Professor Sergio Bravo gave a master class within the framework of the thirty-eighth institutional anniversary, in the presence of authorities, academics, officials and students.

During 2018, two important reforms were launched that involve profound changes in the institutional processes of national universities, mainly related to the state and public sector. The topic was analyzed in a master class given by the former Rector of the University of La Frontera, Professor Sergio Bravo, who referred to the threats and opportunities that these new regulations facing higher education entail.

In his speech, the former university authority emphasized the necessary updating of the way in which institutional work is carried out, considering the new political, economic and technological scenario. “Promoting social and technological progress and, simultaneously, avoiding the possibility of renewal, can no longer be perpetuated. It is evident the transformations that the universities themselves have induced, and that they are exerting powerful pressure that has forced these institutions to reexamine their conception, operation and viability (…) The current levels of uncertainty prevent us from doing what we did 50 years ago”, express.

In this way, he urged to look critically at the internal processes that each institution entails, taking into consideration the abyss that the changes in the technological and economic area have reached in the world of education. “These conditions have put enormous pressure on universities and their training programs, since our institutions are obliged to take on the task of thinking about the requirements of a 25-year-old young man, whose professional life will be projected until at least the year 2060. This means thinking today about the knowledge, skills and abilities that will contribute to its success and validity for the next four decades,” he said.

On the other hand, added to these changes are the transformations that the way of teaching and learning has undergone in the hands of technological advances, which have influenced the information consumption habits of students and teachers. “Experts insist on considering digital technologies as the most powerful tools in an effort to provide quality university education. Not only because of the possibilities it offers, but because they constitute the educational habitat of the XNUMXst century. And I wonder if we are designing policies in this sense? ”He analyzed.

In this context, the professor explained that universities on an international scale have taken on these challenges by reducing the contents and generating short degrees, paying attention to innovation and continuous updating programs, linked to the research projects developed by the respective institution.

Regarding the obligations that pertain to the accreditation processes, he highlighted that the new laws seek to achieve uniformity in all the processes that affect higher education institutions. “We must understand the background that underlies these regulations and what the legislator expects with respect to higher education in Chile, which is ultimately to organize the system, and that every institution presents within itself a certain homogeneity of quality in its take action in all areas,” said Professor Bravo.

Finally, he referred to the importance of carrying out these processes in a shared manner and supported by his institutional peers. “Today we are facing a new challenge, which is to take the stage of the new laws already mentioned and that can be a threat to the future if they are not taken with the due responsibility of the entire university community. The ULS can and should do so with the greatest optimism, since it has everything to be a great university, due to its heritage, history, tradition, its riches and privileged natural environments. The development processes of institutions like ours cannot be done alone and I hope that the UFRO and the University of La Serena join forces with a long-range collaboration agreement in all areas, in which each institution can learn from the another”, concluded the expert.  

Written by Daniela Ledezma, UGIP - PMI FIP ULS1501 | CM ULS1755

Researcher Guillermo Damke shared details to be able to responsibly and safely enjoy the great event that will take place on July 2.

A series of recommendations to observe the total solar eclipse 2019 in our Coquimbo Region, the astronomer and researcher of the University of La Serena, Dr. Guillermo Damke.

During a talk offered in the context of the 38th institutional anniversary and attended by authorities and directors, as well as schoolchildren from the Gerónimo Rendic School and students from different levels of the Bachelor's degree in Astronomy, the researcher shared some details of security and relevance for see this astronomical event, rated as the most important in the world in 2019.

“Looking at an eclipse directly at the sun can cause permanent blindness, due to the functioning of the eyes. For the same reason, certain recommendations must be taken into account and, in this case, use special lenses to be able to see the luminosity of an eclipse. We as experts must make these recommendations and tell the audience that they should take care of themselves,” said the professional, who emphasized not using sunglasses or binoculars to observe this phenomenon that has caused great interest locally and internationally.

