The delegation met with various scientific and educational institutions in the Asian country to strengthen existing relationships and generate new spaces for association in areas such as astronomy, astrophysics, aquaculture, health, public art, heritage, urban design, disasters, intellectual property, and energy. renewables, among others. Currently, the cooperation of the University of Chile with Chinese entities covers 22 agreements.
Promote a cooperation platform between China and Chile, agreements for the development of joint research and the strengthening of student and academic mobility between both countries. These were the main topics addressed by the delegation of the University of Chile in its Scientific-Technological Mission to China. The stay took place between April 24 and 30 and allowed the visit of various scientific and educational entities of excellence in the cities of Hefei, Chengdú, Shanghai and Beijing.
Between April 21 and 23, the University of Chile was invited to participate in the “6th APRU Vice Presidents for Research Meeting 2024”which was held in the city of Hefei, China. The event brought together various research authorities that make up the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), with the aim of promoting international cooperation for the growing development of the Asia-Pacific community. The Scientific-Technological Mission of the House of Bello for the Asian country continued until April 30 after the end of this meeting, with multiple activities to strengthen and explore new alliances with Chinese institutions.
The delegation was led by the vice-rector of Research and Development of the University of Chile, Christian González-Billault, and included the participation of members of the Faculty of Medicine; Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Agronomy; and Architecture and Urbanism, as well as the Institute of International Studies. According to the vice chancellor, The tour allowed us to establish high-level relationships with each of the institutions visitedwhich “will be transformed into formal inter-university work agreements”, since “There is an interest on the part of Chinese universities and entities to establish relations with Chile”.
The authority emphasized that establishing these relationships “is a starting point to advance scientific cooperation and mobility. In addition, These agreements will contribute to promoting joint research on topics of relevance to the country, such as clean energy, climate change and global health.”.
New steps for inter-institutional cooperation
The Scientific-Technological Mission of the University of Chile met with various institutions in China, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Asia Pacific Designers Federation (APDF) and the company linked to the food sector Tianjin Food Group. Visits were also made to the Chilean Consulate in Shanghai, the Chilean Embassy in China, and universities such as Sichuan, Fudan, Shanghai, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Tongji and Tsinghua.
In these meetings, it was agreed to establish various memoranda of understanding for the research cooperation in areas such as astronomy, astrophysics, aquaculture, health, public art, heritage, urban design, disasters, intellectual property, and renewable energy, among others. Likewise, it was decided to strengthen the bilateral exchange of knowledge through the student and academic mobility, the creation of future laboratories, research centers and summer schools, joint publications and the generation of methodologies for language learningmainly focused on Spanish and Chinese.
For the dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Gabino Reginato, this tour made it possible to promote cooperation agreements for the development of new knowledge, as well as the strengthening of existing knowledge. “I am confident that as an institution we managed to convey our public role and interest in working collaboratively,” he said.
For his part, the dean of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Francisco Martínezindicated that the objectives of the tour were fully met. “These respond to the strategy of expanding our international academic relations in areas of student mobility and academic exchange, development and technological transfer to industry with a focus on issues of high national interest.” Likewise, he highlighted “the great welcome from Chinese institutions and the very open willingness to strengthen long-term collaboration ties, which encourages further progress in the aforementioned strategy.”
Among the advances achieved, the initiative to promote a Forum between China and Chile, as a space to strengthen academic collaboration between both countries. This milestone expects to have the participation of various higher education entities and will address topics of international relevance, among which new materials, health, languages, climate change and cultures, among other subjects, stand out.
Vice-rector González-Billault highlighted this instance proposed by the University of Chile, explaining that Chinese institutions consider it “a natural step to consolidate the relationships we currently have; and open spaces for new cooperation in research”. In addition, the authority mentioned that the Forum “will allow other units that could not be part of the mission to benefit from an international cooperation structure.”
