• The first day of the conference was very successful. Its purpose was to contribute to the making of sport public policies and to the development, research and impact of physical activity on our society. The activity was opened on July 1^st, at Espacio Isidora Aguirre, Universidad de Santiago, and it was organized by the School of Health, Sports and Physical Activity Sciences, with the collaboration of Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and Universidad de Valparaíso. 

   

  With the purpose of contributing to the making of sport public policies and to the development, research and impact of physical activity on our society, the first International Conference on Social Studies of Sport was opened on July 1^st, at Espacio Isidora Aguirre of Universidad de Santiago, and it continued on July 2^nd, at Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.

  The opening address was given by Professor Omar Fernández, Director of the School of Health, Sports and Physical Activity Sciences, ECIADES. “The seminar has the purpose of starting a debate on the development of big events carried in Chile and how these events are related to political, social and cultural processes that give additional meanings to this matter, which differ from the technical point of view of a coach or an athlete,” he said.

  “Social Sciences consider this as a more complex and complete phenomenon that demands a multidisciplinary view, with the contribution of anthropologists, sociologists, journalists, psychologists, historians and physical education teachers,” he added.

  “Universidad de Santiago has brought these issues to the agenda for reflection, debate and research and to see how different disciplines can contribute to the making of public policies, considering this sport and cultural phenomenon,” he said.

  “We have been discussing these matters for two years. Last year we had a seminar on Sociology of Sport with Pablo Alabarces, an expert in this field in Latin America, and specifically on football, and we have had some colloquiums this semester,” Professor Fernández added.

  “Therefore, our University is opening a space for Social Sciences to contribute to this debate, with the idea of furthering the policy-making in the area of sports, considering different points of view to enrich this matter,” he said.

  With regards to how this initiative was started, professor Fernández said: “It started in the course of Sociology of Sport, that considers different aspects for evaluation, relating the course with colloquiums and seminars; but, at the same time, it is related to outreach, from the sociocultural field. ECIADES opens the University to debate, where different agents and researchers meet to take responsibility for this cultural phenomenon.”

  For his part, Jorge Montealegre, Director of the Outreach Department of our University, said: “The decision of promoting the reflection on public policies related to sports and physical activity in the organization and security of mega events is a big feat.”

  Sport and State

  Director Montealegre added: “We see sport as a focal point, as a cross-cutting issue, able to be approached from different disciplines and by different civil, social and State organizations.”

  With regards to this idea, Rodrigo Soto, psychologist and professor of the Sociology of Sport course at ECIADES, stressed that his year they have the goal of conducting studies and providing consultancies on the social aspects of sports, understanding it as a social good, what would allow to reflect on role of the State, among other things.

  “When we think of policies on security in sport events, particularly football, we believe that there are more social agents than the ones that participate today. The space given by the University makes debate possible and allows recognizing that there are more social agents involved in making public policies on security for this type of event,” Professor Soto said.

  “This activity considers other aspects of sport. Sport should not only be considered as a motor practice and bodily movement, because there are social, economic and political factors that are involved,” Professor Soto concluded.

  Organization of the conference

  The event was organized by the School of Health, Sports and Physical Activity Sciences of Universidad de Santiago, the School of Psychology of Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, and the Center for Sociological Research of Universidad de Valparaíso. These three bodies formed the Sociological Studies of Football Cluster. Also, the Social Studies of Sports Center was started this year.

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Professors Dr. Juan Sepúlveda, Dr. Astrid Oddershede and Dr. Felisa Córdova, who were invited by the International Academic Program, took part in a seminar where they acquired new tools for problem solving through creative thinking. This will considerably benefit the students and will allow improving and updating the Industrial Engineering curricula.

Between January 07th and January 09th, the academics of our University’s Department of Industrial Engineering, Dr. Juan Sepúlveda, Dr. Astrid Oddershede and Dr. Felisa Córdova were invited by the International Academic Program (IAP) to take part in the workshop “Design Thinking and Innovation” at the renowned Harvard University, USA, where they acquired tools to solve problems in an innovating and creative way. They said this will enrich the educational experience of their students.