Another point that the astronomer addressed is that, in his perception, choosing a specific place to see the eclipse is important, because although it can be seen from different places, the perception time is very short. For him, “the Almirante Latorre sector is a good place (…) you just have to think about the pros and cons of that sector,” adding that the total phase will take place at 16:38 p.m.

To find out more about the event you can go to http://www.eclipsesolar2019.cl/safety

In the public account, the highest authority highlighted that the main challenge for 2019 is the self-assessment process for accreditation, urging the community to participate and evaluate with fair judgment the collective work that has allowed the indisputable improvement in institutional quality.

With well-deserved recognition to all the people who have made it possible to grow the prestige and quality of the University of La Serena, the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, began his public account corresponding to the 2018 period.

“Every day that passes has the mark of thousands of people who, with will, talent and work well done, have allowed us to rapidly approach what we aspired to more than a decade ago, when they gave me the trust to guide the University of La Serena and work to turn it into a prestigious state and regional university, socially responsible and technologically advanced (…) a benchmark of educational quality for the country and the Coquimbo Region,” he expressed during the opening ceremony of the 2019 Academic Year.

In the ceremony framed in the commemoration of the thirty-eighth anniversary of the University, the highest university authority shared with the university community the main institutional achievements of recent years, especially in matters of Teaching, Institutional Management, Research and Links with the Environment, which They were the basis to face 2018.

Teaching

In Teaching, the curricular renewal of 35 of the 40 careers stands out, including 100% of the pedagogies. Likewise, he highlighted the curricular renewal of the 11 pedagogy courses and the optimization of the 2019 enrollment process, to which the digital component was incorporated. The above allowed the selected applicants to carry out their procedures in a technologically expeditious manner. “A great example of inter-unit teamwork that culminated in 1.750 new students enrolled,” he said.

And in terms of accreditation, he mentioned the improvement in the accreditation rate of undergraduate courses, with 53% of the academic offering accredited.

He also clarified that the objective is to make continuous improvement an institutional culture. “We must consider, today more than ever, that internal quality management is an imperative that will additionally be required by the new accreditation system where both undergraduate and graduate degrees must demonstrate quality,” he expressed.

Research and Postgraduate

Regarding Research, he highlighted “the surpassing of the average of 100 WoS publications per year, which characterized us between 2012 and 2015, moving on to an explosive growth that today establishes us with 203 WoS publications in 2018. Double the number of publications in just 3 years. And an indisputable advance if we remember that a decade ago we reached 26 publications per year.”

He also indicated that the total external financing fund awarded during 2018 for research reached 1.050 million pesos, while in the management of research and postgraduate projects the institution delivered a total of 647 million pesos for the execution of 51 projects. competitions, incentives for scientific productivity and doctoral scholarships.

Regarding Postgraduate Studies, he highlighted the creation of 5 creditable doctorates, 4 of them already accredited and one that is in process and corresponds to the most recent program, created in 2018: the Doctorate in Energy, Water and Environment.

Link with the Environment

Regarding links with the environment, he valued the positioning of the University in the community and the work networks with relevant institutions in the territory. At the same time, the Rector specified that it is “a challenge in the face of the new accreditation process, to make visible and put in value, the contribution of the Departments and their disciplines, to the task of linking with the environment.”

Institutional management

While in terms of Institutional Management, he valued the financial health of the University, recognized by external organizations as a guarantee of sustainability of its development project, in addition to the important progress made to complete the digital transformation.

 Added to the above is the awarding of initiatives aimed at institutional development, highlighting in 2018 the execution of 25 Performance Agreements with Mineduc for an amount of 6.432 million pesos. Also noteworthy is the awarding of 9 initiatives, four of them Performance Agreements and five student projects for financing of 4.034 million pesos.

And in relation to the institutional infrastructure, he explained that the institution carried out 60 improvement works, with a total investment of more than 7 billion pesos, "a record figure for the University of La Serena." Among the works mentioned, the following stand out: the installation of an interior ramp for people with disabilities in the access hall of the Faculty of Engineering building, the installation of the panoramic elevator located on the Ignacio Domeyko Campus, the Study Workshops and Reading Room of the Andrés Bello Campus, the replacement construction of the Schools of Psychology and Nursing on the Andrés Bello Campus, among others.

