During the first 14 days of operation, the ULS academic team behind the Facial Shields solidarity initiative delivered more than 10% of the estimated total production, which amounts to about 5 thousand units.

"The ULS face shield is not just clothing, it is proof that as a society we are capable of learning that we will overcome the pandemic if we all do our best in the search for solutions." This is how Raquel Salinas, a ULS academic member of the team of volunteers from the faculties of Science and Engineering, explains the feeling she gets every time they deliver the contributions and receive calls, photographs or emails of gratitude.

Since the start of the campaign -March 31, 2020-, the team has received more than 1.500 micas and 55 kilos of PLA filament, basic materials for making the face shields. The contributions have come from people, groups, municipalities and companies that, trusting in the initiative, hope to contribute in this way to the control of the pandemic in the Coquimbo Region.

In these 14 days of the campaign, there are a total of 555 units delivered and in use, in public health institutions in the communes of La Serena, Coquimbo, Ovalle, Andacollo, Monte Patria and Combarbalá, as well as 50 face shields delivered to care centers for older adults of La Serena

The impact of this contribution in health centers is highly valued by the beneficiary health teams and also by local authorities. The mayor of Monte Patria, Camilo Ossandón, recognized the contribution of the initiative, visualizing other possible uses of the face shield that would allow him to protect his community: "We are super happy with the delivery that is intended to protect our health officials so that are not exposed to the virus and we also want to allocate them to those who attend critical services such as warehouses and strategic supply services in our commune”.

For their part, the ULS team is open to continuing to produce the protectors, for which they require continuing to collect materials (elastics, micas and PLA filament). For this reason, Alejandro Orellana, a member of the ULS team of academics, called on the community to continue the crusade: “We are very grateful to those who are supporting us with the necessary supplies for us to manufacture the face shields. We hope to move and motivate more people and institutions to support the initiative that still has a great demand to satisfy. For our part, we renew our commitment to continue producing, but we need more materials,” he explained.

Those interested in making contributions in materials should contact Alejandro Orellana (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +569 62470324) or César Espíndola (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +56 994350491)

The activity, open to the public, begins this Thursday, April 9.

Given the current situation that the country is experiencing with the arrival of COVID-19, the Department of Education and the Interdisciplinary Center for Latin American Studies of the Universidad La Serena will hold a series of online conferences called “Emergency Conferences: Philosophical Quarantine”, which They begin this Thursday, April 9, open to the community.

The objective of these conferences is to create a space to meet virtually, every Thursday, to think out loud and reflect on the social and political changes that have been experienced around the world in the face of the spread of this pandemic.

The first of these conferences will be held this April 9 at 19:00 p.m., and will consist of the presentation “The refuge of our caves: Inhabiting a World in Crisis”, by the academic from the Universidad Nacional Tres de Febrero, Dr. José Antonio Tasat.

From the Department of Education they indicated that “the conferences are focused on the need to recover and prioritize the human; I understand humanism as the exercise of moral hospitality that the subject offers to the other, respecting their otherness. Being in quarantine, in a state of exception, invites us to think about how the biological structure of life becomes the ultimate terrain of the human being, which pushes the subject to a limit point where the most extreme risk is one and the same. “something that is the most unprecedented of opportunities: defining the human.”

To be part of this first conference, you must enter the link https://reuna.zoom.us/j/930745508 and enter the meeting ID: 930 745 508.

Written by Tomás Rodríguez, DirCom

In the context of the serious health and economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus, COVID-19, the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), made up of 30 institutions that represent the most diverse intellectual and cultural traditions of the country, has estimated a civic duty and a responsibility inherent to its mission to appeal to the national public conscience, based on the following considerations:

1.- That it is evident that this dangerous emergency that threatens the life and health of thousands of people came to us in a social and political situation of acute tension and unresolved antagonisms. That this itself gave rise to an institutional process that must lead to relevant political decisions of the greatest magnitude for national history.   