Specifically, the seminar was given by Professor Srikant Datar to 22 academics from different Latin American universities selected by the IAP and it was held at the Innovation Laboratory of Harvard Business School

Dr. Juan Sepúlveda, the Head of our University’s Department of Industrial Engineering, claimed that this continuing education program for university teachers “is a great progress in updating our teaching methodologies and in adopting thinking and problem solving innovative techniques that we will implement in our classrooms starting this year.”

“The topic that gathered us together in this seminar- Dr. Sepúlveda explained- was ‘Design Thinking’, an approach to develop innovation that is based on the designers and architects’ point of view, which have a very different way of thinking from engineers.”

Dr. Sepúlveda added that Design Thinking is “a very useful methodology to leave behind the conventional paradigms of engineering management, and for us academics, it will be very helpful to show our students that creativity can contribute to solve a large number of problems of our professional lives.”

“After this academic experience, we look for transmitting what we learned to students, so that they dare to break the known models and seek for creative answers to the challenges that they will face in the field of management,” he pointed out.

While, Dr. Felisa Córdova agreed with Dr. Sepúlveda and said that in this visit to Harvard, “we were able to see the learning and teaching methodologies used at this renowned American university and also had access to the researches that professors are now conducting there.”

“After this seminar, the idea is to promote and develop a disruptive way of thinking among our students at Universidad de Santiago de Chile and encourage them to develop a creative thinking, so that they behave out of the ordinary, break the paradigms to implement their innovations then,” Dr Córdova said.

“In the end, this will have an impact on our students, because when they know that their professors are constantly updating their knowledge and that they are taking part in academic activities at Harvard University, for example, they feel supported by teachers of excellence, what in turn makes them more committed with their classes,” she stressed.

For his part, the Head of the Department, Dr. Sepúlveda, concluded that updating knowledge and acquiring new learning and teaching experiences that are world-wide recognized “give our institution a great boost to keep our strong commitment to continue forming world-class professionals.”

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The benefit of using geophysical techniques to recover historical remains was one of the main conclusions of the “Taller de Geofísica aplicada al Patrimonio Críptico Heredado.” “By using mining technologies, we want to bring our country’s historical riches out of the depths of the Earth, without impacting the environment,” Dr Lucio Cañete, one of the organizers, said.

On July 02^nd, the closing ceremony of the third “Taller de Geofísica aplicada al Patrimonio Críptico Heredado” was held at the Conference Room of the Technological Faculty. The workshop was led by the Dean of that Faculty, Gumercindo Vilca Cáceres and was attended by several university authorities.

The workshop gathered together almost one hundred men and women of different ages and from different professional areas.

The workshop was given in the context of the outreach activities developed by the Technological Faculty. This is the reason why “We emphasized that the participants should not be part of the university community: to have an impact at a society level,” Dr Lucio Cañete explained.

The workshop

According to Dr Cañete, the purpose of the workshop was to give basic knowledge of geophysics and its potential applications to a general audience interested in the inherited cryptical material, “that is to say, a paleontological or archaeological resource that it is not visible, that remains under ground, covered by vegetation or ice.”

“We referred to gravimetry, seismology, magnetometry and electrical resistivity, which are used to prospect for mining resources. Chile is very rich in these resources,” the researcher said, regarding the techniques addressed during the workshop.

However, the team of experts led by Dr Lucio Cañete learned that these techniques could mean a significant contribution to a different type of excavation: the digs for the past.

“Chile has hidden riches that we want to reveal through these techniques: the riches of our past,” Dr Cañete said.

According to him, our territory is rich in archaeological elements; for this reason, we need the tools to unearth the past without altering the ecosystem.

“Historical research has shown that the first settlements in our territory started 13 thousand years ago. The first remains of human settlements in the American continent were confirmed in Chile,” he said.

