The official launch of the clean point will feature sustainability week, in which talks will be given to raise awareness and promote the circular economy and recycling.

Thanks to the initiative of students of the Environmental Civil Engineering program, and the support of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of La Serena, the Ignacio Domeyko Campus will have a Clean Point destined to recycle plastic, papers, cans and garbage in general . To carry out the initiative, the Collection Center was officially handed over.

The Dean of the ULS Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Ing. Mauricio Godoy Seura, in relation to the clean point and the official delivery of a warehouse as a collection center, indicated that “we as a faculty have a great commitment to our students, specifically, and on this occasion with those of Environmental Civil Engineering, who are working hard to achieve a Clean Point. As a Faculty we will have this space to promote a culture of sustainability within the University.”

To carry out the project, the students of the Environmental Civil Engineering Student Center (CEC) made a strategic alliance with the La Serena Oriente Rotaract Club.

Enrique González, president of the CEC, pointed out that “this will be a collection point for basic household waste, from cans to PET, plastics, which is what is most produced at the University, and that is why we believe that it is very important to recycle this type of waste. material. In this sense, the Enverde company will remove the waste and carry out the disposal in Santiago, in a certified place.”

Regarding the clean point, Katherine Rojas, president of the La Serena Oriente Rotaract Club, stated that “it has been a fairly long process, the important thing is to educate and raise awareness among the student community, we are looking for an alliance with the University to encourage recycling and Put the clean point to good use and make it a base project that can continue to grow. We hope that this is the beginning of many initiatives at the University and that this will later be replicated in the schools of La Serena.”

It should be noted that this initiative is a pioneer at the University and that the Clean Point will be located in the access corridor to the tunnel that connects with the university park, next to the Library and in front of the Process Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Written by María José Barraza, FIULS 2030 Project

Starting May 2 and for a period of three months, the slopes of the Andrés Bello Campus will be intervened for reforestation. With this, progress is made in the improvement and maintenance of the university space, with a view to environmental responsibility and sustainability.

During these weeks, the university community has witnessed the cleaning work on the western slope of the Andrés Bello Campus, an action that is part of the institutional desire to properly maintain the campuses to promote the configuration of a comfortable and safe habitat for its members. .

In this way, already in 2018, the first land clearing works were carried out in the sector surrounding the kindergarten, now advancing towards the sector adjacent to Avenida Raúl Bitrán to the sector of the pedestrian stairs of the campus.

The project has required the coordination of different units of the central administration that, at the request of Rector Nibaldo Avilés, have launched a task team to advance this commitment to reforestation, which is also part of the actions committed to in the Plan. of ULS Strategic Development 2016-2020.

Taking advantage of the motivation and knowledge of the academic of the Department of Biology, Dr. Cristian Ibáñez, who also serves as Director of Postgraduate and Postgraduate Studies, the University entrusted him with the mission of coordinating the work that, these days, is being carried out.

We spoke with him to find out details of what ULS projects in this space on the Andrés Bello Campus.

Why is the ULS working on the slope of the Andrés Bello Campus?

Reforesting the slopes of the campus, incorporating native and other non-native species that follow the concept of low water requirement and high landscape value, is an institutional desire that we hope will be appreciated by the university community, whom we need so much to understand the inconveniences that They could generate jobs, such as for the permanent care of the spaces that we recover.

What work is being done?

Dry vegetation is being removed and the land on the west slope of the campus is being prepared to begin reforestation. We seek to green and beautify this space on campus and help it become a green lung for the University and the city.

To carry out this work, we have added the experience of professionals specializing in the matter, in order to guarantee that reforestation is carried out with a view to sustainability.

In the coming weeks, the cleaning work will intensify, including the use of a mini backhoe to remove debris and move stones and boulders.

What has been the reaction of the community that passes through the sector?

It has caused curiosity and that is why we are making an extra effort to communicate what is taking place. It is important that our university community knows that cleaning is the initial phase of a reforestation project. In this phase, plant material is collected, debris is removed and organic material is generated. All in order to prepare the land to begin the planting of plant species and the installation of its irrigation system.

Once the cleaning of this sector is completed, what next?

In the same sector, the area is organized, moving stones, delimiting paths and carrying out works that improve water use. Once that is completed, the planting itself begins.  

Was work of this type also carried out last year? 