Regarding the long-standing buildings, he mentioned that they were affected by the earthquake of magnitude 6,7 and intensity 8.0, on January 19, and that "repairing the damage requires facing expenses close to 1.400 million pesos. The most affected campus is Enrique Molina Garmendia. The work began during the summer period and we estimate that it will continue throughout 2019, so I ask you to give due understanding."

Rector Avilés also referred to social demands, specifying that during 2018 the Protocol on Harassment and Arbitrary Discrimination was made official, which was prepared by the working group formed within the framework of the student mobilization, and which was made known to the entire community. university. Likewise, he valued how the institution has comprehensively addressed students with disabilities, “decidedly advancing in inclusion and universal accessibility.”

Students: the center of the training process

In his intervention, the authority stressed that students are the center of the training process and the exercise of university functions. He also emphasized the comprehensive training of young people through structures and initiatives that address their well-being in areas such as health, coexistence, food, sports and socioeconomic benefits. Along these lines, he stressed that some 180 million pesos were granted by the institution during 2018 for the direct benefit of the students.

Challenges and projections

In turn, the Rector called on the community to renew its commitment to comprehensive quality and to “learn to work with generosity and collaboration, overcoming isolated management and building bridges so that communication and relationships between units facilitate integration.” and systemic management of the University”.

Regarding institutional challenges, he highlighted the development of a new institutional statute, “which we will begin next month, through a highly participatory process.” Added to this is the strengthening of the three-state relationship and the ability to add will and talent to face the self-assessment leading to institutional accreditation 2020.

“Now, the challenge is to further consolidate and improve the strengths of the Research area and incorporate Postgraduate studies, or aspire to a greater number of years of accreditation,” he expressed in his speech.

Finally, he maintained that “it is good to have a critical view because constructive criticism helps to grow. However, such criticism should not be paralyzing or destructive. On the contrary, I invite you to be fair in your evaluation and recognize the profound transformations we have had in these years. If we do not believe in or value our own work, outsiders will hardly do so. Valuation and pride must start at home (…). I invite you to dare to dream big, because at ULS there is talent to make that big dream a reality.”  

Written by Gonzalo Lozano, Communications Department

Renowned scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Germany and various institutions gathered at the ULS to participate in this scientific conference.

“It is a good opportunity to increase our collaboration and do much more science together.” These words of Dr Simon White, winner of the Shaw Prize in 2017 - known as the Nobel Prize of the East -, reflect how beneficial the conference on galaxy formation and evolution organized by the University of La Serena was and which had the specialist as one of its main speakers.  

The scientific event officially began the collaborative agreement “ULS-MPA Partner Group”, recently signed between the University of La Serena and the Max Planck Society for Astrophysics of Germany.

Addition Dr. White, the congress brought together figures of the discipline such as professors Guinevere Kauffmann y Volker Springel, all directors of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, as well as national and international astronomers who work in the area of ​​formation and evolution of galaxies and related topics, and undergraduate and graduate students from the ULS and other Chilean and foreign institutions.

Dr. Facundo Gómez, of the Multidisciplinary Research Institute in Science and Technology ULS, explained that this event was developed “based on the creation of a partner group, which is an associated group between the Max Planck Society for Astrophysics, which is in Munich, and the University of La Serena”. He added that "the idea is to maintain these collaborations that we developed during our stay in Germany and extend them, to form collaboration groups, developing new projects and involving more people to keep this link of scientific collaboration active and make it grow."

Regarding the participation of students in doctoral programs, the Dr Simon Withe He highlighted that “the new scientists are going to be these students, so they need to be trained by local scientists. There are many astronomers who are coming to teach the kids and the hope is that in the future the same Chilean kids will come back and take that wheel so that the community of Chilean astronomers begins to grow, which there were not many until recently and who It is growing rapidly.”

