Cristián del Campo Simonetti SJ assumes the role of rector of the Alberto Hurtado University

In an extraordinary session of the Academic Council, the investiture ceremony was held for the Jesuit priest who will lead Alberto Hurtado University for the next four years. The university's highest authority received the medal symbolizing the transfer of power from the outgoing rector, Eduardo Silva SJ, in the presence of Gabriel Roblero SJ, provincial of the Society of Jesus and chancellor of UAH, as well as the vice-rectors, deans, the president of the board of directors, and representatives of the UAH Union and the student body.

This Monday, March 4, Cristián del Campo Simonetti SJ began his term as rector of Alberto Hurtado University. In an extraordinary session of the Academic Council, the official investiture ceremony was held for the man who will lead this institution for the next four years. The event was attended by Gabriel Roblero SJ, Provincial of the Society of Jesus and Chancellor of UAH; Alberto Etchegaray, President of the UAH Board of Directors; Fernando Montes SJ, founding rector of UAH; and Julio Fernández SJ, Rector of the Catholic University of Uruguay, representing the Association of Universities Entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America (AUSJAL); as well as the full Academic Council.

In his welcoming remarks, Alberto Etchegaray summarized the work of the Search Committee, which, after more than 20 meetings with various stakeholders, presented a shortlist of three candidates. Based on this information, the UAH Board unanimously appointed Cristián del Campo SJ as the new rector of Alberto Hurtado University. “We thank the outgoing rector, Eduardo Silva, for his dedication and commitment to the institution, and we wish Rector Del Campo the success that this university project deserves,” he stated.

On this occasion, outgoing Rector Eduardo Silva Arévalo SJ delivered heartfelt farewell remarks: “Leading a university is a complex task, and there are many dreams and challenges that should continue to inspire us, such as Institutional Accreditation, the implementation of our Strategic Plan, and welcoming our new students. Therefore, it is right and necessary to thank everyone, because we have nothing without the collaboration of others.”.

Cristián del Campo Simonetti (53) is a Jesuit priest, a Commercial Engineer, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University, a Master in Business Administration, and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Boston College. He was Provincial of the Society of Jesus, chaplain of Un Techo Para Chile and Techo Internacional; until the end of December of last year, he served as chaplain of the Jesuit Migrant Service.

His relationship with the Jesuit university in Chile is long-standing, dating back to the early days of UAH, where he served as a professor in the Department of Economics and Administration, teaching courses in Business and Economic Ethics and Introduction to Economics. He also served as coordinator of University Pastoral Care and has been a member of the UAH board of directors since 2013.

Upon receiving the medal symbolizing the transfer of power, Rector Cristián del Campo SJ stated: “I believe in Jesus, and as a Christian, I cannot renounce hope and believe in the promise of a future where life triumphs over death. This promise influences how we face life, against all fatalism (...). Chile has changed, and so has the university system. Today's students are different from those of the past; technology is also different, and the way we manage our educational project has become more complex, in a context under considerable stress due to tuition-free education and a stagnant student population, which competes for students and projects with large institutions. It is not easy, and it never has been, but we must be capable of making profound changes if we want to remain true to our commitment to ensuring a quality academic education, connected to the community, capable of contributing to the common good, and thus expressing our public vocation,” he explained.

Before the investiture ceremony concluded, Cristián del Campo SJ emphasized that he would dedicate his best efforts to this task entrusted to him, for which he would also need the support of the entire Hurtado community: “I invite you to reflect and reconsider in order to do a deeper, more profound, and more widespread good. May God multiply the efforts of our hands and make our University a university worthy of the dreams of its students and the values expressed in our mission.”.

Text and photo: Communications, Alberto Hurtado University.