The mayor of the Garden City, Macarena Ripamonti, and Gerald Pugh, vice chancellor of the Andrés Bello University, Viña del Mar Campus, They met in this house of higher education with the objective of renewing the joint collaboration agreement to work for the benefit of the inhabitants of this commune. This agreement seeks to improve the conditions and quality of life of the city’s residents, through the development of academic extension initiatives; health operations; Citizen Squares; community days in different sectors and support in various areas through the 35 careers of the Headquarters.
Vice-Chancellor Gerald Pugh noted that “This is a milestone because we are ratifying our commitment to work with the Municipality for many years and enhancing our institutional mission, which is teaching, to train future professionals who we want to stay in the Region.”
Likewise, he added that “The link with the environment is necessary, because universities exist not only to train and research, but also to serve and work in the territory where they are located. We have a very extensive community in Viña del Mar and we want people to be nourished and benefit from educational, cultural and social support activities. Providing our support especially to the most vulnerable populations and continuing to organize various initiatives with the Municipality are part of the tasks that we want to promote to promote the development of our entire commune.”
Words from the Highest Communal Authority
Mayor Macarena Ripamonti He highlighted that this collaborative work is to enrich decision-making and link students to the needs of citizens. The councilor mentioned that this agreement fosters key aspects that encourage innovation, promote the health of the population, spread care for the environment, being aspects that benefit important axes of communal development.
Mayor Macarena Ripamonti held “For us it is essential to work with the Andrés Bello University, because their campuses also have more than 11 thousand students who live in our city and therefore they have to be part of our responsibilities and our care.”
The community leader added that “This collaboration agreement that has been going on for several decades and is being renewed today, only has good consequences. As a Municipality we celebrate this agreement that has materialized in concrete help for our community.”
Link with the UNAB Environment
“We have carried out several initiatives together with the Municipality, such as the Plaza Ciudadana, in Plaza O’Higgins in Viña del Mar, together with the Directorate of Community Development (DIDECO). In addition to academic outreach activities and community health operations in various sectors of the commune. From different disciplinary areas, such as architecture or engineering, our teachers and students have also led important projects in the city. A significant contribution of our University is also reflected in the work of our clinics that serve the community of Viña del Mar in the dental, veterinary and legal areas,” indicated María Jesús Cabello, deputy director of Environmental Liaison, UNAB Viña del Mar Headquarters.