The activity is part of the winning projects of the Contest to Support the Holding of Scientific Events, promoted by the Vice-Rector's Office for Research and Postgraduate Studies and the Academic Vice-Rector's Office of the U. of La Serena.

Written by Ignacio Aguilar, Journalism student

The activity was framed within the 38th anniversary of the university, in view of the next institutional accreditation process.

Four academic programs, related to the pedagogical area of ​​the University of La Serena, were presented in a ceremony directed by the Integrated Management Unit of Pedagogies (UGIP). The event was part of the milestones achieved by the institution regarding the improvements established in the strengthening of initial teacher training.

During the activity, the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, highlighted the work of the UGIP and urged the university community to continue developing teamwork in favor of the improvements being made at the institution. “The launch of these programs accentuates the commitment of our staff to the quality of the 11 pedagogy courses it offers. Furthermore, it is important to highlight that these programs will have a positive impact on teaching, research and links with the environment of our University.”

The academic programs will work in four areas of pedagogies, related to the development of Applied Pedagogical Research, Linkage with Educational Communities, Training and Updating of the Academic Body and Evaluation in Initial Teacher Training.

In this context, the Alternate Executive Director of the UGIP, Dr. Fabián Araya, highlighted the role that the Unit and the respective Academic Programs will have in pedagogical training. “The final vision of these programs is to support pedagogy careers, in a flexible way, in the various initiatives that arise in each of them, and the University in the processes of continuous improvement and quality assurance,” he highlighted. .

In this way, the UGIP management team hopes that with the formation of these four academic programs, the achievements established in the pedagogy improvement project will be institutionalized, and contribute to the institutional accreditation process.

UGIP Diplomas

In order to strengthen the capabilities of the University's academic body, during 2018 the UGIP promoted two diploma courses that address the area of ​​innovation and didactics, and the area of ​​practices in the work context, in which teachers who perform work in the different pedagogical careers.

On the occasion, the first version of said diploma courses was closed, in which a certificate of participation was delivered to each of the participating teachers, who managed to acquire various updating tools in their respective lines of specialty.

One of the projections that the academic programs have is to be able to continue with future versions of the diplomas, for the benefit of strengthening, enhancing and updating the knowledge and skills of all those who have the task of training future teachers.

Written by Daniela Ledezma, Integrated Pedagogy Management Unit (UGIP) - PMI FIP ULS1501 | CM ULS1755

The planetarium was given on loan to the ULS by CONICYT and will allow various activities aimed at schools, university students, community centers and the general public.

Children, young people and adults will be able to learn more about science and astronomy thanks to the cycle of activities of the mobile planetarium of the University of La Serena, which will take place over the next few months in different places in the Coquimbo Region.

The planetarium was given on loan to the University by CONICYT and will allow the development of various activities aimed at schools, university students, community centers and the general public, in which important astronomical events will be taught, such as the total solar eclipse of the next July 2, in addition to generating interest in astronomical research.

The person in charge of the mobile planetarium project and academic of the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Marcelo Jaque, sees having this instrument as a great opportunity, since it will be able to bring the work of the university closer to the community. “We will be able to raise awareness in the community of the important work that the University does in astronomical research, promoting the study of this science to new generations,” he said.

The presentation of this cycle of activities took place in a ceremony attended by the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, authorities, directors and academics of the institution, and which was part of the celebration of the 38th anniversary of the ULS.

Rector Avilés stated that “for several years, the institution has promoted development in its area of ​​astronomy. In addition, science programs have been strengthened, and the level of research has also been increasing. That is why today we are inaugurating a planetarium of a CONICYT project, which reflects the results we are obtaining in this area.”

For his part, the Director of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Luis Palma Chilla, expressed that “we have a responsibility to the community, we are a state university and our Department responds to that. Having a planetarium of this type is a pole within the University to link us strongly with the environment.”

The mobile planetarium will be in the University facilities for eight months, which will provide tools and information to the entire community that comes to live the astronomical experience on a larger scale.

Written by Tomás Rodríguez, Department of Communications, and Karina Damke, Rectory