The Japanese delegation was headed by the head of the diplomatic delegation, Ito Takako.
Japan’s interest in exploring joint collaboration initiatives in the fields of lithium and astronomy, among other areas, was expressed in Antofagasta by the ambassador of that Asian country, Ito Takako, during her visit to the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN).
The diplomat toured various facilities of the university, including the laboratories and the work carried out by the Department of Metallurgical and Mining Engineering (DIMM), the Department of Geological Sciences and the Ckelar Volcanoes Millennium Institute.
The Japanese delegation, which also included the head of the Political and Protocol Section of the Japanese legation, Tsubasa Yagi, held conversations with representatives of the UCN, headed by the vice-rector for Research and Technological Development, Dr. Rodrigo Sfeir; the director of International Relations, Karol Trautmann; the director of the UCN Astronomy Institute, Dr. Maximiliano Moyano; the director of the Ventarrones Project, Dr. Cristian Moni; and the director of the DIMM, Dr. Víctor Quezada.
“We are pleased that you can learn about the disciplinary areas that we have as a University”, highlighted Dr. Rodrigo Sfeir, along with highlighting that the ambassador already knew beforehand what the UCN does in the Coquimbo region. “Our relationship with Japan, through JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has been developing for many years“, stated the authority, along with indicating that the Faculty of Marine Sciences was a pioneer in this collaboration and that this can be expanded to other units and areas of knowledge.
On the occasion, Ito Takako announced the interest that Japanese companies have in the issue of lithium, and expressed his country’s willingness to contribute to the Public Technological and Research Institute of Lithium and Salares that will be implemented in Chile.
Another topic of interest for the Japanese delegation was focused on the astronomical field. In this sector he mentioned the TAO astronomical project and observatory, which has support from the University of Tokyo, in the vicinity of San Pedro de Atacama, in the Antofagasta region. Likewise, he learned details of the Cerro Ventarrones Astronomical Park project.
On its journey, the Japanese delegation was accompanied by the deputy of the Antofagasta region and president of the Chilean-Japanese Interparliamentary Committee, José Miguel Castro. “It was important for the ambassador to know which are the important actors within the economy and the value chain of lithium, non-conventional energies and copper, because they have many related companies. But it is also important that these companies can tomorrow welcome students who want to do their internships, internships, and who can also learn about the research developments that the University does.”, he emphasized.