“We have a whole rich past that must be revealed, but this must be done with techniques that will not impact the heritage while we are trying to bring it out,” Dr Cañete stressed.

Digging is a very intrusive method; therefore, if it is used, “The destruction of the evidence of the past is highly probable. However, geophysical techniques use disturbances that allow “seeing without touching,” he added.

Geophysical techniques

Gravimetry measures the variation of the strength of a gravitational field; magnetometry measures how a magnetic field changes; seismology, by means of man-caused little microseisms, allows to see what is under the surface, and, finally, the electrical resistivity measures the changes in ground resistance when introducing an electric current into the subsurface.

Regardless of the surface, the use of these techniques “Produce a sort of disturbance that does not affect the part of the patrimony that we want to know,” Dr Cañete said.

In this regard, the main goal of the workshop was to understand these techniques and see how their use in the mining industry can be a real contribution to surveying archaeological, historical and paleontological remains.

“We saw this and, and in our role as a public and state university, we called for the development of all these techniques that, although they are traditional in mining industry, could be used in a new scientific field: the field of the sciences that study the past,” he added

“By using these mining technologies, we want to bring our country’s historical riches out of the depths of the Earth, without impacting the environment,” Dr Cañete concluded.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Among the different speakers that took part in the Colloquium “Water: a renewable resource?”, one of them, Alfredo Zolezzi, founder of the Advanced Innovation Center, considers that the contrast between technology progress and the poverty and shortage of sanitary resources affecting millions of people is “dramatic”. He says that the solution to this problem is to make sure that innovation reaches people who need it.

The recent celebration of the World Water Day brought again to the national and international agenda the importance of promoting sustainable practices for the good use of water resources in the planet. The Colloquium “Water: a renewable resource?” was held in this context and it was led by the Association of Researchers for Development and Interdisciplinarity (INDI, its Spanish acronym), that groups researchers from the different faculties of Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

The activity brought together three speakers that approached the implications and significance of this strategic resource from very different points of view.

Leyla Noriega, journalist of Red Mi Voz*, who has experience in working with indigenous communities in the north of Chile, gave the presentation “Between the Andean world view and the community’s political core”. She explains that “our philosophy understands water like a living being. The resource is distributed according to its ancestral use by common law; that is to say, based on customs or natural rights.”

However, this expert in communications says that this approach is little respected, as a consequence of a series of processes that have affected the native peoples of the north of the country, like “Chileanization and the disassembly of ancestral authorities.”

Then, Alfredo Zolezzi, founder of the Advanced Innovation Center spoke about “Meaningful innovation”, considering it like a concept that has always been present in the history of humankind. “We have never had as much technology available as we do now, but it is dramatic to see this progress without recognizing that there are millions of people living in poverty, without basic sanitary services,” he says.

Effective solutions

In light of this situation that accounts for a complex reality, specific answers are required. According to Zolezzi, the solution lies in changing the way of doing things and he suggests “doing activism with proposals that make sure that innovation will reach people who need it.”
 
In his case, innovation became socially meaningful through the creation of the Plasma Water Sanitation System (PWSS), a water purification system that allows transforming polluted water particles into plasma, making it potable.

This system was implemented in 2011, in Fundo San José, a shanty town in Cerrillos, Santiago, thanks to a partnership with Un Techo Para Mi País**. It is worth to mention that this shanty town’s residents were resettled in June, 2013.

The last presentation was given by Dr. Silvio Montalvo, professor at the Department of Chemistry Engineering of our University, who spoke about his research regarding water resources.

At present, he is working on the treatment of sludge generated at sewage water treatment plants, in order to develop technologies to optimize the anaerobic digestion process that allows breaking down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.

“If we are able to preserve the water that we already have and keep it less polluted, we will be contributing to this matter,” the researcher says.

