In an information seminar, the representative of the Canadian embassy in Chile informed about the most important facts to consider when the students apply to scholarships and about the opportunities for studying in Canada. The seminar was organized by the UFRO International Affairs Office and the National and International Student Mobility Office.

Canada is among the top ten countries in education worldwide and has a high index of happiness. It is a country that does not stop to grow as an attractive destination for undergraduate and postgraduate students. It has also been inspiring for Chilean students and young professionals who decided to join this adventure in a place that is more than 10 thousand kilometers away from Chile.

Taking the interest and agreements the Universidad de La Frontera has with different Canadian higher education institutions into consideration, the coordinator of Academic Affairs of the Canadian embassy in Chile, Priscila Lopez, visited the Andrés Bello Campus and held an information seminar.

“To study in Canada means to enter into a prestigious atmosphere. The Canadian universities are of excellent quality regarding their programs and investment in their fields of study – there are scholarships, such as the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program and the Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship – in addition, it is a country that offers multiculturality and development, essential components for any student who wants to life an international experience on a high level“, said Priscila Lopez.

OPPORTUNITIES

The International Affairs and the National and International Student Mobility Office brought undergraduate and postgraduate students together with the idea to spread information about these study opportunities.

The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) and the Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship fulfill the objective of supporting the development of human capital and the new generation of leaders, and at the same time, of strengthening the link between institutions of both countries. These scholarships are for short study or research stays, for one semester, and grant 7.200 CAD for undergraduate students and 9.700 CAD for postgraduate students (studying 5-6 months abroad).

The calls open on April 12th and the scholarships are available each year. This is why we invite the students to be attentive to these calls. In order to complement the seminar, the biotechnology student, Benjamin Duran from Chile, shared his experiences as an international student at the University of Regina in Canada with the ELAP scholarship.

“I learned a lot. The level of the infrastructure and equipment of the laboratories is very advanced. What remains the most in my head is the strong support the students receive, from teachers as well as from their fellow students. That University has departments that are specialized in the support of the students´ development and dedicated to inclusion.”

The person in charge of the UFRO National and International Student Mobility Office, Antonia Espinoza, added that “this unit opens calls in order to support the students who want to study in Canada and the Canadian government finances three existing agreements. In this case, the Universidad de La Frontera has active links with different institutions and, this way, we make the contacts for the students´ admission.” She also emphasized that the good experiences aroused the interest of the Canadian Embassy in Chile to do this dissemination activity.