The meeting is organized jointly by the University of La Serena, through the Faculty of Sciences and the Directorate of Research and Development, and the Integrated Monitoring System of Forest Ecosystems (SIMEF).

On May 23 at 09:30 hrs. An open event will take place in the Pentagon Hall of the University of La Serena that seeks to put on the table and discuss the importance of effective scientific dissemination to the community by researchers and communicators working together.

The Seminar “Communication of Science: the role of researchers when communicating”, is organized jointly by the U. de La Serena, through the Faculty of Sciences and the Directorate of Research and Development, and the Integrated Forest Ecosystem Monitoring System (SIMEF). In addition, it has 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).

At the event, Dr. Florencia Tevy (keynote talk) will speak, who is a prominent geneticist and scientific communicator for TV, radio and the written press, who comes to share her experience in dissemination and how it has impacted her career. Additionally, Dr. Tevy is one of the leaders of the Genomics Plan for Chile initiative; She was a speaker of the central program of the Congress of the Future 2019 and is a member of the Network of Chilean Researchers, Hay Mujeres, Comunidad Mujer.

Also considered is a talk by the prominent journalist and academic from the Alberto Hurtado University, Dr. Lorena Valderrama, who will address the topic from the world of communications and from a historical point of view.

Finally, there will be a joint talk between the entomologist and ULS academic, Dr. Jaime Pizarro-Araya, and the SIMEF journalist, Richard Velásquez, who will talk about the experience of the ULS-SIMEF joint project on the first Biodiversity Inventories as a case of scientific dissemination success.

The activity is free entry. Know the event program here

The purpose is to provide feedback to primary and secondary school teachers about the Eclipse, providing key content that allows them to understand the phenomenon in depth and promote the development of skills and attitudes in students.

Currently, the national and international community is curious about one of the oldest sciences, the one that studies the universe and its elements: astronomy. In this regard, Chile - especially the Coquimbo Region - is a privileged setting for those who wish to study this science and is an extraordinary terrace for those who like contemplating the stars.

In this context, the “Astronomy Workshop: Educators for the Eclipse” conference at the University of La Serena corresponds to an initiative focused on contributing to the training of teachers about the Total Solar Eclipse expected on July 02, 2019 in Chile. , visible 100% in the Coquimbo Region.

The purpose is to provide feedback to basic and secondary education teachers in establishments in La Serena and surrounding areas about the Total Solar Eclipse, providing key content that allows them to understand the phenomenon in depth and promote the development of skills and attitudes in students, within the framework of the dissemination of knowledge and the precautions that families should consider to enjoy the astronomical event.

The Workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 15, from 08:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 14:30 to 17:30 p.m., in the Pentagon Room of the ULS (Andrés Bello Campus).

The deadline to register is Tuesday, May 14 at 15:00 p.m. Space is limited and interested parties must write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dr. Lizet Véliz was decorated during the celebration of International Nurses Day, held by the National College of Nurses.

The academic from the Department of Nursing of the University of La Serena, Dr. Lizet Véliz Rojas, won the 2019 National Nursing Award “Marta Figueroa”, an award granted by the Scientific Committee of the College of Nurses of Chile to the most influential author of the period 2017-2018 in topics of care science.

Dr. Véliz was the main author of the scientific article “Intercultural competencies in primary health care: a challenge for higher education in contexts of cultural diversity”, published in the scientific journal Cadernos de Saude Publica, which is indexed in Web Of Science, the most prestigious index at an international level and which was considered by the commission in awarding the award.

The academic's publication is focused on the way in which higher education institutions should train health sciences students so that they can perform successfully in contexts of cultural diversity, greatly influenced by the international migrations that have arisen. In this sense, it represents a challenge for educational institutions to analyze their curricula and be able to reorient them towards holistic training that incorporates respect for the cultural diversity that exists in Chilean society today.

The award ceremony was held during the commemoration of International Nurses Day, in the city of Concepción.

Written by Tomás Rodríguez, DirCom

Prominent speakers participated in this activity of the students of the ULS Journalism program.

In the context of what was the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, students of the elective “Workshop for the organization of corporate events, ceremonial and protocol”, led by Mg. Karina Damke, organized the discussion “The role of the journalist in times of misinformation”, which had prominent professionals in the area at the regional level, Leonardo Pastén and Roberto Rojas, as speakers.

The topic revolved around the exercise of the profession and the difficulties that arise during journalistic work. One of the speakers was Leonardo Pastén, a regional journalist who investigated the Cox case, and who recounted the process of said investigation and what he was faced with afterward. “Today the world of communications has a vital and fundamental duty, the call to change this country. Radio is the most reliable means of communication, but television and the written press can also be. My call is that, for the journalist to fulfill the role of training him, of seeking the truth, not to be afraid. It is difficult, but it is possible,” Pastén advised.

