The researcher who is working at the Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (IBG) of the Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, as well as at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, shared his knowledge in his fourth visit at the UFRO.

The links BIOREN-UFRO has with prestigious world-class research centers remain intact. The recent visit of Dr. Roland Bol, who is working at the Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (IBG) of the Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), as well as at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) at University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), is proof of that.

The main research topics are biogeochemistry, soil sciences and environmental sciences, and during his fourth visit at the UFRO, Dr. Bol provided his expertise and knowledge in the field of research he is working on, which are complex biogeochemical processes that occur in the interface between soil, water and air, and in agricultural ecosystems, especially in the studies Dr. Paola Durán and Dr. Milko Jorquera are working on, and which are also linked with Antarctic bacteria.

“They have taken samples of Antarctic soils, an extreme environment, and we are investigating the composition of these soils more detailed and continue studying microbial ecology microorganisms applied in that environment,” said the researcher.

Dr. Bol is one of the first international experts who is collaborating with the Network for Extreme Environments Research (NEXER) and together with Dr. Maria de la Luz Mora, director of BIOREN-UFRO, he is advancing in the field of isotopes, which are molecules that are marked at the molecular level, with the aim of finding out which is the fate of carbon in soils, the atmosphere, plants, etc.

Written by: Lorena Espinoza Arévalo
Vice-rectorate for Research and Graduate Studies

This year, more than 70 students from 14 countries, such as Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Czech Republic and Chile, came to join the UFRO university community.

A new generation of international students and students from other regions of the country decided to join the Universidad de La Frontera, endorsing the concept of student mobility as one of the most significant tendencies regarding internationalization and as one of the fundamental strategies for comprehensive professional training.

This year, more than 70 students from 14 countries, such as Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Czech Republic and Chile, came to join the UFRO university community. They were welcomed in a welcome ceremony organized by the International Affairs Office and the Student Mobility Unit.

On this occasion, the rector, Dr. Eduardo Hebel, addressed the international students to extend a warm welcome and to support their process of incorporation into the university and culture. “We are proud that you chose our university, in the south of Chile, far away from the large universities in the world,” he said, and affirmed that, besides of the curricular commitments, they could reach out to teachers and researchers. He also invited them to get to know the region and its beautiful nature, as well as to learn important lessons for their lives.”

PROMOTING INTERNATIONALIZATION

The International Affairs Office of the Universidad de La Frontera has been working on internationalization at home. The idea is to attract foreign students by renewing and starting new partnerships and, at the moment, they are processing about 45 new alliances.

Dr. Pamela Leal, director of the International Affairs Office, stated: “We have been developing different strategies. One example is the incorporation into the Program for Academic Exchange and Mobility (PIMA), an initiative of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), since September of last year, and since 2005, we have the support of the Secretary General of University, Research and Technology (SGUIT) by the Regional Government of Andalusia. On the other hand, we have different ERASMUS+ Projects for mobility with European institutions, access to exchange opportunities via scholarships by the Pacific Alliance, and we have been participating in international exhibitions in order to promote our undergraduate programs.”

Antonia Espinoza, head of the Student Mobility Unit, specified that two of the more than 70 students are from national mobility and the rest of them are from 14 different countries. According to her, they come to join the undergraduate programs and the different faculties. Some of them are even doing internships through the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) Program.

“It is the largest number of students we have received lately, and that is of great significance. Apart from that, we are receiving student who represent the first generation of exchange students from their institution who come to us, such as the students of the Hirosaki University in Japan,” she concluded..

	Hisae Minami, Hirosaki University, Japan “I am happy to be here. I came here because I spent six months in San Diego, learning English, and my host family was from Mexico. This is why I was interested in continuing to learn Spanish. As a result, I came to the Universidad de La Frontera, signing up for subjects in the field of humanities – that is what I am studying in Japan – thanks to the agreement that links both universities.”
	Tessa Sophie Kingma, University of Groningen, Netherlands “In Groningen, I am studying European Languages and Cultures, and here, I am joining a communications class in linguistics, which is mandatory, but I decided to do it in Chile, because it was an interesting option. Besides, I met some teachers who recommended this university because it shows a certain openness to receive foreign students.”
	Sebastián Hun Mena, University of Antofagasta, Chile “To be at the Universidad de La Frontera is very important and because of its location between the coastline, lakes and the mountains, it is incredibly attracting. I also wanted to join it because of its great indicators and because it is one of the best universities in Chile. I am joining the program of business engineering and pretend to live an experience that is very different from what I lived in the north.”
	Brian Rodríguez Ramírez, National Autonomous University of Mexico “I had a long list of countries to choose from, but the UFRO was the one with the best rankings. Therefore I chose its prestige and I know that the field of dentistry is also very strong. I am going to join the fifth year of the dentistry program for one semester, and I pretend to learn a lot for the moment of my graduation in Mexico.”.

