International Engagement: Key to Projecting UC Chile Beyond Borders
Bogota, Miami, and New York were the three cities visited by UC Chile President, Juan Carlos de la Llera, during the second week of October, along with UC Chile executives, academics, and professionals to strengthen academic ties with Universidad of the Andes in Colombia and Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico, and to enhance their impact in Latin America. Another aim of the visit was to promote the essential role of philanthropy in improving the quality of higher education with the help of Friends UC.
photo_camera “UC Chile seeks to put its disciplinary knowledge at the service of the country, creating international alliances that allow us to learn from others, gain perspective, and put our capabilities at the service of concrete solutions,” states President Juan Carlos de la Llera. (Photo: UC Chile, President Juan Carlos de la Llera, with Mario Kreutzberger at a discussion panel organized by Friends UC at Miami. Photo credit: Alejandra Valenzuela).
Maximizing UC Chile’s international ties and its connection with alumni living abroad are some of the goals proposed by Juan Carlos de la Llera’s administration. As of 2025, UC Chile is part of over 60 international networks and has 278 active cooperation agreements with institutions in 45 countries, and 377 undergraduate and graduate partnerships in 50 countries. (Director of Institutional Analysis and Planning, 2025).
“One of our commitments as senior management has been to bring UC Chile to the world. In the last months, we have visited seven cities in four countries, taking part in academic and collaborative meetings that strengthen the work we do in Chile. These visits are particularly relevant in a complex international context, where we face great challenges in security, health, work, and education. UC Chile seeks to put its disciplinary knowledge at the service of the country, creating international alliances that allow us to learn from others, gain perspective, and put our capabilities at the service of concrete solutions,” stated the President.
“From the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs, and with the UC Chile educational project at its core, we promote strategic relationships that connect the academic world with other universities, public and private institutions, foundations, and global networks. Our role as a bridge for horizontal dialogue is based on the University’s social commitment and the conviction that international collaboration is key to generating impact and responding to challenges facing society,” notes Vice President for International Affairs, Maria Montt.
La Tríada: Having an impact on Latin America
Led by the President, the UC Chile delegation travelled to Bogotá between October 5 to 7, to participate in La Tríada’s annual summit for university presidents. This network, created in 2018, seeks to strengthen the cooperation between three leading universities in the region: Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico; University of the Andes (Uniandes), Colombia; and UC Chile.
At the summit, senior university officials reviewed the progress of this strategic alliance and reflected on how to maximize academic and scientific collaboration that can help confront the challenges currently facing Latin America. Among the topics prioritized for discussion were digital transformation and artificial intelligence, sustainability and carbon neutrality, science and technology-based entrepreneurship, and regional challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals. The event also included spaces for interdisciplinary dialogue and strategic sessions aimed at building a shared agenda by 2030.
President De la Llera praised the importance and the achievements that this alliance has had in an international context. “La Tríada is an extraordinary platform for achieving the impact we seek in society. Today we have the opportunity to align our universities so that the artificial intelligence revolution transforms education and enhances academic creativity,” he mentioned.
Currently, this network has enabled the creation and promotion of nearly a hundred collaborative projects along 16 thematic lines, on a wide variety of topics, ranging from artificial intelligence, early childhood, climate change and sustainability, and cultural heritage.
Uniandes President, Raquel Bernal, stated: “In a scenario of uncertainty, there is no future without collaboration. Education remains an essential tool for social mobility and for creating real opportunities for our youth.” This, taking into consideration that Latin America currently faces significant challenges such as the fact that nearly 20% of young people neither work nor study.
Monterrey Institute of Technology President, Juan Pablo Murra, also highlighted the importance of linking education with the needs of society. “We share the conviction that higher education must transform our communities. Our great opportunity is to connect our students so that they find here, in Latin America, the space to create value, to innovate, and lead change,” he stated.
The UC Chile delegation consisted of Maria Montt, Vice President for International Affairs; Álvaro Ossa, Director of Transfer and Development; and Catalina Gerstmann, Head of Strategic Relations of the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs. Also participating via workshops online were Paula Aguirre, Vice President for Digital Intelligence; Maryon Urbina, Director of Sustainability; and Mónica Antilén, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development.
UC Chile Vice President for International Affairs, Maria Montt, highlighted the progress made during the summit: “It was two days of enriching work, where we shared experiences, practices, and perspectives from our universities. We made progress in defining common lines of action, some of which have already shown significant advances, such as sustainability and social sciences; and concrete goals have been set for the coming years, with a shared vision toward 2030.”
Among the notable initiatives are, for example, “Coursera for Campus,” a virtual education platform created during the pandemic and where the three universities offered online courses. There is also the “Novus Tríada” call for proposals, a competitive fund to which the three universities contribute, with the mission of developing and pushing the culture of educational innovation based on collaborative evidence; the Lecture on Early Childhood of La Tríada, in collaboration with FEMSA Foundation; and the global education program “Transform and impact,” for which students from all three institutions can apply to receive training in global leadership, among others.
