Dr. Francisca Acevedo will hold the office for the next five years and soon begins with her consular duties.

Her connections, the French nationality and cultural knowledge, as well as her outstanding academic profile were key for Dr. Francisca Acevedo of the Department of Basic Sciences at the Universidad de La Frontera for being appointed honorary consul of France in the Araukanía Region.

The UFRO academic who also is the director of the program in Chemistry and Pharmacy was appointed honorary consul on Friday, July 11th, and will hold the office for the next five years. It is an ad honorem function which Fracisca Acevedo accepts with deep gratitude.

“I accept this office as a representative of France in the Araukanía Region with pride. It is a new challenge which I accept with great responsibility,” she said.
As a child, she has been living with her family in France. This is why French is her mother tongue. When she turned 12, she started living in Chile, always maintaining a permanent connection with her family and friends in France and strengthening the contact through international networks on the university level.

Her duties as the honorary consul of France in the Araukanía Region are to represent the European country in different areas (culture, economics, science, academic field, official ceremonies, etc.) and to facilitate administrative processes between French citizens who are living in or traveling around the region and the French embassy in Chile.

Being more specific, her role is key in the support of the needs of French citizens in this region and in the assistance and guidance regarding different documents, such as passports, IDs, certificates, etc. and in the promotion of cultural and academic activities that could be carried out in the Araukanía Region and are related to French culture.

CONSULAR TASKS

The address and office hours of the French honorary consulate will be published, soon, in order to start with the consular tasks of Dr. Francisca Acevedo.
“I would like to thank the rector Sergio Bravo for his immediate support in this new undertaking, what makes the processes significantly easier in every respect. The support will allow me to fulfill my academic and consular activities in the best way. The new rector, Dr. Eduardo Hebel, has also already expressed his support,” she stated.

Francisca Acevedo added that, in her role as an honorary consul, she will aim to strengthen international networks between France and the Universidad de La Frontera, especially the promotion of cultural and scientific exchange, the creation of agreements and the application for international exchange scholarships and undergraduate and postgraduate student mobility scholarships.

“As an honorary consul I am at the disposal of the Universidad de La Frontera in order to support the different initiatives in the fields of culture, science and academic affairs,” she concluded.

Written by:Sergio Valenzuela
Communications Office