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The initiative, promoted by the Antarctic Natural Laboratory Node Project (ANID), seeks to integrate Antarctic knowledge across the national higher education system. This agreement marks the beginning of a historic process that will culminate in December 2025 with a solemn signing in Antarctica.
During the monthly session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), held at the Metropolitan Technological University this Thursday, August 28, the Framework Collaboration Agreement between said institution and the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) was approved, a milestone that gives life to the Chile Antarctic Interuniversity Alliance (AICA).
The agreement was signed by the national director of INACH, Gino Casassa Rogazinski, and the executive vice president of CRUCH, Emilio Rodríguez Ponce, who highlighted the historical and strategic nature of this alliance for the future of university education and research on the White Continent.
The agreement stems from the Antarctic Natural Laboratory Node Project, funded by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), and led by INACH in conjunction with the University of Magallanes (UMAG), the Austral University of Chile (UACh), and the Millennium Institute BASE. This agreement establishes the framework for cooperation between the universities belonging to CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities) and INACH, with the aim of integrating Antarctic knowledge across Chilean higher education, promoting teaching, research, and outreach in polar subjects, and contributing to the training of professionals who can address the challenges posed by Antarctica. It also seeks to strengthen the integration of young researchers and consolidate Chile's national Antarctic identity, in accordance with Chile's mission as a claimant nation and gateway to the Antarctic continent.
The Chilean Antarctic Inter-University Alliance (AICA), framed within the National Antarctic Policy 2024, seeks to consolidate the country's Antarctic identity in accordance with its geopolitical, scientific, and environmental role. Its purpose is also to train professionals capable of addressing Antarctic and climate challenges, promote the integration of young researchers into polar science, and raise Chile's profile as a leader in research, international cooperation, and climate diplomacy.
The national director of INACH, Gino Casassa Rogazinski, He noted that “the signing of this Framework Agreement constitutes a historic milestone, which we are carrying out together with CRUCH and where the Antarctic Node plays a crucial role, as a project that has been responsible for disseminating the Antarctic issue at all levels and that on this occasion takes us to an academic level that brings together 30 universities and that leads us to carry out specific activities that will be defined later.”.
For his part, the executive vice president of CRUCH, Emilio Rodríguez Ponce, He stated that “we value this agreement that establishes AICA to achieve cross-cutting access to Antarctic knowledge. Undoubtedly, this agreement is an example of collaboration between public bodies, such as CRUCH and INACH, which put their capabilities at the service of the country.”.
At the ceremony, Dr. Pamela Santibáñez Ávila, UMAG academic and CTCI coordinator of the Antarctic Node, highlighted in her presentation the need to convene this agreement and the importance of inter-university cooperation that incorporates Antarctica into all areas of knowledge.
In turn, the doctor Leyla Cárdenas Tavie, The dean of the Faculty of Sciences at UACh and coordinator of the Node's outreach, emphasized that "this alliance marks the beginning of a collaboration that we hope will impact the training of professionals in our country, providing an Antarctic stamp that validates the Chilean-Antarctic connection." The academic also highlighted the coordinating role of the Antarctic Natural Laboratory Node in this initiative, "demonstrating the commitment of its member institutions (INACH, UMAG, UACh, and BASE) to making Antarctica the most important natural laboratory in Chile.".
The agreement also highlights the leading role of CRUCH: 831 research positions (TP3T) of Antarctic researchers with Antarctic projects between 2014 and 2023 (583) belong to CRUCH institutions, and 811 research positions (TP3T) of Antarctic scientific publications (1,750) between 2009 and 2023 are linked to universities within this network. Between 2019 and 2023, 17 CRUCH institutions actively participated in knowledge generation through high levels of inter-university collaboration, producing more than 10 joint publications and demonstrating a high degree of collaboration in the generation of Antarctic knowledge.
The AICA envisions as its next step a consultation on membership among universities (September-October 2025), the review of the mission, vision and strategic axes of the AICA and, finally, the solemn signing in Antarctica in December 2025, which will bring together the rectors of universities with Antarctic programs.
The CRUCH-INACH Framework Agreement is envisioned as a strategic instrument to strengthen the link between the country's universities and the scientific work that Chile carries out in Antarctica. Its implementation will allow Antarctica to be projected as an essential part of national identity and civic education, consolidating the Chile Antarctic Brand: Knowledge, Identity and Future.
Text and photograph: INACH Communications
Collaboration: CRUCH Communications
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