Students from 20 CRUCH universities participated in a global citizenship skills program managed by Education New Zealand in Chile

Education New Zealand In Chile, the Council of Rectors, through its Internationalization Commission, established an alliance that allowed undergraduate students to participate in the program New Zealand Global Competence Certificate, aimed at training citizens with global skills.

This Thursday, November 4th, the virtual graduation ceremony took place, in which representatives of Education New Zealand and the Council of Rectors, among others. On behalf of the Chilean students who participated in the program, Catalina Hidalgo stated that “empathy and understanding of people’s cultural contexts and realities are fundamental to becoming a global citizen.”.

Thanks to an alliance between Education New Zealand At the New Zealand Embassy in Chile and the Internationalization Commission of the Council of Rectors, undergraduate students from twenty universities participated in the program New Zealand Global Competence Certificate, aimed at training citizens with global skills.

In this context, on Thursday, November 4th, a virtual graduation ceremony was held for students from institutions belonging to the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) and from universities in New Zealand who completed the five-week program that took place between September and October. A total of 40 students participated, and 33 of them received their degrees.

The International General Manager was present at the virtual ceremony. Education New Zealand, Lisa Futscheck; the Director for Latin America of Education New Zealand at the New Zealand Embassy in Chile, Javiera Visedo; the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy, Nick Meehan; the CEO of Global Engagement (International Relations) from Massey University in New Zealand, Chris Carey; the rector of the University of Valparaíso and head of the CRUCH Internationalization Commission, Osvaldo Corrales; the president and vice president of the CRUCH Internationalization Commission, Anoek van den Berg and Steve Baeza, respectively; as well as directors of internationalization from CRUCH universities.

On this occasion, Rector Corrales praised the alliance between CRUCH and Education New Zealand at the New Zealand Embassy in Chile, thanked them for the scholarships awarded to the students, and said that "we hope this initiative will be the first of many others that will be developed collaboratively in the near future, for the benefit of students at universities belonging to the Council of Rectors.".

Meanwhile, Lisa Futscheck noted that “through international education, we have the opportunity to learn about other cultures, forge connections, and develop knowledge that can be applied to trade, investment, and educational ties in the coming years. Global citizenship is largely a way of thinking and being, and for Education New Zealand (ENZ) It is a privilege to have been able to deliver this program to students in Chile and New Zealand and contribute to the development of global skills for the next generation of professionals in both countries, to create a better future.”.

The contributions of the program

At the graduation ceremony, one of the Chilean students, Catalina Hidalgo, noted that “empathy and understanding of people’s cultural contexts and realities are fundamental to becoming a global citizen.” She also appreciated the opportunity to meet students from New Zealand and learn about their culture, saying it “was very helpful in understanding their culture and perspectives on certain issues.”.

Other students in the program highlighted aspects such as: “Recognizing one’s own identity is the first step to accepting other people’s cultures, communication styles, and differences”; “To create an inclusive and empathetic society, we need to learn global skills and be open-minded, because change begins with each of us”; “To make a positive impact on our societies, we need to connect with other global citizens, because we are stronger together than apart”; “I learned that with the necessary skills and competencies, as well as the will, one can be a citizen of the world, having a sense of belonging anywhere in the world.”.

The Global Competencies program - created by AFS Intercultural Programs New Zealand Facilitated by Massey University, it explores theories and models of interculturality and is geared towards enabling participants to acquire knowledge, skills, and understanding to interact effectively in a global and intercultural context.

Some of the learning outcomes contemplated in the program relate to the ability to recognize one's own personal and cultural experiences as citizens in local and global contexts; understand the characteristics, behaviors, and values present in different cultural contexts; empathize with cultural differences; as well as develop intercultural communication skills and establish relationships in a global learning context; among others.

Students from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the University of Concepción, the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, the Federico Santa María Technical University, the University of Santiago de Chile; the Austral University of Chile, the University of Valparaíso, the University of Bío Bío, the University of La Frontera, the University of Talca, the Arturo Prat University, the University of Playa Ancha, the University of Los Lagos, the Catholic University of Maule, the Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception, the University of O'Higgins, the Diego Portales University and the University of the Andes participated in the program.