Translator’s notes: *Red Mi Voz is a digital network that promotes the practice of citizen journalism. **Un Techo Para Mi País is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes youth volunteers to fight extreme poverty in Latin America, by constructing transitional housing and implementing social inclusion programs.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• They shared with 400 youngsters from 71 countries, met 15 Nobel laureates in the fields of science and received recognition for their enthusiasm and creativity in the picture that they took and sent to the organizing committee before their trip.
• Felipe Recabal Rivas and Eduardo Cancino Jaque, students at the Faculty of Science, and Renato Leiva Tubino, student at the Technological Faculty, represented Universidad de Santiago at the first version of this important science meeting for youngsters worldwide.
• The three students, together with Maricarmen Castro Amaro, student at Universidad de Chile, represented Chile in the activity that, according to the surveys, exceeded expectations.
• The group was accompanied by Dr Dora Altbir Drullinsky, director of the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. She said that after the trip, “They came back highly motivated for what they are studying, aware of the impact that science may have on a country’s welfare and of the importance of personal efforts to have good results. This experience will mark them for many years, both personally and at their work in their disciplines.”

Felipe Recabal Rivas and Eduardo Cancino Jaque, students at the Faculty of Science; Renato Leiva Tubino, student at the Technological Faculty, and Maricarmen Castro Amaro, student at Universidad de Chile, were the only Chilean representatives at the first version of the World Science Conference- Israel (WSCI). They were accompanied by Dr Dora Altbir Drullinsky, director of the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

More than 400 students from 71 countries attended the conference, and the four Chilean students fulfilled the requested tasks with enthusiasm and creativity, the abilities that this conference sought to foster.

The Chilean students received recognition for the creative picture that they took of themselves together with a moai a few days before leaving the country, showing their eagerness to participate. With this picture, they won the second place in the contest of most original photographs.

Besides, each student participated in groups made up of students from different countries and science disciplines, to promote collaborative work among scientists. Eduardo Cancino participated in a team that was recognized for its work in making one of the best posters of the conference.

Inspiration

For the students, the conference was a great experience, as “It reflected the great interest that Israel has for scientific activity, as a key part of development,” Felipe Recabal said after the trip.

He highlighted that working with international multidisciplinary teams showed him that “There is always more than one way of interpreting and analyzing a phenomenon, what makes science much more complete.”

Eduardo Cancino stressed how interesting the presentations were, particularly the ones given by researchers whose scientific-technological developments seemed “impressive to him.” “A significant factor was that they had received funding for their studies, what is very encouraging in research matters,” he said.

He added that, from his personal point of view, the experience shared by the speakers made him understand the importance of persistence and hard work. “Once, they were like us, so we have a long way of efforts and dedication to go.”

Renato Leiva highlighted the level of the organization of the conference and its goals. The conference sought “To inspire young scientists, and I feel that, at least in my case, I am now more eager to continue working in science and doing my best to contribute to my country and the world.”

He was surprised by the scientific environment in which Israel lives. “I was able to notice that young Israelis who I talked to are very eager to contribute to their country. I believe this enthusiasm should be replicated in Chile. What all Nobel laureates stressed the most (both in presentations and in conversations) was ‘Do not give up.’ I will use this message in my academic development,” he said.

For Maricarmen Castro, student at Universidad de Chile, the experience was “Out of this world!” “It put into perspective all I had thought about science since I was a girl. Listening to Nobel laureates and see how they got where they are now was very exciting and gave me a lot to learn. Effort, motivation and persistence are the key words to say ‘Eureka’ some day.”

Motivation for the future

For her part, Dr Altbir described the activity as “fantastic.” “The possibility of interacting with such renowned scientists as the 15 Nobel laureates and other scientist from different universities of Israel, plus the huge cultural diversity given by the students of 70 countries, and an environment that fostered creativity and imagination, made this conference a “once in a lifetime experience,” she said.

She added that she has been able to see that the students came back “Highly motivated for what they are studying, aware of the impact that science may have on a country’s welfare and of the importance of personal efforts to have good results. This experience will mark them for many years, both personally and at their work in their disciplines.”