As part of the activities, the Third Latin American Congress of Social Sciences and Governance 2025 took place in Bogota, from October 7th to 9th. This initiative was organized by La Tríada and CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and focused on the theme of violence and insecurity. This congress sought to be a space for reflection on how academia can influence contexts of violence, as well as to offer proposals.
This event featured a panel discussion with the universities’ presidents, the participation of mayors and former council members, and a keynote speech by Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. A UC Chile academic delegation took part in the event, which addressed topics such as drug markets, drug use, the State and crime, and education for peace, among others.
As UC Chile President De la Llera concludes, “we have a fundamental role in ensuring that our societies, States, industries, and governments believe that knowledge can change the future of a country. This is why I would like to see la Tríada influencing the development of politics, science, and knowledge, having an impact on the transformation of society.” He emphasized that the alliance could also provide training for future professionals and leaders that would have a very broad awareness of Latin America and its challenges.
Friends UC: The key role of philanthropy
Philanthropy and higher education was the theme that brought together UC Chile President, Juan Carlos de la Llera, television host and Teletón founder, Mario Kreutzberger (also known by his alias Don Francisco), and Friends UC President, Mario Valdivia, in a conversation in Miami, which was organized by this nonprofit organization. Friends UC was created in the United States in 1989 to support the development of UC Chile and strengthen its international presence.
This event, which was attended mainly by UC Chile alumni living in the United States, and was also livestreamed online, focused on the essential role of philanthropy in expanding access to higher education, strengthening trust, and engaging donors, as well as on consolidating this global network of UC Chile’s alumni.
During the event, the Friends UC projects Leading the Way and the Cristóbal Conde Scholarship were also presented, both of which have been very successful thanks to donations made by alumni who attended the event. The discussion aimed to highlight how philanthropy and education, working together, can transform lives and create long term opportunities for future generations.
“University philanthropy is not merely an act of generosity, but a concrete form of building the future, enabling more young people to study, conduct research, and contribute to the country through their talents and convictions,” stated President De la Llera.
Accompanying President De la Llera in participating in the event was a delegation of UC Chile authorities consisting of Maria Montt, Vice President for International Affairs; Francisco Gallego, Provost for Institutional Management; and Patricio Donoso, professor and advisor from the Faculty of Economy. Friends UC President, Mario Valdivia, and Friends UC coordinator, Alejandra Valenzuela, were also present.
The committee then travelled to New York, taking part in the round table “Chile at a crossroads: Political Outlook ahead of the 2025 presidential election.” The activity was moderated by Pilar Larroulet, UC Chile alumni and scholar at the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, Maryland. Participating in the panel were UC Chile professors Julieta Suárez-Cae, from the Institute of Political Science, and Loreto Cox, from the School of Government, who analyzed the outlook for the elections in Chile ahead of the upcoming electoral process.
“In Miami as well as in New York, we met alumni from different generations and disciplines who are committed to the University,” said Vice President Montt. UC Chile authorities also took part in the Friends UC board meeting, where they discussed various topics aimed at maximizing the organization’s contribution and growth. “It was an opportunity that showcases the deep commitment of the board members to our University and our country, and their vision for the future,” added Maria Montt.
As mentioned by Mario Valdivia, President of Friends UC and civil engineer from UC Chile, during the board meeting, “we made a report of the historical contributions made by Friends UC to the University, which total 28 million USD. There was also discussion about the plan for Friends UC to establish closer ties with all UC Chile alumni residing in the United States.”
To this end, the organization will facilitate activities with alumni in some of the major cities of the country. Regarding the recent meetings held in Miami and New York, Valdivia added: “Around 70 UC Chile alumni attended each of these events. They were a great success, and we hope to repeat them next year in other cities in the U.S..”
As Vice President Montt said, “Friends UC is an opportunity for the internationalization of the University: it is a space that invites reflection on its commitment to the challenges facing Chile and the world. It is also a demonstration of the variety of actors involved in the University’s activities, and how a global vision is key for addressing the great challenges of society, the country, and the world. We thank Friends UC for their role and significant contribution to our University.”
Friends UC seeks to maintain the connection between UC Chile and the alumni community in the United States. Thanks to their donations, the organization funds two flagship programs. The first one is the Cristóbal Conde Scholarship, created in 2013, which aims to recognize and support UC Chile students with outstanding academic performance by contributing to their tuition fees and providing additional financial assistance to ease the cost of their studies. To date, 257 scholarships have been awarded to students from all faculties and academic units of the University.
The second initiative is the program and scholarship “Leading the Way”, created in 2015, which gives UC Chile students the opportunity to improve their English skills and live an experience of academic and cultural immersion in the United States, including intensive preparation with English UC and a stay at Drexel University, where students attend classes, workshops, and other activities. In total, 190 students have taken part in this program, and 108 of them have travelled to the United States.
As President De la Llera concluded, “UC Chile reaffirms at every opportunity that its mission is to educate people and generate knowledge at the service of the country, and that philanthropy in higher education supports access and long term commitment. We thank Friends UC and our community of alumni and donors, whose generosity connects talent, creativity, and the spirit of service to build the future of Chile.”