Written by: Pamela Carrasco
Communications Office

After opening the doors for academic exchange of undergraduate and postgraduate teachers and students and in order to strengthen research, the Spanish language program for students of Heilongjiang University (China) is a concrete step towards internationalization and an important result of this alliance.

In August 2017, a committee of the Universidad de La Frontera, composed of Ana Moraga, the former Vice-rector for Undergraduate Affairs; Roberto Araya, the former director of Libraries and Information Resources; Pamela Leal, the director of the International Affairs Office; and Qingjun Wu, the UFRO advisor on relations with China, went to China in order to establish the bases for a cooperation agreement with Heilongjiang University and Tianjin Agricultural University.

As a result of the work and the established alliance, Lu Xiaoduan, the Spanish teacher of the Faculty of Western languages and director of the Spanish Department at Heilongjiang University, came to the Andrés Bello Campus. The purpose of her visit was to carry out an international Spanish course for students of that institution.

The Program is scheduled for the first semester of 2019 and shall be the start of Chinese students coming to our institution and of the creation of Spanish language programs that permit to learn the Spanish language skills that are necessary in order to participate in other classes. Dr. Pamela Leal, director of the International Affairs Office, commented that this program contains “intensive Spanish language classes in order to strengthen oral and written skills, thematic classes on Chilean culture in order to achieve real convergence, and field trips to learn about the Chilean identity and to get to know the touristic attractions of this region.”

The idea is that the students stay for ten months. “The first period of five months will focus on strengthening the Spanish language skills and the second semester on the possibility to choose general training electives,” Dr. Pamela Leal, who sees this initiative as part of the strategic management for internationalization of this institution, added.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

For Lu Xiaoduan, the director of the Spanish Department at Heilongjiang University, coming to Chile has been an excellent opportunity to expand her experience regarding the language and culture. “We are highly interested. Since the Spanish language is advancing a lot in China, and since we know that it is an internationally important language, it is a great opportunity for me to support this link with the UFRO and that our students will be able to come here to learn this language,” she commented.

ACTIVITIES

In accordance with this cooperation agreement, during the week of her visit, Lu Xiaoduan carried out a series of activities that allowed her to get to know the university, its authorities and the offer of each faculty, with the objective of exploring new fields of collaboration. During her stay, she visited Pucon Campus and presented her country’s pedagogical model in education to UFRO students of the Master´s Program in Education.
“Besides, I have been developing a workshop on Chinese culture and touristic resources with undergraduate students, and two workshops on didactics for Spanish language teaching, protocol and Chinese culture with the teachers of the UFRO´s Language Coordination Center,” she explained.

For Margot Godoy, the coordinator of that unit, this rapprochement is absolutely necessary: “We managed to define the details of the program and made some adjustments regarding the needs of the future students, but we also put together a relevant training program at the Language Coordination Center, as part of the continuous improvement with an important commitment.”

Written by: Pamela Carrasco
Communications Office

In a solemn ceremony of installation of the new university´s governing body, the Rector, Dr. Eduardo Hebel Weiss, delivered his first message to the university community.

In presence of local, regional and national authorities, academics, teachers and students, the Universidad de La Frontera held a ceremony of assumption of office for the rector, Dr. Eduardo Hebel Weiss, and the university´s new governing body after 16 years of leadership by rector Sergio Bravo Escobar.

On this occasion, the outgoing rector delivered a message to the university community, reflecting about the advances as an institution and thanking for the trust placed in him as the leader of this institution of education for four terms.

“Today, we have to celebrate, because we have learned to face what separates us, that agreements are more effective than disagreements, compromises much more than splits, and that the possibilities of continuous growth always have to be in favor of what protects the health and well-being of this institution,” he said, and explained: “It is not a question of avoiding or ignoring our legitimate disagreements but rather of striving to make prevail what unites, inspires and mobilizes us. I am convinced that the progress of the Universidad de La Frontera has been and will continue to be our greatest meeting point.”

Furthermore, Bravo Escobar invited the members of our university community “to maintain our option for quality, to safeguard the public spirit, to maintain the working atmosphere at our institution and to defend the positions and results that we have achieved together over all these years.” Regarding the new university´s governing body, he said: “I am sure that Dr. Eduardo Hebel and his team will be capable of maintaining and increasing this institutional capital and legacy, that was patiently built by each and everyone of us. My best wishes and my commitment to continue cooperating with this institution.”