The conference was held in Jerusalem and it was conceived to contribute to the cooperation and the sense of responsibility, for a better future for the new generations of scientists.

The activity was organized by the Hebrew University, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.

The Chilean delegation was supported by the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Cedenna) and the Israeli Embassy in Chile.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Universidad de Santiago has taken on a new academic challenge through the Institute for Advanced Studies: the creation of a center to deepen South Korean studies that is expected to become an example in Latin America.

The analysis of the relations between Latin America and Asia that Dr. César Ross has promoted in the Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA, in Spanish) for several years, has borne new fruits, as the University has just been awarded funding from the South Korean government to develop a project for a Korean Study Center in Chile called Chilean-Korean Study Center Program (ChKSC-Program): For cross-country future integration based on deeper understanding in terms of Politics, Economics and Society.

The project led by Dr. Ross belongs to one of the nine institutions that were granted funds by the Ministry of Education of that country through the contest “Overseas Korean Studies Incubation 2014”, that will also fund initiatives of institutions like Universidad de Salamanca, University of Queensland, University of California-Riverside, the University of the South Pacific and the East China Normal University.

On this occasion, our University was the only institution in Latin America to receive this significant support that includes a resource allocation for the project of 50 million South Korean wons (27,276,000 Chilean pesos) a year. According to the current exchange rate, it means more than 81 million Chilean pesos over the three years to the project completion.

The project ChKSC-Program will allow the creation of a Korean Study Center in Chile, with the purpose of promoting academic exchange, addressing North-East Asia security issues, studying the process of reunification of the two Koreas and its effects; analyzing the, cooperation, competence and economic relation between the two countries since the FTA of 2004; analyzing their development of high technology and their export model, as well as their public policies and methods to reduce the breach between rich and poor, and offering at Universidad the Santiago Korean Studies oriented to the evaluation and analysis of the social and cultural exchange.

In response to the 21st century’s requirements, creating a Korean Study Center in Chile fosters in both countries the ability to analyze their similarities and differences in order to achieve a more thorough academic understanding that allows a deeper mutual integration.

“For us, it is a good opportunity and, at the same time, it is a combination of research and outreach activities as it involves academic and cultural exchange. It also offers a great deal of scope for researchers to present results and for undergraduate and graduate students to become interested in studying, reading and learning about Korea,” César Ross said.

The opportunity mentioned by Dr. Ross refers to the fact that, due to the great economic time that China currently has, the rest of the Asian countries seem to be in the shade. But for countries like Chile and for academic institutions like Universidad de Santiago, working with Korea is a more open possibility.

Besides, “it is one of the most important economies in the world, with significant scientific and technological advances and powerful higher-education institutions, with academics interested in coming to Latin America and interact with us. It is also a major trading partner of Chile,” IDEA’s researcher said.

Regarding the language barrier, Dr. Ross explained that he had already contacted the Latin American Studies Association of Korea, where there are at least 300 researchers, doctors and professors who speak Spanish.

The project that should be started next July, is also an opportunity for the South Korean country, in relation to Chile. “Together with Brasil, we are the most attractive countries in Latin America; Brasil, because it is a big country, and Chile, because its stability, security and reliability regarding economic, social and political matters,” he said.

Dr. Ross explained that, according to the ChKSC program, our University agreed to give courses or modules on Korean studies; to organize work and discussion panels; to encourage the students’ interest in Korean matters; to develop publications and promotion activities, like Korea’s week, and other actions to build links between the two countries and to make the University an example in the relations with South Korea, not only locally, but in all Latin America.

Together with the director, the project team consists of Rodrigo Álvarez, student at the American Studies Doctorate program and Master of Arts in International Political Economy from University of Tsukuba, Japan, as co-investigator, and Seonwook Choi, Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and American and British Culture from Sogang University, South Korea, as research assistant. On the other hand, the South Korean academics who will participate are Dr. Kim Seog Gun, Vicepresident of the Asan Academy and Director of the Center for the Humanities; Dr. Go Myong Hyun, a research fellowship holder at the Asan Institute for Policy Analysis, and Dr. Yun-Joo Park, Assistant Professor at the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies of Keimyung University and Chief Editor of the Asian Journal of Latin American Studies.

