Philippine Embassy, University of Chile Foster Collaboration in Various Fields
Philippine Ambassador Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat (2nd from right) discusses partnership initiatives with University of Chile Rector Rosa Devés (center) and Director of International Relations Alicia Salomone (2nd from right) (Photo courtesy of Universidad de Chile)
SANTIAGO 21 MAY 2024 – As part of the Philippine Embassy’s continuing efforts to strengthen academic ties between the Philippines and Chile, Ambassador Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat met with University of Chile Rector Rosa Devés to discuss initiatives covering various areas of cooperation.
Ambassador Balatbat thanked the Rector for the University’s Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences partnership with the Embassy on the conduct of a healthcare seminar for the benefit of the Filipino Community in Chile on 27 April 2024.
Discussions focused on joint research and people-to-people exchanges between the two institutions in music and the arts, astronomy/astrophysics, natural and engineering sciences, and research on Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), medical and allied health sciences.
Rector Devés welcomed in particular research exchanges with the Philippine Space Agency and the university’s Astronomy Department, including sharing of data collected by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Radio Telescope and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) facilities in Chile, and joint research between astronomers for the Philippines and Chile.
The Embassy also offered to sustain joint activities with the University of Chile by facilitating linkages with the University of the Philippines, whose campus in Manila is known for its programs in medicine, dentistry, public health, and pharmacy.
The two parties also discussed initiatives to promote the Philippines as a destination for English as a Second Language (ESL) students, and the participation of the University of Chile in the 7th Sustainable Cities & Landscapes Conference of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) to be held in August 2024 in the Philippines.
The Embassy’s Third Secretary and Vice Consul Ramona Jose-Bullecer and Cultural Officer Kimiko Gata also joined the meeting while Rector Devés was accompanied by Director of International Relations Alicia Salomone.
Universidad de Chile, established 1842, is a public research university and the oldest institution of higher education in Chile. Noted alumni include Nobel laureates Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral as well as several Presidents of the country. END
Ambassador Vinzon-Balatbat and Rector Devés exchange tokens of appreciation (Photo courtesy of Universidad de Chile)
For more information, visit https://www.santiagope.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinChile.