The UPLA Young Researchers Conference was part of the CRUCH anniversary celebrations

The meeting brought together delegations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay (member countries of the association), to which representatives from Colombia and Cuba were added.

The research sample considered 620 works belonging to 27 universities in Latin America.

Representatives from across Latin America gathered to share their knowledge and findings in various scientific fields at the 22nd Young Researchers Conference. This international event was organized by the University of Playa Ancha as part of the Association of Universities of the Montevideo Group (AUGM) and took place between Monday, September 29th and Wednesday, October 1st in the city of Valparaíso. It was part of a series of activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities.

The conference was inaugurated in a ceremony held in the Hall of Honor of the National Congress in Valparaíso. Those in attendance included: Francisco Brieva, President of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT), representing President Michelle Bachelet; Senator Antonio Horvath, President of the Pablo Neruda Senate Extension Center; Álvaro Maglia, Executive Secretary of the Montevideo Group of Universities (AUGM); Gonzalo Rivas Gómez, Director of the National Council for Innovation and Competitiveness (CNIC); and Patricio Sanhueza, Rector of the University of Playa Ancha. During the event, the important announcement was made regarding the creation of an International Graduate School of the Montevideo Group of Universities (AUGM) in the city of Valparaíso.

The researchers' meeting brought together delegations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay (member countries of the association), along with representatives from Colombia and Cuba. The research showcase included 620 papers from 27 universities across Latin America. The papers, presented as both presentations and posters, covered 29 distinct areas of knowledge. The most represented areas were: Environment, Primary Health Care, and Bioactive Natural Products and their applications. The diverse topics presented at the international meeting also included education and development, animal health, remote sensing and applied meteorology, organ donation and transplantation, and the teaching of Spanish and Portuguese as second and foreign languages, among others.

The meeting included a diverse academic, cultural, and recreational program, with Valparaíso as its central hub. This gathering provided a valuable opportunity for young researchers to share experiences and knowledge, contributing to integration and collaboration at the Latin American level. The National University of La Plata will host this international event in 2015.