After that, Sergio Bravo was awarded with the Distinguished Professor Medal, a recognition which is awarded to the rectors of this institution who govern for a period of four or more years, and in this case, Sergio Bravo Escobar was recognized because of his outstanding commitment and his role in the growth and consolidation of the institutional development project.

PUTTING PEOPLE AT THE CENTER

Under the motto “putting people at the center”, in his inaugural speech the rector Eduardo Hebel declared his full commitment to the essential principles as fundamental pillars for his university´s governing body: putting people, mutual respect, transparency and integrity at the center.

“With these virtues as the fundamental bases of our daily work we will be able to advance in this new chapter, at an unprecedented moment for the country, that we receive with the conviction that we will be part of deep cultural changes in Chilean universities,” he said.

He will be accompanied in this undertaking by Gloria Rodríguez, the new Vice-rector for Academic Affairs; Pamela Ibarra, Vice-rector for Undergraduate Affairs; Renato Hunter, Vice-rector for Research and Postgraduate Studies; Jorge Petit-Breuilh, Vice-rector for Administration and Finances; Plinio Durán, the General Secretary; and Ricardo Herrera Floody, the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

CHALLENGES AND OPORTUNITIES

For Dr. Eduardo Hebel, the Universidad de La Frontera has the challenge to become the main reference regarding knowledge creation at the service of the region, being a complex university, with projections and recognition of its work at the national and international level.

At the same time, the installation of a culture of quality and the view from local to global are going to be part of the work. From there, a new world of opportunities will emerge for all the members of this university community. “For a lot of us, it is the moment to fulfill ourselves professionally and academically. We do have the tools to empower ourselves in our daily work and to make our dreams come true,” the rector said.

It is also a time of collaboration. In his inaugural speech, Dr. Eduardo Hebel emphasized the need to visualize possibilities and all opportunities the world offers. “We will have to work hard based on our strengths, seizing the opportunities that are opening when you have exceptional human capital. We have to convince ourselves that it is possible and to defeat the apathy and individualism. Therefore, it is essential that we are able to distinguish between what is urgent and what is important. The pyramidal concept of leadership is not enough and it is essential to be more horizontal when it comes to decision-making,” he added.

Parallel to this, the authority said that it is urgent to deepen institutional relations with real-life problems, with the peoples´ needs. “We really have to understand what is happening socially and politically, at the national and international level, and to establish links with the ones who expect the Universidad de La Frontera to be a guide, a support and an example, responding to their needs.”

THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS NEW CHAPTER

Considering the above, and that the Universidad de La Frontera has to follow its course of excellence in order to reach this and other goals, the rector Dr. Eduardo Hebel reaffirmed his tireless commitment to working with and for the people in a sense of community. “The times that lie ahead, with all their challenges, must lead us to the enrichment of our institutional project, producing in turn the reinvention of our identity. This renewal of identity must take up again the building of trust, based on the interaction between colleagues and rich communication. In order to do this, we have to give a practical and real meaning to coexistence, strengthening spaces to make the condition of an open, dialoguing and participative institution stronger", he concluded.

The university community, as well as local and regional authorities came together at the Aula Magna of the UFRO in order to express their wishes for the success in this new chapter for this state and public university in the Auraukania Region.

The governor of the Araukania Region, Luis Mayol, emphasized the work of the outgoing rector that allowed the university to be among the best in Chile. “It is a great challenge for Rector Hebel, but there is no doubt that he will be heading in the same direction. This is why we wish the Universidad de La Frontera the best.” He added that this university plays a fundamental role: “Especially in the training of professionals for a new important era for this region.”

On his behalf, Ricardo Herrera Floody, the chairman of the UFRO´s Board of Directors, also valued the work of Sergio Bravo as solid and sustainable. “The work of the new rector will also give continuity to the work that has already been carried out, and that gives us confidence as the Board of Directors, because we need to have a clear university governance that is projected over time.”

One of the guests was Álvaro Rojas, the current rector of the Universidad de Talca: “The UFRO is a university that has been notably growing over the last 16 years. As part of the Consortium of Universities of the State of Chile, I have seen its development. I feel close to the ideology of regional work and international commitment that this institution has and it felt appropriate to come to this ceremony and live this important moment in institutional history and to accompany the new rector.”

Written by: UFRO Rector´s Cabinet