The space is convened by the country’s universities, the academy and the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation, with the aim of working collaboratively on a roadmap that projects our country for the next 50 years. In the instance, Rector Rosa Devés assured that “we must show society the value of our institutions and also the value of our communities and what results from them.”
The first meeting of the initiative was held at the Central House of the University of Chile “Chile 2050 Project”an event convened by all higher education institutions in Chile, the Chilean Academy of Sciences, Congreso Futuro and the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation, which seeks to work collaboratively on a roadmap that projects Chile for the next 50 years transversally together with various actors from the educational, political, business and social world.
“In the times we live in, especially those to come, universities will be essential. There is sometimes talk of its imminent ‘disappearance’ – as a result of the digitalization of our coexistence, of our ways of creating knowledge – as if this were inevitable, as if it is something that is simply going to happen. On the contrary, in times marked by modernity, these institutions – which have been trained for centuries for critical reflection, for respectful coexistence and for the exercise of collective creativity – are more important than ever. But for this We must show society the value of our institutions and also the value of our communities and what results from them.“, highlighted at the beginning of the meeting the Rector of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés.
This project consists of a “set of long-range proposals designed by hundreds of experts, business actors, government, civil society and academia, in different areas that are key to the development of the country, looking to the future,” said the vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Tarapacá, Emilio Rodriguezin the presentation of Project Chile 2050.
The initiative had its origin within the framework of the Scientific and Technological Advisory Council of Congreso Futuro and the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), where they shared the diagnosis that the country does not have a country project that transcends electoral periods and the governments in power.
For the executive vice president of the Future Meetings Foundation (FEF), Guido Girardi, The 20th century was a century in which progress was made in various matters, but that world ended. “Just as previous generations thought about that society, It is up to us to think about what is coming, but this is much more complex, with much faster changes that threaten even humans.”
Roadmap for the future of Chile
The senator Juan Antonio Coloma, President of the Senate Future Challenges Commission, highlighted how this project was created and stated that “among those things that I believe there is a common effort and desire to change, it is in some way, putting aside a certain frenetic short-termism that philosophers propose as one of the situations that happen in the world today and that is probably hitting us the hardest.”
For her part, the president of the Chilean Academy of Sciences, academic at the University of Chile and 2006 National Natural Sciences Award winner, María Cecilia Hidalgo, He referred to the pending challenges in education and health, and stated that “We have to generate knowledge and work harmoniously. That is why it seems to me that this idea that brings together such diverse actors in national affairs is a very important first step to begin to generate a route for the future until the year 2050.”
At the event, the importance of bringing together the entire higher education system and the professional technical system for the first time in a common project was highlighted, in order to generate a transversal and inclusive consensus, and they were called to a work process to starting in July 2024, with the participation of other relevant actors, such as the Senate of Chile, the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies; central, regional and local government representatives; the business and union world; thought centers; representatives of the territories; and different voices of civil society.
During the ceremony, the work input represented by the publications of the fifteen thematic tables of the Public Policy Hub of the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation was valued, in which More than a thousand academics and experts have participated. These works, built from consensus, will be reviewed and updated to delve into areas such as education of the future, health of the future, economy and work of the future, development of renewable energies, potentiality and opportunities of resources such as green hydrogen and lithium, the contribution of science, among others.
The presentation of Proyecta Chile 2050 had the participation of the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel; deputy Francisco Undurraga; the Governor of Valparaíso and president of the Association of Regional Governors of Chile, Rodrigo Mundaca; the former undersecretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile, Carolina Torrealba; the vice president of the Production Promotion Corporation (CORFO), Jose Miguel Benaventeamong other attendees, who will be part of the Executive Secretariat of Project Chile 2050.
This entity will have the Rector as President Emilio Rodriguez; a co-vice presidency made up of the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Ignacio Sanchezand Guido Girardi; and as secretary will be the director of FEF and advisor of the UC Innovation Center, Alfonso Gomez. In addition, the president of the Society for Manufacturing Development (SOFOFA), Rosario Navarro, and Senator Juan Antonio Coloma will join as advisors.
