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More than 80% of the researchers working in the National Antarctic Science Program belong to institutions of the Council of Rectors and Rectors.
The commemoration on November 6 coincides with the progress of the Chile-Antarctic Interuniversity Alliance (AICA), which seeks to incorporate knowledge of the white continent into the training of professionals from different disciplines.
The universities belonging to the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) play a fundamental role in the study and protection of Antarctica, through research that contributes to understanding the effects of climate change, along with the training of new generations of professionals. This contribution takes on special significance on Chilean Antarctic Day, commemorated every November 6th.
The anniversary commemorates the promulgation of Decree No. 1,747, signed in 1940 by President Pedro Aguirre Cerda, which established the boundaries of the Chilean Antarctic Territory between the 53° and 90° west meridians. Eighty-six years after this milestone, the commemoration also allows us to recognize the scientific and environmental importance of a continent that plays a crucial role in regulating the planet's climate.
From the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region, the rector of the University of Magallanes (UMAG), José Maripani, emphasizes the responsibility of higher education institutions in generating knowledge. “Chilean universities and our country are called to be part of Antarctic research,” he states, referring to the role that science and international cooperation play in this territory.
In that sense, “our university plays a role by being here, near the Strait of Magellan (…) we are the gateway to Antarctica as a place of research and knowledge,” he explains.
The university's contribution and the challenges of research
The acting director of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), Andrés López, highlights the contribution of the CRUCH universities to the National Program
of Antarctic Science (PROCIEN), administered by that organization and structured in seven lines of research.
“The participation of CRUCH universities is vital, since the vast majority—over 80%—of PROCIEN researchers belong to these universities. This has resulted in, for example, 81% of Antarctic scientific publications between 2009 and 2023 being linked to universities in this network,” says López, who also highlights the high level of inter-university collaboration in Antarctic science.
Among the main scientific challenges are the monitoring of pathogens and invasive species, the study of the effects of climate change on the cryosphere and its connection to the global climate, and the promotion of protected areas. INACH also fosters international cooperation and seeks to stimulate research addressing both the Arctic and Antarctic.
From collaboration to action
In August 2025, CRUCH and INACH signed a framework agreement for collaboration to promote the Chile Antarctic Interuniversity Alliance (AICA), an initiative that seeks to integrate Antarctic content across higher education and strengthen collaboration between institutions.
Between December 2025 and March 2026, the participating universities conducted a series of workshops to develop a shared vision. Once formalized, the alliance will have an assembly of representatives, an executive committee, and an executive secretariat. Its work will be organized around four strategic pillars: recognizing and integrating Antarctic culture; creating a new inter-university Antarctic training program; enabling and connecting the Antarctic knowledge network; and expanding Antarctic identity.
“The challenge now is one of implementation, so that university education makes Chile a country with an Antarctic identity shared by all of society,” says López.
This sentiment is echoed in the words of Rector Maripani, who recalls that the Antarctic Treaty establishes the continent as a space dedicated to peace and science. From this perspective, he calls for “every citizen of Chile to feel that Antarctica is part of our country, part of what we must care for and protect,” he concludes.
Text: CRUCH Communications
Images: Gentleness INACH and the University of Magallanes
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