Congreso Futuro and academia are bringing together actors from the political, business and social worlds to generate a roadmap for the Chile of the future.

The new members of the Executive Secretariat of Proyecta Chile 2050 arrived at the Valentín Letelier Hall of the Central House of the University of Chile. 

A project that originated within the framework of the Scientific and Technological Advisory Council of Congreso Futuro and the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities, CRUCH; in which they realized that they shared a diagnosis: Chile does not have a national project that transcends electoral periods and the governments in power. 

This is how it was born Project Chile 2050, an event convened by all higher education institutions in Chile, the Chilean Academy of Sciences and Congreso Futuro, which seeks to work collaboratively on a roadmap that projects Chile for the next 50 years. 

This project consists of a “A set of far-reaching proposals designed by hundreds of experts, business actors, government, civil society and academia, in different areas that are key to the country's development, looking towards the future”, stated the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Tarapacá, Emilio Rodriguez, at the presentation of Proyecta Chile 2050. 

According to the executive vice president of the Encounters of the Future Foundation, Guido Girardi, The 20th century was a century in which progress was made in various areas, but that world ended. “Just as previous generations envisioned that society, it is up to us to envision the one to come, but this one is much more complex, with much faster changes that threaten even humanity.”. 

Regarding the role of universities, the rector of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés, He adds that “In times marked by modernity, these institutions—which have been trained for centuries for critical reflection, respectful coexistence, and the exercise of collective creativity—are more important than ever. But to achieve this, we must show society the value of our institutions, as well as the value of our communities and what they produce.». 

The senator Juan Antonio Coloma, The President of the Senate's Challenges of the Future Commission highlighted how this project came about and stated that “Among those things that I believe there is a common effort and desire to change, is, in a way, to put aside a certain frenetic short-termism that philosophers raise as one of the situations that are happening in the world today and that is probably hitting us harder.”. 

Cecilia Hidalgo, He referred to the pending challenges in education and health, and stated that “We need to generate knowledge and work harmoniously. That's why I think this idea, which brings together such diverse actors from the national scene, is a very important first step in starting to create a roadmap for the future up to the year 2050.”. 

The meeting highlighted the importance of bringing together, for the first time in a common project, the entire higher education system and the technical and vocational system, in order to generate a cross-cutting and inclusive consensus, and they were invited to participate in a working process based on July 2024, with the participation of other relevant actors, such as the Senate of Chile, the Chamber of Deputies, representatives of the central, regional and local government; the business and union world; think tanks; representatives of the territories; and different voices of civil society.

During the ceremony, recognition was given to the valuable contributions of the publications produced by the fifteen thematic working groups of the Public Policy Hub of the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation, which have already involved more than 1,000 academics and experts. These works, developed through consensus, will be reviewed and updated to delve deeper into areas such as the future of education, the future of healthcare, the future of the economy and work, the development of renewable energies, the potential and opportunities of resources such as green hydrogen and lithium, and the contributions of science, among others.

The presentation of Project Chile 2050 It included the participation of the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel; the deputy Francisco Undurraga; the Governor of Valparaíso and president of AGORECHI, Rodrigo Mundaca; The former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Science, Carolina Torrealba, the Vice President of Corfo, José Miguel Benavente, among others, will be part of the Executive Secretariat of Proyecta Chile 2050, The entity will be chaired by Rector Emilio Rodríguez, executive vice president of CRUCH; co-chaired by Rector Ignacio Sánchez of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Guido Girardi, executive vice president of Fundación Encuentros del Futuro; and with Alfonso Gómez, director of Fundación Encuentros del Futuro, advisor to the UC Innovation Center, and corporate director, serving as secretary. Additional advisors will also be included. The president of SOFOFA, Rosario Navarro, and the President of the Challenges of the Future Commission, Senator Juan Antonio Coloma.

Text: Communications from the Future Congress and the University of Chile.

Photos: Alejandra Fuenzalida – Press Office, University of Chile.