2.- Given this unfortunate coincidence, we allow ourselves to call on all citizens and especially their political representations, not to confuse the plans because the country urgently needs at this time, greater cohesion and unity of purposes. That to achieve this objective we must be able to abandon our mistrust and prejudices, as well as the economic or political advantages that one or the other may have. 

3.- That in this sense we must all join in and support the efforts being deployed by the health authority, our government and the political system as a whole, civic loyalty that certainly does not exclude disagreement or legitimate, respectful and founded criticism. 

4.- In accordance with the social function that we fulfill in the task of generating and contributing knowledge to society, our universities will continue to offer and collaborate with all their available resources, from their research centers, with their professionals and experts, as well as with its COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories and the production of supplies that can support the protection of people.

5.- We also want to publicly thank, on behalf of our university communities, all the people who are serving in public or private health establishments, clinical laboratories or in other service areas, whether in security, administration, transportation tasks. , supply or others, since these Chileans make it possible to protect everyone else, sometimes at serious risk to their own safety or integrity.   

6.- When we emerge from this health crisis, the economic and social effects of which will be very serious and longer-lasting, we will be on the verge of a constitutional plebiscite or other relevant institutional decisions for Chile. It will be much better to arrive at that moment after a careful, visible and convincing effort at social cohesion and solidarity.

For these reasons we allow ourselves this time, beyond what we always do given the role of the CRUCH, to call for each and every one of us to contribute whenever civic altruism is necessary, rather than summoning or questioning others ( ace). The best democratic and republican vocation for this dramatic disruption of public and private life will be the one that makes us capable of identifying how together to overcome the dangers and health damage that already plague the country, but also overcome the pain and serious problems today and tomorrow. consequences of the economic losses that people, companies and the country will have. 

Source: CRUCH

The Workshop “Social-Emotional Skills and Learning Techniques” was aimed at students and volunteers who are part of the Comprehensive Support Plan, within the framework of Inclusion and Universal Accessibility, promoted by the university.

Virtual classes, videoconferences, time and space adjustments, are some of the measures to which students throughout the country have had to adapt, due to the protective actions arising from the global outbreak of COVID - 19. This has led to the emergence of various emotions, which not everyone is prepared to face adequately.

In this context, the Comprehensive Support Plan team organized the 1st Online Workshop whose main purpose was to understand the context that the students participating in the Plan are experiencing and, in this way, guide them to help them cope with this crisis and new ways study.

The activity was led by the differential educator, Alejandra Galleguillos, and the psychologist Rosana Toro, who shared various tips on how to manage emotions and have the time and space to carry out their daily and academic tasks on a regular basis.

“It is natural that we are full of contradictory emotions, and first of all we must understand that we are in a crisis situation, which is not normal. Some of us get nervous, others are more afraid, that will depend on each one and the contexts we have. Therefore, we do not have to be so strict with ourselves and recognize what is happening to us, then we have to see what we do with it. That is the great tool they have in their hands,” explained the psychologist.

Among the suggestions given by professionals are avoiding overinformation, controlling access to social networks, in order to reduce the anxiety and anguish that it can generate. In addition, it is recommended that students maintain their daily routines, such as bathing before studying, finding a comfortable space to do their homework, and maintaining an appropriate study schedule (17:00 p.m. to 20:00 p.m. is recommended). .

In general, the participants appreciated the event, since it allowed them to verbalize and express what they have been feeling, and also learn about the experiences of their colleagues.

In order to continue supporting students, a second Workshop will be scheduled at the end of April.

Written by Daniela Ledezma, Comprehensive Support Plan.

The free platform is available for entrepreneurs to register through the following link www.mercadito.fiuls.cl/formulario and are part of this initiative, which provides products and services to customers without them having to leave their home.

Under the safeguard regulations established to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the local economy has been affected, especially the trade of micro and small entrepreneurs. In this sense, the team of the Technology Marketing and Technology-Based Entrepreneurship Axis, framed in the FIULS 2030 Project, created a platform called "Mercadito FIULS", with the aim of facilitating the location of different businesses in the vicinity of the homes of the families from La Serena and Coquimbo.

