The executive vice president of CRUCH valued the Council's willingness and commitment “to put the capabilities and resources of our institutions at the service of people and territories.” For her part, the general secretary of the Council of Rectors detailed the CRUCH's lines of action during 2020, highlighting the contributions to the higher education system, the fight against Covid-19 and the contributions to the constituent process underway.

With a significant attendance of rectors, presidents of commissions, academics and professionals from the different universities that are part of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities, this Monday, May 31, the Participatory Public Account of the General Secretariat of the CRUCH.

On the occasion, the executive vice president of CRUCH, rector Juan Manuel Zolezzi, pointed out that “2020 was a difficult, complex year, in which we experienced the effects of the social outbreak and the pandemic. The impact has been felt in all aspects of life, which has generated the need to rethink things in the face of this new reality. “We have had to respond to the new needs of students, academics and officials of our different university communities.”

In this context, Rector Zolezzi highlighted the Council's willingness and commitment “to put the capabilities and resources of our universities at the service of people and territories.” Also, he valued “the importance of collaborative work between all CRUCH universities to face these difficulties and generate new ways of working, not only for the institutions, but for the country.”

Regarding the role of the General Secretariat of the CRUCH, the executive vice president highlighted its importance, “not only as a body responsible for articulating, coordinating and monitoring the different initiatives and actions of the CRUCH, but also as a proactive body and generator of proposals.” and initiatives that contribute to the work of the Council.”

More than 100 people attended the event, mostly members of the communities of the 30 universities that make up the Council. Among those attending, the rector Natacha Pino (U. de Aysén) and the rectors Alberto Martínez (U. Arturo Prat), Luis Alberto Loyola (U. de Antofagasta), Osvaldo Corrales (U. de Valparaíso), Ignacio Sánchez ( Pontificia U. Católica), Eduardo Silva (U. Alberto Hurtado), José Antonio Guzmán (U. de Los Andes), Luis Pinto (U. Tecnológica Metropolitana), Diego Durán (U. Católica del Maule), Carlos Saavedra (U. of Concepción), Christian Schmitz (U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción), Aliro Bórquez (U. Católica de Temuco), Eduardo Hebel (U. de La Frontera) and Juan Oyarzo (U. de Magallanes).

2020: an unexpected year

The General Secretary of the Council of Rectors, María Elena González, introduced the Public Account highlighting that CRUCH and its universities share values ​​and principles such as “universality, respect for diversity, pluralism, search for the common good and the inherent commitment to the public.” ”. She also recalled that the CRUCH was created by law in 1954 and that it is currently made up of the rectors of the 30 most prestigious universities in Chile.

Subsequently, he referred to the impact of the health and social emergency, and described how the Council of Rectors addressed the various needs and problems that emerged as a result of the pandemic. He highlighted collaborative work to sustain the continuity of higher education; meet equipment and connectivity needs; promote measures to make students and their families more flexible and facilitate the fulfillment of financial commitments; safeguard the sustainability of universities and the protection of the members of the university communities; as well as making university resources available for the national emergency, through laboratories, research centers, experts and professionals from different areas of health.

Contributions to the Higher Education System

María Elena González specified that CRUCH had contributed in different areas relevant to the functioning of the higher education system with the preparation of reports, documents and analysis. Among them, she mentioned the contributions to the new Access System, in charge of the Undersecretariat of Higher Education; the National Accreditation Commission (CNA); as well as in different instances linked to Science and Technology.

Regarding financing, he highlighted the active participation and demands of the CRUCH in the discussion of the 2021 Higher Education Budget; regulated fees and the determination of vacancies; and the use of surpluses from the 2020–2021 University Credit Solidarity Fund, among others.

Strengthening CRUCH commissions

During the period, the work of the CRUCH advisory commissions was strengthened, two new ones being created and a rector joining each of them, with the purpose of promoting coordination with the full Council.

The role of the commissions, in which representatives of the 30 universities in specific areas participate, is to prepare analyzes and generate substantive proposals for the various higher education discussions. Currently, there are 11 commissions: Academic Vice-Rectors; Postgraduate; research; of Internationalization; of Gender Equality; Admission and Registration; of Libraries; Economic; Legal; and the Quality and Institutional Analysis commissions, created in March 2021.

