During the day, the Faculty of Engineering presented the 2020 Operational Plan for Linkage with the Environment, contributing both to teaching and/or research and to the different interest groups with which it interacts systematically and bidirectionally.

With the objective of systematizing the processes and implementing a knowledge management plan for the Environmental Linkage projects of the Faculty of Engineering (FIULS), the 2020 Planning Workshop was held. At the event, the scope of the evaluation and monitoring of operational plans, identifying the factors that enhance and restrict effective execution. 

In relation to the paradigm shift in the planning and evaluation of Linkage with the Environment, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Ing. Mauricio Godoy, stressed that this macrounit “makes up a great team and that is why we must be aligned in compliance our common objectives, through the projects linking with the environment that are being developed and managed systematically; "This way, among all the members, we can carry out collaborative and coordinated work with the different FIULS units and this is the great change that we must make."

For his part, the Coordinator of Liaison with the Environment of the Faculty of Engineering, Mg. Ing. Ricardo Cabana, in his presentation, stated that “in the area of ​​connection with the environment we must all make decisions that are connected with a culture of bidirectional contribution, it is a commitment that we all have and we must follow a process of planning, evaluation and project management control. To do this, our University has a set of instruments, including an integrated technological platform. In this way, we will contribute to institutional accreditation and we will be measuring our projects in indicators of coverage, quality, relevance, efficiency and replicability.”

The workshop was attended by academics from the Faculty's departments. The academic and Coordinator of Mechanical Civil Engineering, Camilo Moreno, highlighted this initiative “that contributes to the link with the environment and this organization to know how much the projects contribute internally and externally, to know with data and how to improve in the future and generate a great contribution both to our University and also to our environment.”

The Link with the Environment at the University of La Serena, in its capacity as a regional state university, constitutes an essential and substantive expression of its social role committed to quality integrated transversally to all academic functions. This commitment requires that each ULS department prioritize its project portfolio, design and execute it, contributing both to teaching and/or research, and to the different interest groups with which it interacts systematically and bidirectionally.

Finally, it was announced that within the Faculty of Engineering three emblematic projects will be chosen and highlighted this year, which impact on improved practices in teaching, research and society.

Written by María José Barraza, FIULS 2030 Project