FIULS Market (www.mercadito.fiuls.cl) is a platform created for the positioning of local businesses and entrepreneurs located in Coquimbo and La Serena (soon available in other locations in the region). On this website you can access the offer of products and services through geolocation.

The application allows you to search through product category filters, shipping coverage areas and accepted payment methods, providing all the necessary information for customers.

The geolocation function allows a search for all businesses close to the location provided by users, up to a radius of 10 km. around. With this, the community will be able to choose to supply itself with businesses close to their home. The above helps to boost the local economy, expanding the sales channel of local businesses and entrepreneurs in the face of the national contingency.

The Director of the Axis “Commercialization of Technology and Technology-Based Entrepreneurship” of the FIULS 2030 Project and academic of the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of La Serena, MTI. Eng. Alejandro Álvarez, in relation to the initiative, stressed that “as a state University, it is our duty to support the community, especially in the circumstances we are experiencing. For this reason we developed a free platform so that it is available to the entire La Serena - Coquimbo conurbation. This is how we give the community the option to purchase products and services without leaving their home, facilitating the necessary social distancing to combat COVID-19. At the same time, we support small local businesses that have been affected by the contingency, making their offer of products and services visible”.

Mercadito FIULS is now available, therefore the invitation is extended to all entrepreneurs and SMEs to register by filling out the following form in www.mercadito.fiuls.cl/formulario.

Written by María José Barraza, FIULS 2030 Project

Students of the Journalism degree from the Faculty of Social, Business and Legal Sciences of the University of La Serena, carried out the first defense of the degree exam virtually through a video conference.

The global contingency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of face-to-face activities to prevent spread and contagion, has caused various innovations for the continuity of students' training processes.

It is under this context that a group of students from the Journalism major at the University of La Serena took their degree exam through a video conference, achieving the maximum grade under the same face-to-face format, which was adapted to the platforms. virtual.

The research seminar titled “The role of women in Chilean music and its representation in digital media” was attended, in the virtual defense, by the Director of the School of Journalism, Mg. Cristian Muñoz, who in turn had the role of guide teacher; the Academic Secretary of the Faculty, Mg. Carolina Rodríguez, and the academic, Dr. Arlyn Orellana, as well as the students responsible for the research, Paulina Álvarez, Cristóbal Galleguillos and Marcelo Sandoval.

The theme of this research work consisted of addressing cultural and social change in relation to the feminist movement, the evolution of the role of women in society and Chilean music and what has been the role of digital and independent media. .

The Director of the School of Journalism and guiding professor valued and highlighted the innovation of the topic and the adaptability of the students in the virtual defense. “This is the first thesis that points to that area, linking cyberactivism, music, feminism and digital media. This represents a new line of research that opens up to review and analyze the virtual environment, the impact on the physical environment, and how this impacts people's lives."

He added that “the same guidelines were respected, there was no major difference, only the lack of real human interaction; However, the same objectives of a physical presentation were achieved, this allows us to confirm that with these platforms we can speed up the degree exams and certification processes of our School.”

The commitment and teamwork of the research group were the essential elements to successfully complete this almost culminating stage of the professional training process. That is why the student Paulina Álvarez thanked the commitment of the School of Journalism and the union of the work team. “The teachers knew the tension we are going through, it has been an abnormal process; However, the teachers were very empathetic with us. “I am very proud of the result we obtained both as colleagues and as a School that we were able to overcome this challenge under the enormous contingency,” she said.

Likewise, student Cristóbal Galleguillos reinforced that teamwork and the good use of digital platforms is feasible for these processes. “We began to organize ourselves virtually, we made video calls and Zoom meetings until everything went well, we prepared as if it were an in-person defense, obviously we would have liked it to be that way, but given the contingency it is warranted, the most important thing now It is taking care of ourselves and taking care of each other, and along with that, adapting to the available technologies is very positive.”

The innovation of this topic will allow the exploration of new lines of research, which generates greater academic productivity. That is why, in the future, according to internal processes and contingency, research can be found on the institution's internal portals for free academic use by the university community.

Written by Paula Godoy, ULS journalist