Posts con la etiqueta ‘learn chile’

Learn Chile institutions generate more than 150 agreements at NAFSA 2022

After a two-year gap due to the pandemic, NAFSA 2022, the world’s largest gathering of international educators, was held in-person once again. Learn Chile was present at the event, together with 20 universities and technical institutes, with the largest stand of any Latin American country (100 m2) and 40 representatives of Chilean institutions who reached more than 150 agreements with international universities.

NAFSA 2022, held from May 31 to June 3 in Denver (United States), is the world’s largest international education fair, and was attended by more than 6,000 university representatives from around 100 countries. The event undoubtedly provides an excellent opportunity for outreach and international recognition, both for Chilean higher education institutions and to position the country as a great place to study. The event is supported by ProChile every year, both in Chile and the U.S.

This year, Chile was a special guest at the NAFSA 2022 ambassadors’ meeting, which was attended by only six countries selected to present their academic offering. Chile’s representatives, Scarlett Ramírez (ProChile Trade Representative in Washington) and Marcos Avilez (Learn Chile Director) had the opportunity to hold 30 business meetings to promote education in Chile to universities from around the world, which was a great privilege for the country.

Learn Chile is the only network that brings together public and private universities and technical institutes from throughout the country to promote their higher education offering internationally.

Positioning Chile

Universities that participate in the NAFSA event have always shown great interest in establishing relationships with Chile, above all institutions from the United States this year. “This week, we have had the opportunity to hold numerous meetings with various higher education institutions from the United States, which are very interested in the Chilean education market. We are happy to promote business and friendship relations with the Government of Chile”, said Ana Keener, from the U.S. Embassy in Chile’s Commercial Department.

On this occasion, the seventh time that Learn Chile has been present at the event, other Latin American countries showed remarkable interest in deepening their ties with Chile, thanks to the cooperation efforts undertaken as part of the Latin American Initiative for the Internationalization of Higher Education (INILAT). The NAFSA event was a conducive setting for representatives of INILAT’s member countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) to meet in person for the first time, further consolidating the bonds established virtually since 2020.

Meanwhile, Colombia’s Ministry of Education met with Learn Chile to present Go Colombia, a program created last year, and to find out more about how the Chilean network has become a benchmark for Latin America.

The expo

Learn Chile representatives held 600 networking meetings with their peers from other countries to provide information on the Chilean education system, higher education institutions, and their academic offering. These relationships will give rise to more than 150 new cooperation agreements (some of which have already been signed), and the arrival of students from around the world who wish to continue their education in a Spanish-speaking country.

“At these events, we can verify the interest in collaborating with Chilean universities. The results have been positive, and we are highly satisfied with our participation through the Learn Chile brand”, said Jorge Burgos, Director of International Relations at Universidad Católica del Maule.

Participating higher education institutions

  • Duoc UC
  • Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
  • Universidad Austral de Chile
  • Universidad Autónoma de Chile
  • Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins
  • Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción
  • Universidad Católica del Maule
  • Universidad Católica del Norte
  • Universidad Central de Chile
  • Universidad de Chile
  • Universidad de La Frontera
  • Universidad de los Andes
  • Universidad de Santiago de Chile
  • Universidad de Valparaíso
  • Universidad del Bío-Bío
  • Universidad del Desarrollo
  • Universidad Diego Portales
  • Universidad San Sebastián
  • Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
  • Universidad Viña del Mar

Universities aim to foster dialogue in ongoing social transformation in Chile

The eyes of the world have been on Chile in recent weeks. The 23 universities belonging to the Learn Chile network wish to inform that we have maintained constant contact with our foreign students, accompanying them and ensuring their safety, and we will continue to do so. As higher education institutions, our efforts have been focused on ensuring the necessary conditions to guarantee debate and the generation of knowledge in support of a revival that we want to form part of, in order to work together to build a fairer, more supportive and stronger Chile.

We are one of many actors in the social, political and economic process currently ongoing in Chile, framed within a global phenomenon of social demonstrations and protests in the common interest.

We believe that the solutions to this crisis must be reached via institutional channels, and that all demonstrations must be carried out on the basis of respect, dialogue, empathy and repudiation of violence. As education institutions, we have communicated this position to our students, and we are convinced that this is a temporary and transitory situation from which we will emerge strengthened and distinct. It will also contribute a new perspective to our educational programs, in tune with the challenges of a globalized world.

These are some of the conclusions that we have reached following the reflection sessions organized by our member institutions with their students, academics and staff to discuss and analyze the current social and political crisis affecting the country from an interdisciplinary viewpoint. These contributions may be merged with those generated by groups of citizens who have held meetings in various cities throughout the country in order to discuss the possible social changes that will be required going forward.

International education has a powerful role to play in this social transformation of limitless potential. In that regard, we wish to thank all of our member institutions which form part of this collaborative ecosystem that we have developed over recent years.

We have received many messages of support and solidarity, for which we are hugely grateful. We have also received positive feedback on the protocols activated and the support that we have provided to foreign students in Chile, which forms part of our duty of care to all of our students. This gives us confidence that, thanks to Chile’s people and its institutions, the result of this historic process will be positive and transcendent.