Doctoral Program, Rodolfo Madrid; the Director of the Science Doctoral Program with Major in Mathematics, María Isabel Cortez, and the Director of the Science Doctoral Program with Major in Physics, Luis Eugenio Hamm, were also invited to the ceremony.

The French diplomat said that one of the goals of his work in our country is to promote student exchange. “Student mobility is extremely important. In Chile, we have more than 350 agreements with different universities and it is very rewarding to sign agreements that are really effective from their beginning,” Patrick Bosdure said.

He said that, for France, it is very important to organize inter-university collaboration in the framework of agreements like the one recently signed, because they are an example of effective cooperation, and in the future, this relation could be stronger. He added that he is receptive to receive projects and research proposals, because doctoral studies are a priority.

President Zolezzi said that he was pleased for the opportunity of formalizing the agreement that will lead to strengthen the links that professors and different departments of the university have already developed with many French higher education institutions.

For his part, Pro President Palominos said that our University is really interested in this kind of agreement with countries like France, because the institution needs to have more accredited doctoral programs and to broaden its areas of knowledge. This idea was reaffirmed by the Director of the Graduate Studies Office who said that this exchange program is ideal for students to make new contacts and develop networks.

According to the Director of the Neuroscience Doctoral Program, Rodolfo Madrid, this is a very good time for signing the agreement: as the program is new, efforts are being made to strengthen the agreements that favor student exchange and improvement of programs.

Dr. María Isabel Cortez also valued the agreement “because it is very useful for students, particularly for Mathematics students, an area in which we have a strong collaboration with France, but at a project and professor level. Although she thinks that an internship of two months is not enough, “it will help students to build networks and make contacts to progress with their projects and to interact with more people than they usually do.”

Open contest

Carol Johnson, Head of the Department of International and Inter-University Relations, explained that the agreement gives the opportunity of engaging two-month research internships at high quality research centers in France to at least seven doctoral students whose dissertation projects have been approved. Universidad de Santiago and the Embassy of France made a commitment to provide the students with co-funded scholarships.

The application period is open between December 18th and March 13th. During this time, applicants should collect the required documents. Students will be staying in France between June and December 2015. For further information, click on http://www.postgrado.usach.cl/es/noticias/se-abre-convocatoria-becas-para-estadias-doctorales-en-francia

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The President of Universidad de Santiago, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, together with the South Korean ambassador, Ji-eun Yu, launched the first Korean studies program in Chile, with the purpose of promoting academic reflection and foster research related to that country, which is the third world power, with a population of 50.2 million people and a GDP of 1.305 billion dollars. 
• President Zolezzi said that this initiative “will have an extraordinary impact on the policies of cooperation and development of our universities,” particularly because it aims to strengthen our links with the Republic of Korea, “a country that, for the world and for Universidad de Santiago, embodies a paradigmatic example of productive change, scientific creation, development-based innovation and a real miracle of educational progress.”
• For his part, ambassador Ji-eun Yu described the program as “a very important milestone”, because although “trade relationships between the two countries are very good, we need to make more efforts in cultural and academic fields, to promote understanding between the two nations.”

 
In a solemn ceremony held on December 10th at the Salón de Honor of our University, the first Chilean-Korean Study Program in our country was launched. 

The activity was headed by the President of Universidad de Santiago, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, who welcomed the ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Ji-eun Yu, the University authorities, and representatives of the Korean community in our country.

The funding for the Chilean-Korean Study Center Program: for cross-country future integration based on deeper understanding in terms of Politics, Economics and Society was awarded to Universidad de Santiago thanks to the participation of César Ross, researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA, in Spanish), in the international contest “Overseas Korean Studies Incubation 2014” that was organized by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea. 

The project was sponsored by the Vice Presidency of Research, Development and Innovation and is led by Dr. Ross, whose research work has been oriented to different development areas of the Asian countries and their contributions. 

During his speech, President Juan Manuel Zolezzi referred to the importance of strengthening links with the South Korean nation, highlighting that it was “as a poor country that was able to become rich” and gain international recognition thanks to its ability to promote scientific and technological development. For this reason, this initiative “will have and an extraordinary impact on the policies of cooperation and development of our universities,” he said.

“With this Korean Studies Program- that will be part of IDEA- we are reinforcing our links with Korea, a country that for the world and for Universidad de Santiago, embodies a paradigmatic example of productive change, scientific creation, development-based innovation and a real miracle of educational progress, with a strong education system that has been key to that development,” President Zolezzi said.

Regarding the goals set by the University, he said he was pleased to “celebrate this partnership that will strengthen the cultural links between both republics”, a tangible step forward to the internationalization of our University, that seeks to go further in the international academic work.

Ji-eun Yu said that “as ambassador, I feel deeply gratified for witnessing the progress of the Korean studies in Chile.” He valued the initiative and described it as a “very important milestone”. Although “trade relationships between the two countries are very good, we need to make more efforts in cultural and academic fields, to promote understanding between the two nations,” he said.