Links with international organizations

At the international level, the different entities with which CRUCH maintained links or developed joint initiatives during 2020 were named: the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue in Norway; the Observatory of European Union - Latin America Relations, OBREAL-GLOBAL; the renewal of the agreement between Fundación Carolina and CRUCH (to grant scholarships in doctoral programs and short research stays); the Congress of the Americas on International Education, CAEI, 2021; and the Mimir Andino Project: Innovation and Research Management (led by the Colombian Association of Universities, OBREAL, the Council of Rectors and various Latin American and European universities).

Greater visibility of CRUCH and its universities

To give greater visibility to the public roles of CRUCH, as well as to the 30 universities that comprise it, work was done on the design of a new website, which was unveiled in mid-May of this year. To see in: www.consejoderectores.cl.

Likewise, during the period the General Secretariat promoted the creation of two websites to publicize the universities' initiatives. In the first, the various actions in the field of the health emergency were systematized (https://covid19.advicederectores.cl/) and, in the second, in the scope of the Constituent Process, from 2019 to date (https://procesoconstituyente.advicederectores.cl/).

In closing her intervention, María Elena González thanked the support and collaboration provided during 2020 by the rector and rectors, the members of the CRUCH advisory commissions, the technical teams of the Consortium of Universities of the State of Chile (CUECH), the Group of Regional Universities (AUR) and the Network of Non-State Public Universities (G9); together with the management and administration teams of the 30 CRUCH universities and those who make up the General Secretariat. González stated that these people and organizations showed that "despite the difficulties, the adverse context, how the pandemic has hit people, places and institutions, it is still possible to generate life, beauty and hope."

The 2020 Participatory Public Account of the Council of Rectors is available at  this link. 

 Source: CRUCH Communications 

Interventions of an educational and training nature are part of the annual activities of the professional team, in response to their work and social cohesion.

During a period of one month, the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra, belonging to the Network of Regional Professional Orchestras of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, will launch its long-awaited I Cycle of Orchestral Instrumental Instruction 2021, in online mode. , together with the Guayacán Children and Youth Chamber Orchestra of the city of Coquimbo.

The measurement intervention, of an educational and training nature, consists of 12 instrumental workshops divided into 2 cycles of 6 classes of 45 minutes each, where boys, girls and young people from the commune-port will be able to expand and strengthen their musical knowledge on double bass, flute, viola, violin and cello; through classes taught on the Zoom platform.

Classes begin the last week of May with three educational interventions, which started on Friday the 28th at 15:00 p.m. with the double bassist Andrés Carvajal Castillo; then at 16:00 p.m. it is the turn of flute classes with the musician Gerardo Bluhm Ceballos and later, at 17:25 p.m., the promising young people will be able to expand their knowledge on the viola together with the outstanding performer, Polyana Brehmer Olivares . This calendar of activities will be replicated in schedules and instruments next Friday, June XNUMX.

For Saturdays, May 29 and June 26, classes will be focused on string instruments, which will be led by the concertmaster and OSULS Artistic Director, Leonardo Godoy Sepúlveda, who will teach violin classes at 10:00 and 12 :00 hours. While at 11 am the outstanding performer Monserrat Trujillo Peña will be in charge of instructing young people in cello classes.

In the words of Leonardo Godoy, it is very important for the orchestra to be able to carry out these mediation activities that directly benefit the community of musicians in Coquimbo, who have seen their resources diminished with the arrival of the pandemic: “we met this community at a chamber concert that we went to give in Guayacán and we were very impressed by the motivation of the children and young people who were present at the concert; Then we read in the press that they had financing problems, so we resumed this link and are supporting this initiative to directly benefit this community of musicians,” said the concertmaster and Artistic Director of the symphonic ensemble.

Alejandro Cerda Sanhueza, President of the Te Mueve Cultural Group, expressed his gratitude to the professional cast “for giving us this opportunity to accompany us, to train us and to motivate our boys from the orchestra in these classes and in these sections that we are going to have with them . We are very grateful and have undoubtedly high expectations; Our young people are very motivated because like all the orchestras and all the cultural activity in the region and the country, it has been so strongly affected by this pandemic condition that we are experiencing, which has greatly hindered the functioning and regularity of the work we are doing. with them,” he deepened.

