IMUC Becomes the First Latin American Institution to Join the PAMS International Network
The Pacific Alliance of Music Schools (PAMS) brings together more than a dozen prestigious music institutions, from the Shanghai Conservatory to the San Francisco Conservatory. Karina Fischer, director of the UC Institute of Music (IMUC), highlighted the significance of this milestone: “It allows us to share knowledge with other higher education institutions and bring new ideas to Latin America.”
photo_camera At the annual meeting in Thailand this June, students and academics from PAMS member schools gathered to exchange ideas and collaborate. (Credits: PAMS Archive)
Recently, the UC Chile Institute of Music (IMUC) achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first Latin American institution to join the Pacific Alliance of Music Schools (PAMS), an international network dedicated to advancing music education across the Asia-Pacific region.
A Prestigious Network of Music Institutions
PAMS includes renowned conservatories and music schools from the United States, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand. IMUC’s membership was formalized following a delegation’s participation in the PAMS Summit 2024 in Bangkok, after traveling nearly 18,000 kilometers (11,185 miles).
“The Institute's initial connection with PAMS began with Professor Tiffany Tieu, who joined a delegation to Singapore last year. That visit initiated the first conversations about membership. Later, a PAMS delegation visited UC Chile, holding multiple meetings with our professors. This visit became the cornerstone for our membership in this network of institutions committed to higher music education throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” explained Karina Fischer, Director of the UC Chile Institute of Music.
The network includes world-class institutions like:
- the Shanghai Conservatory, ranked tenth globally in the QS World University Rankings: Music 2024,
- the San Francisco Conservatory,
- the University of British Columbia’s School of Music (Canada),
- and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
“This marks a significant step toward understanding the mutual benefits of collaboration. By moving beyond isolated perspectives, we can achieve larger goals. Joining this network offers us a remarkable opportunity to exchange knowledge with other institutions and introduce innovative ideas to Latin America,” added Fischer.
Learning and Collaboration Across Borders
This year, Professor Diego Castro and student Gamaliel Roa represented IMUC at the PAMS 2024 annual meeting, where participants discussed guidelines, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration.
Fischer shared, “That meeting paved the way for our membership as PAMS’ first Latin American institution. We also have the unique honor and responsibility of hosting the annual meeting in 2028.”
Professor Diego Castro reflected on the enthusiasm their delegation received: “After ten years, the network had yet to include a representative from a Latin American institution.” He emphasized the event’s importance for advancing internationalization strategies, which focused on topics such as:
- Academic and student mobility.
- Curriculum development in music education.
- Artistic and academic collaboration.
A Rigorous and Selective Membership
Diego Castro, who also is the Director of Research and Graduate Studies at the UC Chile Faculty of Arts, emphasized the prestige of joining PAMS: “This network is highly selective and rigorous, composed of institutions that maintain exceptional standards.”
Gamaliel Roa, a 12th-semester percussion student, represented IMUC as its student delegate at the Thailand summit. Originally from Colombia, Roa joined UC Chile in 2015 and has studied music since age seven. Now 23, he actively performs with the Music Institute and has been a member of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2020.
Bridging Continents Through Music
“The Pacific Alliance of Music Schools was launched over a decade ago by deans and directors of music schools. This year, for the first time, they included student representatives in a pilot project. It was an incredible experience,” shared Roa. He praised the hospitality of Mahidol University in Bangkok, which provided a welcoming environment for both music-making and rest.
Reflecting on his experience with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Roa said: “It was fascinating to collaborate with a professional orchestra from Southeast Asia. In Latin America, we often lack exposure to and connections with this region. While we typically focus on North America or Europe, Southeast Asia remains somewhat unknown to us.”
Roa explained how the summit broadened perspectives on global music education. “We were tasked with designing a presentation on our vision of the ideal music institute. It was inspiring to exchange ideas and observe the diverse approaches to higher music education across countries like the United States, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.”
This historic membership not only positions UC Chile at the forefront of global music education but also opens doors for deeper international collaboration, paving the way for Latin American talent to shine on the world stage.
