On the occasion, the conference “Planetary Engineering, the challenge for the Engineering of the future” was held, led by Eng. Manuel Viera, CEO & Managing Partner of the Metaproject Holding.

In the CETECFI Conference Hall, the ceremony to commemorate the thirty-third anniversary of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of La Serena took place this Tuesday, August 26, together with the one hundred and twenty-seventh anniversary of the creation of the former School of Engineering. La Serena Mines.

The activity was attended by university authorities, led by the Rector(s), Dr. Jorge Catalán, Department and School directors, academics, officials, students, alumni and special guests.

On the occasion, the dean of the macrounit, Dr. Ing. Alberto Cortés, pointed out that in recent years, the Faculty has worked in the constant search for academic excellence, “in being leaders in the training of professionals, continually improving the quality of teaching and generate various agreements, projects and research that have allowed us to connect with the environment and thus be able to translate this knowledge in the academy.”

Likewise, the dean of Engineering provided details of the progress made in the accreditation of courses; curricular renewal of the programs; training of academics; decrease in graduation rates; links with international companies; signing of agreements; development of research projects; among others. 

Regarding the challenges of the macrounity, he maintained that there is a long way to go, "we must continue to train professionals and postgraduates with the solid scientific and technological base that characterizes us, complement the training of students in Humanistic areas, always contributing to the development sustainable, to improve the quality of life of society, continue supporting our academics to carry out research in those areas of their competence and continue generating networks, ties and links with the environment." 

After his intervention, the conference titled: “Planetary Engineering, the challenge for the Engineering of the future” was held, by Eng. Manuel Viera, CEO & Managing Partner of Holding Metaproject, Ph.D. Financial & Mining Economics, Senior Mining Engineer and whose professional experience was initially forged in the classrooms of this Faculty. 

Accolades

During this event, the Faculty of Engineering presented distinctions to the academic of the Department of Civil Works Engineering, Dr. Mario Durán, to the academic of the Department of Food Engineering, Dr. Mario Pérez, and to the academic of the Department of Industrial Engineering, ing. Moisés Villablanca, in recognition of his 30 years of dedication and performance of his duties within the University. 

In addition, distinctions were awarded to the academic of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Ing. Mauricio Godoy, who is celebrating 20 years of academic work, and to the academic of the Department of Architecture, Oscar Rojas, in recognition of his outstanding work as director of the mentioned unit (2011-2014).

For his part, the ULS civil mining engineer, Mauricio Barraza, received the “Distinguished Professional” Award, awarded to a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering who has occupied a relevant space within the professional field in the country. 

The Department of Mining Engineering, meanwhile, recognized Patricia Narváez and José Ceballos for their professional career and their contribution to teaching Geology to Mining Engineering students at the former State Technical University, La Serena headquarters. . 

Bell Ceremony

An important moment of this commemoration was the traditional Bell Ceremony, an activity carried out in the Plaza del Ex Alumno of the Ignacio Domeyko Campus to celebrate the 127 years of the former La Serena School of Mines and in which university authorities, directors, academics , students and graduates, rang the bell just like those students and teachers who gathered at midnight on August 25 of the first years of said School.

“These traditional activities lead institutions to last over time, respecting and valuing their origin. Knowing the history of our institution is necessary for the feeling of our own identity; without it, we poorly understand the present and we can hardly project the future,” said the director of the Department. of Mining Engineer, Dr. Ing. Alfonso Carvajal, adding that the School of Mines constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of the ULS and that caring for and respecting these pillars “is everyone's task.” 

The presidents of the Student Centers of the Mining Execution Engineering, Civil Mining Engineer and Environmental Civil Engineer, Jonathan Veliz, Edison Herrera and Javier Guamán, also delivered their greetings, and on behalf of the graduates from the year 1964, Domingo Munizaga.

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