Start of the Semester: More than 600 International Students join UC Chile
Students from all corners of the world arrived in Santiago to begin an experience that will shape their university life. UC Chile welcomed a new group of international students at an event celebrating their induction into the UC Chile community for the first semester of the year.
photo_camera This is the first time that an international welcome ceremony hosts undergraduate and master’s students. (Photo credit: Karina Fuenzalida, Office of the Vice President for Communication)
More than 600 students from 35 countries began their academic journey at UC Chile, joining the university community through regular and exchange programs.
Drawn by the University’s international standing and the opportunities for academic formation, professional development, and cultural enrichment that Chile and Latin America offer, the students arrived with enthusiasm and high expectations for a period that, for many, will be unique in their university life.
These new students were received by UC Chile President Juan Carlos de la Llera, who welcomed and expressed his gratitude to them for selecting UC Chile as the place where they will have one of the most meaningful experiences of their academic career.
“Your presence enriches our classrooms. Internationalization is intercultural dialogue, and this is a core value for us,” the President mentioned.
The Vice President for International Affairs, Maria Montt, echoed this idea and encouraged students to open themselves up to new perspectives and challenges.
“University life will offer you invaluable academic opportunities but also human connections, unexpected friendships, challenges that will help you mature, and lessons that go beyond any formal program,” she stated.
The ceremony was attended by ambassadors and representatives from various diplomatic missions, who shared with the students from their respective countries. “I am delighted to welcome you and that you have come to learn about Chile,” mentioned Elke Merks-Schaapveld, ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The ceremony marks a milestone in the institution’s commitment to campus internationalization, fostering a welcoming culture that calls the entire UC Chile community—students, faculty members, staff members, and authorities—to recognize themselves as active participants in building a university that is increasingly open to the world.
Also present at the ceremony were student organizations such as the UC Chile Welcoming Committee (CAUC, as per its initials in Spanish), the International Students Network (RAE, as per its initials in Spanish), Cranes of Conecta Asia, and initiatives from Campus Ministry. These groups were joined by the Office of Student Affairs, Office of Sustainability, UC Chile Libraries, and UC Chile Spanish program.
The day concluded with a performance by the folk-dance troupe UC Chile Almas, which took the audience on a journey from the north to the south of Chile through dance. Afterward, the new students gathered in the Central Plaza of the UC Chile Extension Center, where they enjoyed a sampling of traditional Chilean cuisine.