For the official list of the projects selected, check the following link:
http://ksps-pms.aks.ac.kr/jsp/rschr/sl/SlLastSlcList_eng.jsp?bizCd=INC&bizYr=2014&bizNgr=1

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Alan Bennet, Executive Director of the University of California-Davis Center of Excellence that started operating in Chile this year, visited Universidad de Santiago de Chile. The purpose of the visit was to meet with professors and inform them about the opportunities that the center provides to work in partnership in order to create a platform for the development of collaborative research with the national agricultural-food sector. This is the first department that the renowned university has opened outside USA.

University of California-Davis Center of Excellence, the first department of this university outside USA, opened in Chile last April. Its purpose is to create a platform for the development of collaborative research with the national agricultural-food sector.

Its Executive Director, Dr Alan Bennet, visited Universidad de Santiago on August 26^th and met with professors at the university to inform them about the opportunities that the center provide to do collaborative work.

“We work with industries to detect problems, form work teams with experts at Universidad de California-Davis and at Chilean universities that are part of the program, and now we want to find the best researchers at Universidad de Santiago to include them in this project,” Dr Bennet said.

This center is part of the Attraction of International R&D Centers of Excellence program promoted by the Chilean Economic Development Agency (Corfo) that seeks to make Chile a regional hub of innovation. For this purpose, the center is already working with three national universities, i.e., Universidad de Tarapacá, Universidad de Talca and Universidad Andrés Bello, and Universidad de Santiago will be joining in soon.

Dr Pablo Zamora, Scientific Director of the Center and PhD in Biotechnology from Universidad de Santiago, was also present at the meeting. He explained that, in the short term, they would like to expand their research lines to other production sectors that could require solving problems too. Currently, their projects are focused on viticulture and oenology, besides the three main initial research lines: genomic analysis, microbial detection and prediction of and adaptation to climate change.

In this regard, Dr Zamora said that their work is mainly oriented to develop applied science, driven by the industry requirements. “Therefore, it is not a space for fundamental science, because we know that universities and technological centers are covering that area,” he said.

The team of UC-Davis Chile said that they are looking for partners to expand their research lines; this is the reason why they have considered Universidad de Santiago as a strategic partner, with the capabilities required to face the challenges posed by this joint work.

“We know a lot about Universidad de Santiago, because Pablo was a student at that university. Thanks to him, we know about the faculties and programs, and this is very helpful, because it allows us to recognize each other as research universities,” Dr Bennet said.

A center for the agro-industrial sector

The decision to establish this center in our country relates, in first place, to the historical collaboration links between Chile and California that date back to the sixties, to the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva. This agreement was ratified in 2008, during the first term of President Michelle Bachelet, giving origin to the “Chile-California Plan: a strategic association for the 21^st century.” Besides, both territories share similar geography and climate conditions, as well as similar challenges, like diversifying the energy matrices.

On the other side, the drought and constant frosts that affect the agricultural-food sector require effective solutions, and the science developed at universities could successfully address these problems.

During his presentation, Dr Zamora said: “We want to bring capable people and, at the same time, we believe that in Chile, there are many researchers working on these issues who care about contingencies, and we want to help them to strengthen their work.”

In this regard, Dr Zamora thinks that the fact of having this foreign institution in our country will lead to new business opportunities for the Chilean and global economy; to new developments and technologies and to their faster transfer to the market; to strengthening bilateral relations; to developing studies focused on the market to accelerate innovation; and to supporting the area of Life Sciences, with a special emphasis on the agricultural industry.