Regarding the organization of the activity that was in charge of the students, the Director of the Journalism School, Mg. Cristian Muñoz highlighted the importance because these instances “directly link what is seen in the class with future work performance, which is a real scenario, situations, guests and real time frames, which undoubtedly helps to fulfill our profile.” graduation because in it we can develop the desired skills and characteristics of our students for when they graduate from the School and enter the workforce.”

The activity carried out in the School's TV Studio had an excellent reception from the student body, attendees and the community in general.

Written by Consuelo Peña, School of Journalism

The activity sought to teach schoolchildren about the next solar eclipse, an occasion in which the ULS had an information stand thanks to the alliance established with the Gabriel González Videla Municipal Corporation and the Serenense municipality.

The University of La Serena, scientific-educational partner of the world capital of the solar eclipse on July 2, actively participated in the “La Serena Solar Eclipse Expo Closer”, organized by the Gabriel González Videla Municipal Corporation together with the Municipality of La Serena. Serena and which included the participation of students from different educational establishments belonging to the Corporation.

At the fair held in the Plaza de Armas of La Serena, the University had a stand where glasses were handed out to observe the eclipse, as well as various teaching materials that allowed students to learn about this important astronomical phenomenon.

For the Director of Research and Development of the ULS, Dr. Sergio Torres, participating in this event was very gratifying, since it allowed us to show the work that the University has been doing regarding the eclipse. “It was enriching to see how basic and secondary education students enthusiastically approached our stand to be able to learn with our teaching material and obtain some of the glasses to observe the solar eclipse. In addition, it allowed us to strengthen ties with the Corporation and the Municipality of La Serena,” he expressed.

In its quest to continue providing educational spaces, the University of La Serena will continue holding talks about the eclipse in different schools in the region, in addition to establishing, in collaboration with the Municipality of La Serena, a stand where more educational and informative material is delivered. to the community, in the community's Plaza de Armas.

Written by Tomás Rodríguez, DirCom

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The work supported by the Rectory, recovers this historic space and incorporates 12 stained glass windows that remember different passages in the life of the Chilean Nobel Prize winner, highlighting in her images the role of the poet in the field of Chilean public education. 

Rescuing traditional elements of the building and extolling the work of the famous poet Gabriela Mistral, by incorporating 12 stained glass windows that remember important passages of her life and work. These were the aspects considered in the remodeling work of the Amphitheater of the Former Normal School, located on the Isabel Bongard Campus, and which is part of the space improvement policy of the University of La Serena.

Through a process of inquiry with normal students who studied in the place, it was possible to return to a design similar to the original, in addition to recognizing the teaching work of our Nobel Prize in Literature and Isabel Bongard, both teachers who are bulwarks of education in Chile. .

The work, carried out by the Services Directorate team and supported by the Rector's Office, had as its main axis the remodeling of the space, where an attempt was made to recover the image it had before the fire that affected it during 1988. In addition, beautiful stained glass windows on Gabriela Mistral, made by the artist Daniel Palominos.

During the inauguration ceremony, the Academic Vice-Rector, Dr. Alejandra Torrejón, representing the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, pointed out that "this intangible heritage, which as the University of La Serena we have cared for for decades, has made us guarantors of "the preservation of pedagogy careers in our region and we hope that it will be recognized as a temple of education, culture and the arts. There is an enormous cultural heritage here that makes us significantly proud and we urge you to be part of it."

As the authority mentioned, one of the key points of this remodeling was the help provided by the normalistas who studied in the place, since they were the ones who described what this space was like. In this way, it was possible to find the original design, in order to use it as a reference point for the current one. The communication that the University had with the normalista community was of vital importance, because it not only allows maintaining a historical place in the city, but also maintaining the active link with those who have a tradition around education in the region. 

The project, where the sum of more than 110 million pesos was invested, was presented in two stages. The first was developed around the remodeling of the physical space, that is, changing windows, construction of a steel structure for a false ceiling, replacement of pavement, interior and exterior painting, among other works. And a second stage, which consisted of the design and construction of stained glass windows with the theme of the Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral, highlighting the importance of the Chilean poet, and highlighting her influence and work in Chilean education.

The recently inaugurated space had the opportunity to be premiered with participants of the fifth Meeting of Our America, ENA, which has the ULS as host and which seeks to implement educational improvements with social impact. The meeting brings together representatives from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to generate deep dialogue and reflection on issues linked to education.

Written by Patricia Castro, DirCom

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