In a discussion promoted by CUECH and organized by the Universidad de Chile, the impact of the local on the global in the context of internationalization was highlighted.

Territory and university internationalization Is glocal possible? That is the name of the promoted activity from the Consorcio de Universidades del Estado de Chile, CUECH, organized by the Universidad de Chile and sponsored by the Ministry of External Relations, which highlited in how the local can impact the global in an internationalization perspective.

In this context, the discussion, the last of the cycle promoted by the Vice-Rectory of Research and Development of the Universidad de Chile, had as panelists the rector of the Universidad de Los Lagos and vice president of CUECH, DR. Óscar Garrido and the director of the Centre For Global Higher, Education of University of Oxford, Dr. Simon Marginson, who presented from the experiences of a regional university and the situation in England and the rest of the world, respectively.

The Vice rector of Research and Development of Universidad de Chile, DR., Flavio Salazar, inagurated the conference which was moderated by the director of International Relations of the Universidad de Magallanes, Christian Formoso.

In this sense, the rector Óscar Garrido, commented that among the objectives of the meeting was to bring together people who have experience in international networks with the aim of generating “some learning, establishing what are the common points to be able to identify how the pandemic will have an impact on the work of international relations and how it is visualized by those who lead new opportunities“, He said.

The president of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education, IOHE, valued sharing the presentation with an specialist from Oxford, Dr. Simon Marginson, becase it represents “for those who designed this day, listen to an expert on these topics who has a background in studies linked to the impact of international relations on student mobility in research topics”.

Following the analysis, the leader of ULagos, explained that the purpose of the conversation was to address how the local can impact the global, in a perspective of internationalization and in that sense, “I feel proud of participate in the panel representing the state university of the south of Patagonia, and that we can contribute with the experience of the University of Los Lagos; from being a small university, which today is leading 350 universities in the Americas, from Canada, through the United States, the Caribbean, Central America and South America,” he said.

Evaluation

In terms of the evaluation of the activity, the vice president of CUECH, states that “From my perspective, I evaluate that the meeting was very positive because it allows to keep building a shared experience, since all the international relations directorates of the universities of the Council of Rectors and some specialists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were participating in the day. And also, the evaluation includes that the specialists are visualizing ULagos as a guarantor of the effort we are currently making to be able to internationalize and connect with the world,” he said.

Post pandemic internationalization

According to the academic authority the pandemic has placed challenges for universities to allow equal access to all students in the national system and “that means that each university has invested in optimizing its platforms. We must remember that in Chile distance education has not been mature enough and with a strong recognition, therefore we were at the forefront as a country. The pandemic forced us and this, if we look at it positively, opens a tremendous opportunity for the network of national universities to generate shared virtual courses, and also to be able to advance in generating proposals from the country or from the university itself with other universities, “he said.

Experience

One of the powerful experiences, The rector exemplifies, “this is what we have done with eMOVIES, an online program, created by the Inter-American Organization for Studies, in which ULagos participates, and where 72 universities in the Americas are contributing with 3,700 courses, and with an enrollment concluded in 2020 of 15 thousand students at the level of the Americas, participating in shared courses in different parts of these territories. This is a big opportunity and as ULagos we must move in that direction”, he said.

Professionalization

One of the featured topics by rector Garrido in his presentation was about the professionalization of international relations. In this sense, he commented that it must be understood that “for the rectors and those who lead the universities, they are not built in isolation. We are in a context of globalization that is fundamental to look at the horizon of this great potential, of alliances with institutions with levels of development in the area at the end and where we can think about academic exchange, strengthening of the faculties of doctorates, master’s degrees, development of research projects and the relevant, open field and space so that students of our house of studies have more opportunities to leave the country. That experience is unique and the moment students do it, they advance an enormity in their life project,” he emphasized.

Regional University

That a regional university contributes to internationalization, is one of the aspirations that in the eyes of the rector Óscar Garrido, the experience of the ULagos confirms. “Because with 10,000 students, we are leading an international network, the most important in the Americas, such as the Inter-American Organization for Studies, which has allowed a hundred academics from our house of studies to participate in training programs, university management and leadership,” he said.

“Sixteen academics have experienced a process of specialization that today allows to sustain the Gender Directorate and gender equality policies,” she said.

Continuing with the explanation, the rector Óscar Garrido, recalled the permanent attendance at the Congress of innovation and technology transfer, “which has a distinctive seal of technology parks and in which 27 of our academics have participated. And in addition, 21 internships have been carried out in different parts of the Americas, Canada, USA, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, in which our directors have attended to learn about powerful experiences, which allow contributing to the improvement and development of the university, “concluded the rector, Óscar Garrido.