The Department of Technology Management (DGT, in Spanish) will inform the researchers who may be interested in this alliance of what the process will be to present project proposals.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The anniversary program provides a wide variety of activities organized to reflect on the present times and to plan the future of the University.
• The activities, scheduled for July and August, were started with a set of conferences devoted to the topic “Amores Indígenas” and the award ceremony for the University Social Responsibility certification.
• “In this program for the 165th Anniversary, we would like to highlight the contribution that our University has made to the country and to our culture. For this reason, we are focused on outreach activities, in which the community is invited to actively participate,” Sergio González, Vice President of Outreach and Engagement, said.

With more than twenty reflection, academic and artistic activities, our University readies itself to celebrate as of this week its 165 years of history contributing to our country.

The program for the anniversary, coordinated by the Vice Presidency of Outreach and Engagement, includes several activities starting on July the 1st until the end of August.

 “We want this occasion to be emblematic for all the community as it is a positive key moment for our University, not only because we celebrate 165 years of the foundation of the School of Arts and Crafts, but also because this anniversary coincides with the institutional accreditation process and the University President election process,” Vice President González said.

In the campus, it is possible to perceive a feeling of interest in the future of our University, what provides a favorable context to develop reflection and discussion activities about future plans.

“The activities are arranged in the context of our institutional reflection and are concentrated in a program that will be developed in July and August and maybe part of September; they are artistic and cultural activities of recollection and reflection,” Vice President González said. He added that idea is that these actions help to value our University’s historical heritage and its contribution since its foundation to the development of our country.

“This why the program is focused on outreach activities, in which we invite the community to actively participate,” the Vice President said.

For his part, Jorge Montealegre, Director of the Outreach Department and Coordinator of the Anniversary Program, explained that the schedule for the activities was built from the proposals submitted by the different academic units.

“We offer an outlook of the University’s activities that range from the debate on our hallmark in our research activities; to the traditional artistic expressions of musical groups, and to seminars like the set of conferences devoted to the analysis of indigenous people love expressions,” Director Montealegre said.

“It is not a nostalgic program- Director Montealegre explained- but a live one, that faces this 165 years looking at the present times and planning the future based on our reflections. The program is an invitation for people to get involved and participate.”

Director Montealegre added that, among the anniversary activities, there are two contests to which all the university community is invited to participate: The “Nuestra Historia en 165 Imágenes” Photography Contest and the “Tenemos Cuento” Micro-fiction Story Contest. In the latter, our University community’s children are also invited to participate.

We invite you to check the program and celebrate the 165 years of our University.

165th Anniversary Program.
http://www.usach.cl/aniversario

Photography Contest.
http://www.usach.cl/165imagenes

Micro-fiction Contest.
http://www.usach.cl/tenemoscuento


Translated by Marcela Contreras
 

•  Dr Jenny Blamey, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology described the 13^th International Thermophiles Meeting as a very important opportunity for the development of research at Universidad de Santiago and in the country. Worldwide prominent figures in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, biocatalysis and biotechnology, participated in the conference. This is the first time that this global meeting is held in South America and Dr Blamey was in charge of the organization.

   

  In her closing speech, Dr Jenny Blamey, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago, evaluated this global meeting as a very important opportunity for the development of research at Universidad de Santiago and in the country.

  Dr Blamey highlighted the scientific importance of this conference that always leaves its imprint on the research centers and the countries where it is held. This also happened in our university and it should be reflected on the country.

  During the activity, worldwide leading scientists in this field presented their top-notch studies.

  These experts in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, biocatalysis and biotechnology informed about the progress in their specialities, in order to have a better understanding of thermophiles.

  The Thermophiles International Conference is a global meeting held every second year. For the first time the meeting was carried out in South America, under the general supervision of Dr Blamey, and with the support of an efficient team who coordinated different tasks for the organizing bodies: Bioscience Foundation and the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago.

  The program included sessions on topics like genomics and biochemical processes, keynote lectures and poster presentations.

  International experts like Dr Karl Stetter, Dr Michel Adams and Dr Juergen Wiegel met with students, researchers and Chilean and foreign scientists.