For the diplomat, the cooperation between the two nations offers big opportunities due to their location on the Pacific Rim. The fact of being close “allows many people to have a broader view with regards to my country. Establishing a program like this, a program about Korea in Chile, will contribute to promote a better academic understanding that will bring our countries closer together.”

For his part, Dr. César Ross, director of the Program, said that “the Chilean-Korean Study Center Program will promote mutual understanding between academics, students and politicians of both countries, to think, reflect and study.”

Also, the initiative focus on promoting the academic interest in Korean studies by introducing a historical perspective to the new generation of Chilean students and professors. It has the purpose of studying the North-east Asian security issues from a Korean point of view, too. The idea is to study the effects of a reunification process of the Korean peninsula and the relation between Asia and Latin America, and to promote a better understanding of the successful role played by the Korean government in developing high technology and exports system,” which are key areas for universities focused on Engineering, like ours,” Dr. Ross said.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• With the presence of the highest authorities of Universidad de Santiago and distinguished guests related to this University, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi presented the book that was published by the Vice Presidency of Outreach and Engagement. In almost 200 pages, it shows the milestones and imprint left by the School of Arts and Crafts, the State Technical University and the current Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
• According to President Zolezzi, this work “reflects a genuine institutional pride and its title summarizes very well our mission and history: Formando personas, transformando país (Formig people, transforming the country).”
• This patrimonial book was published in the context of the celebration of the 165th institutional anniversary and it presents two types of narrative: a series of photographs that depicts the history of the University and a series of analytical texts (that were translated to English) organized in three chapters, under the responsibility of professors Carmen Norambuena and Cristina Moyano, and the collaboration of the designer Eduardo Castillo.

 

“This book is a collection of reminiscences that discover a history that belongs to us, that reminds us of our origins and shows us the way that we still have to go, with its risks, opportunities and hopes. It is a gift that we will be able to give with proud to those who we wish to know better about us.”

With these words, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago, presented the institutional book called “Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Formando personas, transformando país”, a piece of work published by the Vice Presidency of Outreach and Engagement that, in almost 200 pages, depicts the main milestones achieved by our institution, heir to the School of Arts and Crafts and the State Technical University (UTE, in Spanish).

The book launching ceremony was held at the Salón de Honor hall and was headed by President Zolezzi. It was attended by the University’s highest authorities and distinguished guests related to this institution, like Tomás Ireland, the UTE’s former General Secretary and former member of the Teknos theatre group, and father Humberto Guzmán, who was in charge of the University’s pastoral care for 56 years.

During the solemn ceremony, President Zolezzi said that the patrimonial book’s title “summarizes very well our mission and history. In effect, our work as a public university is defined by the imperative requirement of promoting and cultivating the republican values such as pluralism, non-discrimination, laicism, democratic ideology, respect for human rights and commitment to the most vulnerable and unprotected groups of our society,” President Zolezzi said. 

For his part, Dr. Sergio González, Vice President of Outreach and Engagement, said that with this book “we update our institutional imprint, we introduce us to ourselves, to the new members of the University community, and, above all, to all who want to know about us and recognize us.”

The book, which was published in the context of the celebration of the 165 years of the University, presents several patrimonial photographs that depict life in the campus and the contributions made by the University to the community that surrounds it.

These historical images are presented together with analytical texts (translated into English), organized in three chapters and carefully presented in the book. The cover features Roberto Matta’s mural “Vivir enfrentando las flechas.”

Our history is linked to the country’s history

Dr. Carmen Norambuena and Dr. Cristina Moyano, both professors at Universidad de Santiago, were in charge of writing the texts on UTE and Universidad de Santiago de Chile, respectively, while professor Eduardo Castillo, academic at the Faculty of Architecture of Universidad de Chile, contributed with the information on the School of Arts and Crafts.

After the ceremony, Dr. Carmen Norambuena highlighted the role played by Professor Rafael Chavarría (Faculty of Humanities) in the process of arranging the texts.

Professor Norambuena, whose family and personal history is strongly connected to this University, said that the book “allows new generations to reencounter with a past that is necessary to know and revive.”

“For youngsters, it is very interesting to know the history of this University because, as the authorities said during the ceremony, it is linked to the history of the country. Every historical episode in the country is mirrored in this Higher Education Institution,” Dr. Norambuena said.


Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The recipient of the 2013 National Award of Visual Arts, a highly regarded artist for his installations where he combines photography, architecture and theater, was honored by Universidad de Santiago for his artistic work that intends to raise the observer’s awareness and for his social sensitivity and resistance action though the arts. On the occasion, he was awarded the University Medal in the first category.
• During the ceremony, the University Vice- President Pedro Palominos, on behalf of President Zolezzi, said that Alfredo Jaar “embodies the values that represent us as an institution.” For his part, the artist expressed his gratitude for the award and invited students “to create your own ways of expression.”
   