This I Cycle of Orchestral Instrumental Instruction is part of the mediation educational activities of the first semester of 2021, within the framework of A Season like no other that is supported by the University of La Serena and financed, by Glosa of the National Budget, by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

To learn more details about the work of the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra and its work with the community and social cohesion of the Coquimbo Region, you can visit its website at www.sinfonicalaserena.cl, in addition to following them on their social networks such as Fanpage: Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad de La Serena, Twitter: @SinfonicaLS, Instagram: @sinfonicalaserena and subscribe to the YouTube channel to relive educational capsules and official and chamber season concerts at: Sinfónica La Serena .

Written by Camila Pérez, OSULS 

The technical table seeks to level and recognize subjects and subjects that the FIULS student who did not finish his degree has taken, giving him the opportunity to obtain a technical degree; and in the case of CFT graduates, facilitate the continuity of studies at the University of La Serena.

With the objective of formalizing the strategic alliance between the Coquimbo Region State Technical Training Center (CFT) and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of La Serena, a meeting was held to form the CFT Study Continuity Commission. In the instance, different strategies were analyzed to enhance the articulation of CFT graduates and potential admissions to the careers of the ULS Faculty of Engineering.

The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Ing. Mauricio Godoy, academic representatives, Department Directors and School Directors participated in the initiative, as well as professionals from the FIULS 2030 project, together with the Rector of the State CFT of the Coquimbo Region, Manuel Farías and the academic management teams of the institution.

The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering pointed out that “from my point of view this collaboration is an opportunity to offer continuity of inter-institutional study. We focus on improving opportunities for young people from the most depressed social sectors. For students who graduate from CFT, our careers in Civil-Mechanical Engineering, Construction Engineering and Food Engineering are excellent alternatives for professional growth; On the other hand, for ULS students who cannot continue their studies, we will create a learning recognition system to access the CFT, this is a pioneering idea at the national level.”

Likewise, the Rector of the Coquimbo Region State Technical Training Center, Manuel Farías, thanked the Dean for this meeting, “I greatly value the work that is being developed, since it is a mutual benefit for the Faculty and for us as CFT, and If it can be realized this year, it would be an unprecedented articulation between higher education institutions in the State and will be a great contribution to the Coquimbo Region.”

Currently the technical table analyzes the methodologies and leveling plans so that there is recognition between the subjects and subjects that the FIULS students have taken, and who did not manage to finish their degree, and who would now have the possibility of obtaining a technical degree .

Written by María José Barraza, FIULS 2030 Project.

The activity consisted of editing and generating content referring to 23 monuments in the Coquimbo Region on the Wikipedia.org site, with the purpose of increasing visibility and highlighting local heritage.

Within the framework of the activities to celebrate Heritage Day 2021, 73 students of the Urban Environment subject in the second year of the ULS Architecture program participated as volunteers in the “Heritage Editing on Wikipedia” initiative, organized by the National Institute of Youth (INJUV), and held between May 25 and 30.

The activity consisted of editing and generating content referring to 23 monuments in the Coquimbo Region on the Wikipedia.org site, with the purpose of increasing visibility and highlighting local heritage.

In order to fulfill this purpose, the students received training from Francisca Robledo, a professional from INJUV and a qualified architect from the University of La Serena.

For the subject's teacher, architect Stephanie Lara, this activity represents a tremendous opportunity for students to get involved with the heritage of the regional territory, integrating the local into the learning of urban theory.

As a result of this initiative, there will be more and better information on regional heritage available not only to the local community, but also nationally and globally. The quality of the published information is safeguarded by both the INJUV professional team and the ULS Department of Architecture.

The Association of Senior Managers of Administration, Business or Business Faculties (ASFAE) together with the Faculty of Social, Business and Legal Sciences, organized this seminar as part of a cycle of academic events that will be held this year in different universities in the country. .

"Challenges of the new Constitution to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation" was the name of the Seminar organized by the Association of Senior Managers of the Faculties of Administration, Business or Business, ASFAE, and the Faculty of Social, Business and Legal Sciences of the ULS , and which had outstanding exhibitors, references in the area.

