Eight UC Chile Students Chosen for UN's Prestigious International Leadership Program
UC Chile students aspire to broaden access to higher education by joining the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2023, a global initiative led by the United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network.
photo_camera "Witnessing student leaders spearheading local initiatives that address and impact global challenges fills us with pride.” says UC Chile Vice President for International Affairs Lilian Ferrer. (Photo credit: Office of the Vice President for International Affairs)
The Millennium Fellowship is a program dedicated to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by motivating students worldwide to participate in a semester-long online training and design a project centered on addressing a specific SDG.
UC Chile students Francisca Aranda, Javiera Novoa, Juan Pablo Muñoz, Sebastián Lorca, Valentina Barra, Daniela Bernal, Guillermo Ulloa, and Nadja Razmilic were chosen from a pool of 44,369 applicants across 170 countries to join the class of 2023.
Within the program, the group represented the San Joaquín campus of UC Chile. They were chosen for their leadership in projects focused on sustainable development and their ability to create a meaningful impact on local communities.
“Our university is dedicated to implementing leadership initiatives with an international focus, extending beyond our campuses to collaborative networks... Witnessing student leaders spearheading local initiatives that address and impact global challenges fills us with pride.” - UC Chile Vice President for International Affairs Lilian Ferrer.
The program's methodology aims to empower groups to integrate what they learn in the trainings into practical applications within their local contexts. It encourages collaboration among students from the same campus, fostering teamwork in the development of a shared project that contributes to one or more SDG.
PathFinders Project
Learn about PathFinders project, developed by UC Chile students participating in the Millennium Fellowship 2023 program.
Guillermo Ulloa and Daniela Bernal were appointed as campus directors, in charge of promoting leadership best practices and the development of impactful community projects within their respective work groups.
“The week-by-week program guides you to explore a range of opportunities with your group, focusing on learning to create and enhance social impact projects, including strategies for securing funding.” - Guillermo Ulloa, Campus Director and 2023 Millennium Fellow.
Ulloa characterized the project as a student-led initiative that UC Chile aims to implement, providing support to young individuals in vulnerable contexts by establishing a guided pathway of access to higher education. This involves creating spaces for conversation, training, and information dissemination.
Through PathFinders, the eight students aspire to contribute to the realization of three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Quality Education (SDG 4), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17). PathFinders is an initiative that evolved during their participation in the Millennium Fellowship.
"(...) At first, finding a shared focus was challenging. After a fruitful discussion, we unanimously agreed to concentrate on SDG 4, quality education, and that’s when we started working on PathFinders,” shared 2023 Millennium Fellow Javiera Novoa.
Over the six-month program, they sowed the seeds of their initiative, crafting a group video outlining their proposal and articulating the foundations. The project addresses the necessity for supporting higher education in vulnerable contexts in Chile.
The core vision is a future where the path to education is universally accessible, ensuring no talent is overlooked, and opportunities are achievable regardless of an individual's background.
The students aim to further advance the project, and believe that their participation in the United Nations program had a significant impact on their ability to launch a Chilean initiative for addressing global challenges.
Apply for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2024
The United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network invite all students of UC Chile to be inspired and submit their applications for the upcoming edition of the program.
“Dare to be leaders, think beyond the campus and get involved with the communities around you, think about our social role as UC Chile students,” said 2023 Millennium Fellow Guillermo Ulloa when he was inviting his peers to join.
Applications will be accepted until January 30, 2024, and can be submitted via the following link.
