Knowing the international financing landscape, as well as sharing experiences and increasing collaboration, are some of the objectives of the annual meeting and workshop of the Research Collaboration Group.
UC was the meeting place for the directors and professionals in charge of the research area of the international network Universitas 21, Research Collaboration Group (RCG), who held their annual meeting, organized by the Research Affairs Office. Its objective is to strengthen collaboration networks, share experiences and learn more about the international financing landscape.
Born in 1997, U21 currently groups 27 universities in the world, with UC and Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico being the only two Latin American member institutions. Together, they add up to a total of more than 1 million students, 200,000 administrative professionals, 40,000 professors and researchers, and more than 2 million graduates.
UC President, Ignacio Sánchez, emphasized the active participation the institution has had in the U21 network and in the organization of various meetings, among them, the annual meeting of Presidents in 2015 and of health sciences that same year, research by young professors (2017) and senior leaders (2018). Also, President Sánchez stressed the importance for Universidad Católica to be the RCG Research group meeting hosts, and to have the opportunity to learn more about international funds and especially, learn from the different universities present in the meetings.
In total, about twenty representatives from countries as diverse as Great Britain, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Japan participated. “It’s really great to have people from such different parts of the world. We need to share these different perspectives to be able to face the complex problems that affect our societies ”, affirmed the Vice-President for Research Affairs, Pedro Bouchon, pointing out the value of this network.
The Research Collaboration Group seeks to link the professionals involved in the research activity of the universities that participate in U21, creating a community to share experiences and the realities of each country, the international financing landscape, explore collaboration models and provide opportunities for improvement, among other aspects.
The activities took place during the week of May 27th to 31st, beginning with a workshop open to the university community, on the European research funding programs, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. The first, corresponding to the years 2014 to 2020, with a fund close to 80 billion euros; and the second, for the years 2021 to 2027, with a total financing of 100 billion euros. Director of Research Affairs Office, María Elena Boisier, emphasized this great opportunity, announcing a day especially dedicated to presenting these funds open to all Chilean researchers, “Info Days”, during the first week of June.
It was followed by the annual meeting of RCG, where representatives presented their respective universities and successful experiences of collaboration, generating a very valuable dialogue regarding the research work and challenges of the network. Likewise, the participants had the opportunity to learn a little more about the national culture and art, through the “Paseo de las Artes”, an opera show, music by Violeta Parra and cueca, organized by the UC Art and Culture Affairs Office. As well as getting to know part of the university’s research infrastructure, at the Marine Research Coastal Station, in Las Cruces.
See the meeting’s images (https://flic.kr/s/aHsmE3Vxhi)