On the occasion, the speakers, Dr. Eduardo Bitrán, Pilar Lamana, Mg. Claudio Maggi and Iván Vera reflected on the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation, especially during these complex moments experienced during the pandemic, and the need for these themes to be incorporated into the new Constitution of Chile.

The speakers mentioned some challenges that entrepreneurship and innovation have, such as incorporating a framework that generates incentives to undertake and innovate. Also, they pointed out that the world is changing rapidly, so the Constitution should be broad enough to allow society to adapt to these changes.

On the other hand, they highlighted important issues in this area such as the role of the State and the importance of decentralization to carry out in these matters. Regarding the current context, they also highlighted some examples of ventures that have grown during the pandemic, reflecting that success can be achieved, even in complex times.

Regarding the initiative, the President of ASFAE and Dean of the Faculty of Social, Business and Legal Sciences, Dr. Luperfina Rojas Escobar, stated that “this first seminar will be part of a cycle of meetings organized by ASFAE in conjunction with different universities in throughout the country who are members of our organization and who will actively bring together leading specialists, researchers, academics and professionals, to bring their knowledge to homes with an expert voice, wisdom, prudence and creativity, thus contributing to the discussion around these important issues, fundamental for the present and future development of our country.”

This seminar will be followed by other academic events promoted by ASFAE and the 32 associated universities. At the end of the seminar cycle, it is expected to capture the presentations of the speakers in a document, to deliver this compilation to the Constituent Convention.

About the exhibitors

Dr. Eduardo Bitrán is a Civil Industrial Engineer from the University of Chile, and a PhD in economics from Boston University. He was Minister of Public Works between 2006 and 2008, and has been a member of various boards of directors of public and private companies. He is currently a Full Professor of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences of the Adolfo Ibáñez University and President of the Innovation Club.

The speaker Pilar Lamana, is a Commercial Engineer from the University of Chile, has had an outstanding career in Unilever Chile and Latin America, having experience in the areas of marketing, sales and retail. Currently, she is founder and partner of the Biancolatte ice cream chain.

For his part, Mg. Claudio Maggi is a Civil Engineer from the University of Chile and a Master in Engineering Sciences, with a mention in Economic Development from the same university. He has more than 30 years of experience in the field of entrepreneurship. He is currently Executive Director of the Open Beauchef Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, at the University of Chile.

Finally, the speaker Iván Vera is an Electrical Engineer from the Federico Santa María University and has directed more than 50 high-impact projects in Latin America thanks to the implementation of innovation systems in business models, and devised the innovation intensity index. He is currently founding partner and president of Innspiral, Magical Startups & Turingo.

Written by Consuelo Peña, FACSEJ

On the occasion, speakers linked to the use of various tools that allow the journalistic exercise to be carried out in a better way were invited.

With the objective of showing some tools that can be used in a good way in journalistic practice, the seminar "Tools for journalistic use" was developed, organized by the students of the Organization of Corporate Events, Ceremonial and Protocol elective, in charge of the academic Mg. Karina Damke.

On the occasion, speakers linked to the use of various tools that allow the journalistic exercise to be carried out in a better way were invited. One of them was Mg. Juan Ignacio Martín, who spoke about the Adobe Premiere program, pointing out that “for me it was very important to contribute a small grain of sand in this seminar. I am happy to have been part of this meeting, where experiences can be delivered that I am sure will help professional training. I congratulate the team and students for this initiative, very important for current times, with a context of pandemic and virtual work.”

For her part, Katalina Cortés Olguín, student of the elective and General Coordinator of the event, thanked the exhibitors, teachers and students in attendance and indicated that “I can only highlight the work of my colleagues and the teamwork that was achieved. These are very important instances for student development in the journalism career, especially in these pandemic circumstances where we cannot see each other in person and we must also remain constantly learning and open to new knowledge.” 

Finally, the director of the School of Journalism Mg. Cristian Muñoz Catalán, thanked the initiative and noted that “I am happy with carrying out these activities that, without a doubt, provide professional tools to future journalists in a very important area, because beyond the protocol, the in-person or online activities that are can be carried out in the future, are essential for organizations, both in the field of private organizations and in public institutions.”

Written by Consuelo Peña, School of Journalism