CONICYT and CRUCH hold an information session on the European Union's HORIZON 2020 program

15/10/2015
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  • CONICYT and CRUCH hold an information session on the European Union's HORIZON 2020 program
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The meeting, which took place at the Catholic University of the North, featured presentations by UCN professor Víctor Kesternich, academic Cristina Dorador from the University of Antofagasta, and Lotte Bak from the CONICYT International Cooperation Program.

The National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) and the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) organized an information day on the European Union's HORIZON 2020 program, with the purpose of motivating university researchers to understand and generate links that allow them to be part of these European research programs.

The day included a detailed presentation by Lotte Bak from the CONICYT International Cooperation Program, who explained the purpose and operation of H2020, as well as providing a series of coordinates to facilitate contacts and applications.

Later, Professor Dr. Víctor Kesternich from the Faculty of Sciences of the Catholic University of the North presented the projects in which they have participated and their impacts, both in the advancement of knowledge, its transfer and the impact on young students and researchers of the UCN.

And at the same time, the presentation by Professor Cristina Dorador, from the University of Antofagasta, who, along with the presentation of her projects associated with European researchers, highlighted the importance of partnering with European peers to address cutting-edge research and frontier lines, considering that in Europe a collaborative vision predominates, with a high density of researchers, where the search for new partners is permanent and with a tradition of working outside their countries (home and foreign research).

In summary, a set of lessons were shared on the importance of international collaborations and networking. It was highlighted that this allows access to new methodologies, fosters international positioning, addresses multidisciplinary approaches, facilitates the sharing of new ideas, establishes student training in an international environment, and strengthens undergraduate and postgraduate studies, all while providing access to new sources of funding.

For university governing bodies, these calls represent new challenges, given that they will have to disseminate and support these application processes, generate support from an administrative standpoint, because young researchers require mobility opportunities and access to cutting-edge equipment.

But at the same time, the experience of projects with European peers questions the need to build networks within each university and between the universities of the Council of Rectors.