  They shared their questions and their knowledge about the last developments and potential biotechnological applications of thermophiles, which are considered key to science development in our country and the world.

  A space for discussion and proposals

  “For Universidad de Santiago de Chile, hosting and promoting this type of activity is essential, since our purpose as a public, state and complete university is to create, preserve, disseminate and apply knowledge for the welfare of society,” Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago, said.

  The Thermophiles 2015 International Conference contributed “To our institutional essential work, as it became a space for discussion and proposals, in a multidisciplinary and pluralistic dialogue; on this occasion, in the field of extremophiles, a new important field worldwide, not only for biological sciences but also for industrial biotechnology,” he added.

  For his part, Dr Gustavo Zúñiga, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, highlighted the importance of having been selected to organize the activity and receive these distinguished scientists, and give the students the opportunity to ask questions and talk to them.

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr. Sergio Velastín, professor at the Department of Informatics Engineering of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, gave a talk on the use of data fusion in computer vision at the 17th Conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), held at Salamanca, Spain. Around 400 officials from the Ministries of Defense of different countries and members of the NATO attended the conference.

International experts on data management gathered last week in Salamanca, Spain, at the 17th version of the International Conference on Information Fusion (Fusion 2014) supported by the IEEE. Universidad the Santiago de Chile was represented by Dr. Sergio Velastín, full professor at the Department of Informatics Engineering, who gave a presentation during the activity.

He gave his presentation “The potential of fusion in computer vision application” to more than 400 people, many of them members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and representatives of Ministries of Defense of different countries, who attended the conference to learn about the progress in this field.

Dr. Velastín talked about computer vision, the branch of artificial intelligence that is concerned with finding artificial means to interpret the visual information of the surrounding world. Human beings have specialized in this interpretation and use a significant part of their brains to do it. “Most of what we do every day (getting around, driving, interacting with others, enjoying sports, teaching our children, learning, reading information, among others) requires interpreting what we see. If machines were able to emulate these abilities, we could potentially enrich our lives and empower mentally or motor- handicapped people. We could also make our public spaces safer,” the academic said.

Data processing in the digital era

According to the researcher, more than 40 years ago, a revolution started in human development that would potentially transform what up to then were physical quantities (images, printed letters, vital signs like blood pressure, sounds, among others) into digital data (numbers) that could be processed by a computer. “This digital era in which we live has surrounded us to such a degree that we almost do not realize how extended the generation, transmission and processing of data are. A routine telephone call occurs thanks to the processing of these numbers. Everything can be more easily filed and humankind is generating more data than ever in its existence,” professor Velastín said.

The academic explained that although many technologies- like data fusion- initially arose due to military needs, especially during the Cold War, “the use of this data involves large potential benefits, but they undoubtedly depend on how societies and governments use it. Europe, with a more egalitarian and socially inclusive model, is achieving great progress benefiting people, for example, through the so-called intelligent cities and environmentally assisted life.”

Professor Velastín thinks that in societies with more individualistic models, like Chile or even the United States, benefits could turn into danger, mainly because these contributions are not well distributed and are not used for social inclusion. “How many municipal schools do usually use tablets or smart boards?” The risk posed by disparity in the access to technology increases inequality, particularly, in future generations,” he said.

Security cameras

At present, Dr. Velastín is conducting a study in London on people’s behavior on public transportation, by recording and interpreting digital images captured by security cameras. In his opinion, the use of cameras in public spaces is a complex issue that depends on the balance between the right to security and the right to privacy. “In an ideal society, nobody is arrested at random unless he/she is a suspect or has put other people’s security at risk. What is important is to have clear regulations that are transparently respected by everyone who is responsible for a security camera, both in the government and in the private sector.

Professor Velastín has worked for several years in the United Kingdom, the country with more cameras per capita in the world, but also with very strong regulations for protecting data. He went to Spain in the context of a visiting professorship at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, through its Chairs of Excellence program, funded by Banco Santander.

Translated by Marcela Contreras