The initiative supported by the MINEDUC seeks to be a contribution to this region, working in areas such as the formation of advanced human capital, scientific-technological development and links with the community.

“Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability: hallmark of the training and scientific-technological capacity of the University of La Serena to collaboratively contribute to the development challenges of the Coquimbo Region”, is the ULS project that won the Plan Competition. Institutional Improvement for Regional Higher Education (Performance Agreements) of the Ministry of Education, which was officially presented to the community as part of the activities of the XXXIV institutional anniversary.

The launch was attended by the Minister of Energy, Marcelo Salazar, university authorities, headed by the academic vice-rector, Dr. Jorge Catalán, from the four faculties of the institution, analysts from the Department of Institutional Financing of the Higher Education Division of the MINEDUC, Paola Núñez and Jaime Hormzábal, academics and representatives of the public and private strategic allies of this initiative.

As explained by the academic vice-rector of the ULS, Dr. Jorge Catalán, the main objective of the project is to strengthen the processes of human capital formation and scientific-technological development in the field of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in an arid territory, through the establishment of an active link between the University of La Serena and the public, private, social, energy and environmental actors in the area, which allows pertinently facing regional challenges and opportunities, a purpose “closely linked to the institutional mission, the Educational Model and the Strategic Development Plan. 

Likewise, he highlighted that this initiative demonstrates “the commitment (of the ULS) to the Coquimbo Region, the contribution to the training processes of all its programs, promoting and assuming responsibility for the environment, also contributing to the generation of knowledge through research focused on regional issues” and the contribution, through its links with public and private social agents, to the improvement to achieve social well-being.   

The idea is to bring science closer to the community, achieve curricular changes in the field of energy efficiency, support extreme and isolated areas that do not have an electrical grid, among other actions. For this, the joint work of academics and professionals from the institution and strategic allies is essential, consisting of the Regional Municipality of Coquimbo, Regional Corporation for Productive Development, Undersecretariat of Energy, Chilean Agency for Energy Efficiency (ACHEE), Interactive Museum Mirador (MIM), Los Pelambres Mining Foundation, Coquimbo Regional Mining Council AG, Northern Agricultural Society, Chilean Chamber of Construction, College of Engineers AG, Energy Research Center of the State of Lower Saxony, Experimental Center for Economic Housing (CEVE, Argentina), Salesian Industrial School San Ramón, Invenio and the Energy Development Center (CRE, Poland).  

Precisely, the director of Institutional Studies and Planning of the University of La Serena and executive director of the project, Mg. César Espíndola emphasized the value of the members of the university community and the importance of networking. “It is a challenge of great proportions, but we are absolutely convinced that in this three-year work, together, we will be able to achieve a series of results that are of major importance,” he assured.  

Likewise, he explained that with the activities to be carried out, there will be an intervention from the preschool level to higher education and advanced human capital. Along with this, the scientific capacity, beyond the disciplinary, will contemplate work with the productive, social and educational sectors, which will lead to having “20 prototype-level solutions throughout the execution period, which will be distributed to “solve the needs of the territory of the Coquimbo Region (water stress, energy use).” An Institute on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability and the creation of an Advisory Council are also contemplated, with the purpose of connecting in the best way with the needs of the territory.

Although the project was officially presented on this occasion, a first and important stage has already been carried out: the six members of the executing team developed a “Course on Energy Efficiency in Higher Education Institutions” dictated by the Chilean Agency for Energy Efficiency (AChEE). . This training of 70 pedagogical hours allowed academics and professionals to acquire theoretical knowledge and apply it in terms of energy diagnosis of the work of a unit of the university.

During the launch, Jeremy Warner, Marcos Sepúlveda, Jorge Pizarro, Mauricio Godoy, Mauricio Castillo and César Espíndola received their diplomas from the head of the AChEE Education and Training Area, Jessica Miranda, who also declared that the Agency “ feels very proud to be able to generate this alliance within the framework of this great project, which will allow, in a very concrete way, to carry out actions linked to local needs and the territory in the field of energy efficiency. It is, precisely, the type of development that we need to generate and project into the future as an institution, because it is at the local level where the problems and solutions are really glimpsed. What needs to be generated are capabilities, alliances and resources.” 

Strategic allies

Regarding this initiative, the Minister of Energy, Marcelo Salazar, highlighted that it is an “innovative, inclusive project that considers the entire community, many actors (…). It will allow us to take on the issue of energy efficiency and sustainability with a much more planned component and with a vision of the future, therefore, it is a challenge to which we adapt with all our technical and administrative capabilities and with political support. so that it comes out ahead in the best possible way.” Furthermore, he added that "in the Ministry of Energy, the energy efficiency component is very relevant because, as a State, what we want is to reach a law by 2025 saving 20% ​​of energy."

For his part, Antonio Videka, manager of CORMINCO AG, stated that “we found it very pertinent and very interesting that the alma mater University of the Region, the public University of the Region, takes on an enormous challenge. (…). We have always thought that the involvement of the University, the entity that thinks about regional issues, is very important, and not in a particular project, but, in this case, in a program that involves permanent work of bringing together different actors, different lines of action, public, private, governmental spheres, in agreeing on these two issues. We believe that the University has the necessary capabilities, this must also be transferred to undergraduate and graduate students and I believe that we can do very interesting things with the relationship, the discussion and the projects that are going to be generated between the different actors."