Indeed, during the second half of 2018, the eastern slope, adjacent to the ULS Children's Garden, was cleaned, removing all dry vegetation. Subsequently, an irrigation system was installed and then a planting of native trees was carried out, with the help of the Environmental Secretariat of the Federation of Students (FEULS).

How can the ULS community help these works last over time?

The main thing is that each of us values ​​the institutional commitment to keeping our campuses in good condition and permanently working on their maintenance and improvement. Especially in times where extreme climatic phenomena are becoming more frequent, such as intense rains in short intervals of time that accelerate soil erosion, or extremes of heat that irreversibly dry or freeze plants. Therefore, having a reforested hillside will help to install what we call ecological landscaping, characterized by the fact that the design of this green space adapts to the natural environment, taking into consideration aspects such as soil, climate, availability of water and orientation, to choose the plants most appropriate to the natural biological environment.

The best help we can expect from the community is understanding in the work phases, voluntary support to join seed collection actions, plant propagation or plantations, and then help take care of what we have built together.

In addition, on the occasion the signing of Exempt Decree No. 224 on the use of Social Name and Digital Law was made official, which will allow students to modify their name on the University's computer platforms.

The construction of a University free of violence is the slogan that accompanies this dissemination initiative, aimed at disseminating the Harassment and Arbitrary Discrimination Protocol, implemented in 2018 based on Student Mobilization.

Several months of work culminated in the launch of this plan that seeks to enhance, accentuate and educate the university community in the new policies that aim to prevent harassment and arbitrary discrimination throughout the university community.

The initiative is promoted by the Working Group that meets monthly, and is made up of the Rector's Office, the Academic Vice-Rector's Office, the Vice-Rector's Office for Economic and Administrative Affairs, and the Assembly of Self-Convened Women (AMAULS).

The role of the state university of the Coquimbo Region is accentuated in commitments of this nature. That is why for the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés Pizarro, the commitment that AMAULS has had in substantial changes in university culture has been important. “The Assembly of Self-convened Women has been very brave, today the launch of this activity is a reason for joy; "It is a great milestone in our history to announce a campaign that will allow us to intensify this work of cultural change since there are practices that cannot continue, and for this we must educate our entire student body, academics, officials and directors," said the authority. .

The campaign launch ceremony was held at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences (FACSE), and was attended by the President of the Honorable Board of Directors, Ernesto Velasco, and the Rector of the university, Dr. Nibaldo. Avilés, the Academic Vice-Rector, Dr. Alejandra Torrejón, the Vice-Rector for Economic and Administrative Affairs, Dr. Armando Mansilla, among other university authorities, and the participation of the members of the Assembly of Self-convoked Women, as well as students and the general public.

On the occasion, the President of the Honorable Board of Directors, Ernesto Velasco, emphasized that “this work is of vital importance since it is in the social sense of the University. Building a strategic alliance in each of the levels of the University is building a public policy and this allows us to build a culture that transcends time,” he stated.

The campaign will allow the university community to learn important definitions that allow preventing or identifying signs of harassment and arbitrary discrimination, and will also disseminate the different steps that must be taken when reporting situations that compromise the safety and integrity of people within the university. the institution.

For her part, the Academic Vice-Rector, Dr. Alejandra Torrejón, valued the execution of the work carried out, highlighting the three-state value developed in the execution of the Protocol and the campaign. “The three-state work has been the fundamental pillar, and now the graphic inputs will allow the entire educational community to be disseminated and educated on the different platforms that our University has in order to generate a climate of respect,” she explained.

The representatives of the Assembly of Self-convened Women (AMAULS) announced the work carried out in the Working Group and valued the management support in the realization of what was proposed. “We thank the Rector and the entire Working Group, the support has been real, now is when all of us as a University have gained experience in this social and historical change,” said Laura Espinoza, student of Pedagogy in English and an active part of AMAULS.

Company name modification

The event made it possible to announce the implementation of Exempt Decree No. 224 on Social Name and Digital Law, which will allow students to modify their name on the University's computer platforms.

The Director of the Information and Computing Center, Mg. Luis Andrés Moya, announced this new possibility for the student body. “Interested students will be able to make this modification in the applications tab of the Phoenix platform and validate the change of corporate name, however, it will not be operational for the issuance of certificates or diplomas, since as a University we require the legal framework,” he explained. he.

