UC Chile and UC Louvain strengthen their ties with new collaboration agreements

Rector UC, Ignacio Sánchez y la Prorrectora de Asuntos Internacionales de UC Louvain, firman nuevos convenios de movilidad. Fotografía por Karina Fuenzalida, Vicerrectoría de Comunicaciones UC.

On April 16, we received a visit from the Université catholique de Louvain (UC Louvain) to sign new collaboration agreements and evaluate future projects. The Belgian delegation, led by the Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Dana Samson ; the Vice-Rector for Sustainability, Marteh Nyssens; and the Director of the International Office, Christel Vacelet , had a varied agenda, including meetings with UC authorities, academics, and UC alumni .

The delegation met with the Rector of the UC, Ignacio Sánchez, the Vice-Rector, Guillermo Marshall, and the Vice-Rector of International Affairs, Lilian Ferrer, to They signed two agreements aimed at facilitating mobility between the Faculties of Law and Humanities . In addition, they renewed the agreements for Engineering and Agronomy , which will continue to offer opportunities for academic development and research between both institutions.

The collaboration began in 2001 with a bilateral agreement between the Engineering programs and the SMILE network. Today, they have seven agreements that promote academic excellence, the exchange of knowledge and experiences between both institutions, and the enhancement of their intercultural skills.

During this international visit and regarding the new agreements signed, the Rector of UC, Ignacio Sánchez, stated that he was very satisfied with the great work that has been done with UC Louvain:

“It is very gratifying to see the strong bond we have built between our universities. I am confident that we will continue to generate and provide new opportunities for internationalization within our university community, ensuring that their educational experience is enriched with a global perspective. This collaboration will strengthen the exchange of knowledge and cultural diversity, thus enriching the academic environment and preparing our students for an increasingly interconnected world.”

At the same time, UC Louvain Vice-Chancellor Dana Samson expressed her pride in the results of the collaboration and the extensive shared history with UC :

“I’m very impressed and happy to see that there’s a desire on both sides to strengthen our collaboration. We have a lot in common, a long history of collaboration, and there have already been some ideas about how we can approach future collaborations.”

Express.

During the meeting, both institutions expressed interest in fields related to interdisciplinarity and social impact in research, areas in which both UC and UC Louvain have extensive experience: “We discussed how to identify some areas of common interest related to interdisciplinarity and social impact. We have experience on both sides, and it would be very interesting to connect our research and that of our students around these topics,” added the Vice-Chancellor for International Affairs, Dana Samson.

Global perspective

Fotografía de Université catholique de Louvain, campus Saint-Louis Bruxelles.

Among the main pillars of the UC’s development plan , two focus on deepening internationalization and expanding opportunities. These pillars are achieved through the establishment of international partnerships, supported by a firm institutional commitment. In this context, the university seeks to partner with institutions that share its objectives and vision in areas such as education, research, and cooperation .

In accordance with these objectives, the Head of Agreements and Evaluations, Javiera Alarcón, emphasized the need for trust between both institutions to achieve a significant impact on universities:

“An important element to consider is mutual trust between the parties, since a relationship of trust fosters a genuine collaborative environment with projections that can generate a high impact on the university community.”

In this way, the collaboration between UC and UC Louvain allows students to acquire a global perspective of their areas of study, both academically and professionally, together with one of the most recognized universities in Europe .

According to the Director of Global Mobility, Cristian Díaz , this alliance offers UC the opportunity to expand its international reach with international strategic partners, with whom they share similar interests and values:

“It is very important to work with one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe, which has, in a way, shaped education and its internationalization. We also have much in common in terms of values, research, innovation, and, of course, international outreach, all working together for global well-being. There is a complementarity in terms of projects and visions that can only lead to success in our institutional relationship.”

Along the same lines, this link also allows students to enhance their global skills: “It will allow them to participate in semester-long academic exchange programs, enriching not only their academic training through exposure to different pedagogical approaches and curricular content, but also fostering the development of global skills to face the work environment, characterized by its increasing globalization,” added the Head of Agreements and Evaluation, Javiera Alarcón.

Thus, the alliance between UC Chile and UC Louvain enriches the educational experience of students, preparing them for a globalized and diverse world by strengthening their global competencies through comprehensive training .

New possibilities

During the visit, UC Louvain also had the opportunity to meet with UC academics and alumni . In this meeting, they discussed relevant topics such as sustainable development and architecture , which are of great interest to both alumni and the university’s agenda.

In this regard, UC Louvain’s Vice-Chancellor for International Affairs, Dana Samson, expressed her interest in the possibility of establishing future links:

“They are very concerned about sustainable development and architecture, and that is also very important on our university’s agenda. So there could be opportunities to establish links with our researchers. I suppose the next step would be to ensure that the counterparts can meet and see if there is anything interesting to do in the future.”

He analyzed.

Javiera Castro , Liaison Officer at the UC Global Engagement Office, expressed her satisfaction at observing the faculty’s interest in reconnecting with their alma mater, fostering new research opportunities. She also emphasized that this is a positive impetus for connecting professors from both universities and promoting collaboration.

“It’s enriching to see that professors are interested in meeting with UC Louvain. It was a very productive meeting that served as an incentive to foster collaboration between our faculty and UC Louvain in the field of research. It’s encouraging that the relationship between both institutions is strengthening.”

He acknowledged it.

The meeting between the two universities has established a strong foundation for fruitful cooperation and joint progress in research. This partnership promises new opportunities for internationalization, ensuring academic excellence in a globalized world.