International Visitors and Virtual Collaborations  

In an increasingly diverse Chile—with 2,185,792 individuals identifying as members of native communities (2017 Census) and 1,625,074 foreign residents as of December 31, 2022—different cultures and life experiences intersect daily. The need for dialogue, understanding, and mutual learning between cultures has never been more pressing. Fostering these interactions strengthens social and personal connections. It enhances appreciation for interculturality—an increasingly vital value in workplaces and broader society. 

At UC Chile, creating these spaces for interaction is a cornerstone of our commitment to global education. By integrating an intercultural perspective, UC Chile seeks to prepare its students and the broader community to tackle the challenges of a globalized world. 

To this end, the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs (VRAI) has spearheaded initiatives to bring international groups, institutions, and students to UC Chile campuses. These encounters spark conversations and encourage appreciation of cultural diversity, enriching the academic and social environment. 

Vice President of International Affairs, Lilian Ferrer, underscores UC Chile's openness to the world and its active role in international dialogue. The university aims to equip its community with the tools to foster global citizenship. "Internationalization and interculturality are inseparable," says Ferrer. "Together, they expand horizons, promote meaningful interactions, and nurture understanding among cultures." 

While UC Chile embraces internationalization daily, it is incredibly proactive in creating spaces to address global challenges and cultivate the skills needed to overcome them. These efforts extend beyond the campus through online collaborations with universities worldwide. 

Intercultural Leadership: Experience and Activism

At the foot of the iconic Christ statue at the San Joaquín campus entrance, the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs welcomed Rangaranga, a Māori group visiting from New Zealand. On their first trip to Chile, seven arrived enthusiastically, eager to connect with student organizations focused on interculturalism and diversity. 
 
The name Rangaranga, which means "to raise" or "to move," reflects the group's mission to empower Indigenous youth by encouraging active participation in university and social spaces to drive meaningful change.  

Supported by the New Zealand Prime Minister's Scholarship, Rangaranga included Chile in its global journey to share and celebrate Māori culture. The group has previously visited other countries, fostering intercultural dialogue and promoting an international perspective that values diverse cultures. 

At UC Chile, Rangaranga conducted an intercultural leadership workshop with various student organizations, including Trawün-Tinkuy,  Red de Alumnos Extranjeros (RAE), and Haka Nonoga.  

The group engaged with the Special Programs, Internships, and International Practices team of the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs and the UC Chile Intercultural Program.

Interculturality and Global Competencies

During the first week of November, six students from ICESI University in Colombia arrived at UC Chile, eager to participate in the international course "Ethical and Intercultural Challenges in the Development of Global Competencies" taught at the San Joaquín campus. 

The group included Miguel Ángel Cancio, Yuliana Casierra, Leandry Gómez, Karen Mejía, Lina Moncayo, and José Pineda—students from diverse academic fields including Social Sciences, Economics, Arts, and Engineering. Over 15 days, they shared perspectives and explored the complexities of interculturality with UC Chile students and faculty.  

Jorge Iván Sánchez, Director of International Relations at ICESI University, accompanied the group and praised the course as a transformative educational opportunity. "The UC Chile is a university where interculturality is lived and practiced, with a highly regarded program in Latin America. He explained that This course offers students theoretical knowledge and the chance to experience interculturality firsthand".

Sánchez also emphasized the potential for strengthening ties between institutions and countries through this initiative. "Experiences like this help students connect with Chile and recognize the many cultural and academic links between our countries," he added. 

For Psychology student Yuliana Casierra, the program provided an invaluable opportunity to learn about a different culture and history shaped by memory and social struggles. "This experience has given me new tools to understand the elements that define the struggles of different communities, their cultural development, and the creation of identity," she shared. 

The course, led by professors from various UC Chile faculties, covered a wide range of topics. Key lecturers included: 

• Enrique Muñoz, from the UC Chile Institute of Philosophy; 
• Andrea Freites, a researcher at the ICLAC Millennium Nucleus; 
• Francisca de la Maza, professor at the Institute of History; 
• Roberto González, Director of the UC Interculturality Program and professor at the School of Psychology; 
• Fernando Pairican, academic from the School of Anthropology. 
• Felipe Herrera, Head of Internationalization at the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities, also delivered a special lecture. 

The program concluded on November 15, with the participants presenting a real-world case study where they applied the knowledge and skills they gained during the course. Each student received a certificate from UC Chile, marking the end of a meaningful and enriching experience.

Dialogue Without Borders 

During October, two sessions of the "Global Citizenship, Social Justice & Interculturality" program were held with students from UC Chile and the University of Technology Sydney as part of the Global Conversations initiative. 

The program fosters global leadership by connecting students with peers from different cultures, united by a shared theme. The goal is creating networks, promoting joint projects, exchanging experiences, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and enhancing English language skills. 

This format of global conversation reflects the idea that it's unnecessary to travel abroad to connect with people from other countries, discuss global challenges, or collaborate on projects with universities worldwide. 

Bárbara Fuchslocher, Head of the Internationalization at Home area at the VRAI, explains that these initiatives create spaces for the UC Chile community to develop a sense of global citizenship.  "UC Chile students can experience the benefits of internationalization without leaving their campus. With just their computer, they can connect with students from Australia and other parts of the world," she says. 

The two sessions focused on the themes of interculturality, social justice, and global citizenship, with students sharing their experiences from diverse contexts and learning from each other's realities. 

The UC Chile Interculturality Program also participated in the event. This globally recognized initiative continues to draw increasing interest from international partners, who see UC Chile as a leading platform for intercultural dialogue based on real-world experience.