The implementation of this option is already operational and available to be executed in each access portal that students at the University of La Serena have.

Written by Paula Godoy, ULS Journalist

Photo Gallery

The activity focused on the upcoming solar eclipse on July 2, an occasion in which students were taught the care they should take when witnessing this phenomenon.

Great interest was aroused in more than 600 boys and girls in basic education by the talk about the solar eclipse given by astronomer Guillermo Damke and given by the University of La Serena at the Arturo Prat Chacón School in La Serena, in its role as scientific partner. educational astronomical phenomenon.

This activity is part of the collaborative work carried out by the school with the Municipality of La Serena and the Gabriel González Videla Municipal Corporation in order to educate the community about the total solar eclipse.

Gemita Álvarez, Director of the school, referred to the importance of the University of La Serena approaching and carrying out this type of activities in schools in the commune. “It is important, there always has to be a link with the University where we can educate the children of the region against phenomena such as the solar eclipse,” she explained.

For his part, Gabriel Carvajal, an 8th grade student, considers that activities like this are very positive, since they allow students like him to generate knowledge. “The talk was quite interesting because there is a lack of culture about astronomy, not everyone knows the care that must be taken with the eclipse and the information they give is very good,” he indicated.

Alejandra Leyton, Coordinator of the ULS Scientific Dissemination Team, indicated that “this has been the most massive and important talk we have held and we have had a very good reception from the boys and girls, who appreciate being able to access this type of information.” activities".

To date, 1.090 students have participated in talks on astronomy given by the ULS, in addition to other activities that the university is carrying out throughout the region, such as educational activities in public spaces or the presentation of the mobile planetarium, with the objective of disseminating knowledge in the community.

Written by Tomás Rodríguez, DirCom

The meeting brought together important science speakers, who addressed topics related to the way of communicating and the relevance that this process has in different investigations. In addition to the exhibitions, practical workshops were held with professionals.

Raising awareness about the need to communicate science to the community effectively by researchers and communicators working together was the main objective of the seminar called “Science Communication: The Role of Researchers When Communicating” , organized jointly by the U. of La Serena, through the Faculty of Sciences and the Research and Development Directorate, and the Integrated Monitoring System of Forest Ecosystems (SIMEF).

Ehe meeting, which was attended by the Seremi of Agriculture, Rodrigo Órdenes Reyes, university authorities, representatives of the Forestry Institute, SIMEF professionals, researchers, communicators and students, included expository talks by prominent professionals.

The central speaker was Dr. Florencia Tevy, a prominent geneticist and scientific communicator for TV, radio and the written press, who referred to her experience in dissemination and how the way of communicating impacts her career.

For Dr. Tevy, one of the main factors in communicating science is education, “which has been preached for 30 years, but it is still education. To reach the population, on the one hand, it is education, and on the other, it is the decision makers, who are the ones to whom we give trust and responsibility through voting. However, we must also work together with journalists, who are the ones who help our investigation reach everywhere.”

Likewise, the Doctor in History of Science and Scientific Communication and academic from the Alberto Hurtado University, Lorena Valderrama, spoke, who referred to the challenges in this area with the talk “Disseminating the sciences in Chile: Identity, specialization and challenges.”

The day of presentations ended with a joint talk between the entomologist, academic and ULS researcher, Dr. Jaime Pizarro-Araya, and the SIMEF journalist, Richard Velásquez, who shared their experience on the first biodiversity inventory, as a successful case of dissemination. scientific.

On this occasion, they demonstrated that thanks to well-organized work and agreeing on the topics to be disseminated, both parties achieve success, thus delivering a clear and well-codified message to the audience, which is the one who wants to know about new topics and who It is provided by scientists who see the need to transfer their knowledge through direct communication.

The event had the support of the Regional Government, the Forestry Institute (INFOR), the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the Natural Resources Information Center (CIREN), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) , the Global Environment Forum (GEF), Panguipulli Model Forest, Cachapoal Model Forest and the Aerophotogrammetric Service of the Chilean Air Force (SAF).

Written by Patricia Castro, DirCom

We share an opinion column by Dr. Rodolfo Angeloni, astronomer from the University of La Serena, who explains the importance of June 10 to be able to evaluate the conditions and observe how the total solar eclipse will be seen on July 2.

See the column published today by newspaper El Día here