The biologist, Dr. Fabián Jaksic, gave a keynote lecture at the University of La Serena as part of the activities of this meeting in which researchers, teachers and students from Chile and Argentina participate.

At the U. of La Serena, the master conference was held by Dr. Fabián Jaksic Andrade, biologist, academic at the Pontificia Universidad Católica and director of the Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability, who in 2018 was awarded the National Prize for Natural Sciences of Chile for its contribution to the creation of a school of ecology and biodiversity in our country.

The presentation by the biologist specialized in the field of community ecology research was titled: “History, ecology and impacts of the invasion of the European rabbit in southern South America” and was part of the activities of the Second Binational Congress of Scientific Research Chile - Argentina that takes place from November 6 to 9 in La Serena as part of the Integration Committee of Paso Agua Negra and the Commission of Higher Education Institutions.

Dr. Fabián Jaksic pointed out that both countries “share many aspects of environmental ecology, community ecology and, at the same time, similar threats. In this particular case, the fact that binational interactions are made, especially pertinent with regard to the threats that occur with the invasion in Chile and Argentina of beavers, red deer, wild boar, bison, rabbits, the hare, from the Argentine parrot. We have a tremendous exchange on both sides of the Cordillera that we are addressing independently, but to the extent that we realize that colleagues on the other side of the Andes have similar problems, we can manage to confront these situations both in research and in practice. control of exotic species (…). “There are situations in which binational strategies are required to confront these threats to biodiversity.”

After the presentation by Dr. Fabián Jaksic, presentations began on the thematic lines of “Energy, Present and Future” and “Geoscience, Environment and Sustainability”, by representatives of the universities of La Serena, Católica del North and National of San Juan and the Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones, CEAZA.

Collaborative work between institutions

During this meeting, the Rector(s) of the host university, Dr. Jorge Catalán, along with stating that the participation of the University of La Serena in this Congress is an example of the institutional commitment to strengthening scientific research, and the generation of knowledge and its dissemination, highlighted the collaboration between institutions of sister nations and “the commitment of our institutions to not only be reproducers of knowledge, but also to be generators of knowledge, but not of any kind of knowledge, of knowledge that has local, national and international relevance and relevance. That is a great challenge for our institutions.”

For her part, the president of the Commission for the Integration of Higher Education Institutions of the Coquimbo Region, Adriana Ledezma, expressed that “the first objective of this Congress is to deepen the collaborative work between the Higher Education institutions of both countries, with the I wish that joint research that favors Chile and Argentina can originate. As for the second objective, it is the possibility of promoting dialogue between researchers from the Coquimbo Region with the Province of San Juan, and without a doubt we have already been experiencing this since the first days of the Congress. In this way we are preparing to face and repair common problems that require solving with a joint scientific-technological response. This is how this academic event becomes a substantial link in the Chilean-Argentine integration process.”

The Binational Congress brings together nearly 200 researchers, academics and undergraduate and graduate students from Chile and Argentina, who participate in a series of master classes, presentations and posters.

Its organization is in charge of the Commission of Higher Education Institutions of the Coquimbo Region, made up of the University of La Serena, Universidad Santo Tomas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad Central, Technological University of Chile INACAP, Universidad Bolivariana, Universidad Pedro of Valdivia, University of Aconcagua, Professional Institute of Chile, Institute of the Central Valley and AIEP Professional Institute, in addition to the National University of San Juan and the Catholic University of Cuyo.