        

• The president of Universidad de Santiago, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, signed the “Declaration of Santiago” (Declaración de Santiago, in Spanish), a landmark after three days of discussions and debates on the role of state universities. The “Latin American State Universities Conference” gathered together presidents and representatives of the main universities of the Region.
• “We want universities of high quality and excellence that get involved with society and with the projects related to the problems of the country. We want state universities to be committed to democracy and pluralism,” Dr. Zolezzi stressed.
• The document signed recognizes the contribution of non-profit private universities, but it explicitly questions “the sudden increase in the past few decades of private institutions with evident commercial interests that have directly or indirectly received government support for their expansion.”

The debate over public education in our country is in full swing and, in the following months, the Government is expected to present several initiatives to reform higher education. In this context, and for its 172^nd anniversary, Universidad de Chile invited presidents and representatives of universities of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile, among others, to the Latin American State Universities Conference for the purpose of discussing on the strategic role of these institutions.

The conference started on November 19^th and finished on November 21^st with the submission of the document “Las Universidades Estatales deben ser el eje de las políticas de educación superior en América Latina” (State Universities should be at the core of higher education policies in Latin America, in Spanish) - the “Declaration of Santiago”- in which the universities involved agreed on several issues that are essential to these institutions and demarcate their work in the public sphere.

The document was signed by 15 presidents and representatives of universities of all over the continent and it established, among other points, that “higher education is a social right, a human and individual right”; therefore, “the governments’ support for scientific research, technological innovation, artistic creation and the development of humanities is essential to build increasingly prosperous, democratic and fair societies

According to the President of Universidad de Santiago, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, the conference was held in a moment “close to a profound and philosophic debate, most probably in March, over the new regulations of the higher education reform. So we consider that it is very important for us to be present on behalf of Universidad de Santiago. It was also important to leave a mark with regard to what we understand as public universities in Latin America in our times.”

One of the points in the Declaration that President Zolezzi valued the most is the one that establishes that governments should “increase the resources for funding public higher education and prevent the funding systems from having incentives that may lead to inequity in the access (to higher education), in a sustained path to free education.”

“We want universities of high quality and excellence that get involved with society and with the projects related to the problems of the country. We want state universities to be committed to democracy and pluralism,” Dr. Zolezzi said. He valued the continental agreement because “we were able to standardize criteria by recognizing that public education has a sole origin: the State bodies. And, what is most important: the idea of free education was validated at a regional level.” 

Ennio Vivaldi, President of Universidad de Chile, the university that hosted the conference, also highlighted the activity, saying that through this, the continent commits to “the idea that the education provided by state universities should be free.”

He also acknowledged that, just like the document says, “the higher education system is diverse and we value the interaction with traditional private universities that contribute to the university system. But in turn, we are concerned that in this context, there are institutions that were conceived as business, something that is very sad sometimes, because they take money from poor people and provide in exchange a questionable no-quality product. We were very explicit regarding this point,” Vivaldi said.

In fact, the document states that “the sudden increase in the past few decades of private institutions with evident commercial interests or social biases undermines the idea of higher education as a social right.” Then, it states that “in some countries, these private institutions with commercial interests have directly or indirectly received government support for their expansion.” 

International views

One of the foreign representatives, María Andrea Marín of Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina, said that although there are other opportunities in which Latin American universities gather together, like the Montevideo Group Association of Universities (AUGM, in Spanish) that groups together the Mercosur bloc universities, “these meetings organized with an specific purpose focus on an specific discussion: to establish the reason, the purpose and the extent to which we commit to as state universities. To establish what we intend as institutions and how we can contribute to strengthening the democratic states and the social development of our communities.”

Fernando Sempértegui, President of Universidad Central of Ecuador valued the fact that they “claimed the state’s constant attention to the needs of these universities, so that they can fulfil their mission: high quality scientific research work and professional training.”

He also highlighted the importance of state universities as “the leading agent in the approach to building equity.”

Education Reform

During the activity, Dr. Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago and Executive Vice President of the Council of Presidents of Chilean Universities, also spoke about current events and commented on the pressures that the Christian Democratic Party allegedly put on the government to slow down the debate on the Education Reform, with the consequent delay in the deadlines.

“I would expect this time could be recovered in terms of a larger and better conversation, because up to know, there has not been a dialogue between the government and the universities, in general, or a dialogue with the state universities, in particular, about the development of this reform,” President Zolezzi said.  He added that he does not have any information regarding to what the government intends to implement or propose “in March, April or at any other time. I do not believe they have not done anything. I can scarcely imagine that in 8 months they have not made any progress.”

President Zolezzi finally said that he believes that the government should show itself “more convinced and that the president should be more present, to proceed with this.  Although President (Bachelet) has expressed her intention to do so, we expect the implementation of these policies become real, because in terms of budget, we did not see it.” 

Translated by Marcela Contreras