The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso formalized an important international agreement with the Polytechnical School of the Universidad de São Paulo, one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Latin America. This partnership represents a new progress in its goal to strengthen global academic cooperation and, in particular, to strengthen the internationalization of our university that is soon to celebrate its first centenary.
The agreement was signed between the rector of the Universidad de São Paulo (USP), Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Júnior; the director of the Polytechnical School, Reinaldo Giudici, and the rector of the PUCV, Nelson Vásquez, who undertook the mutual commitment to promote collaboration actions that strengthen undergraduate and graduate education, research and the relationship between both institutions.
The delegation included Vicerector of Administration and Finances of this university, Alex Paz; the vice-dean of the School of Engineering, Ricardo Soto de Giorgis; the director of the Intelligent Industry Doctoral program, Álvaro Peña; and the professor at the School of Construction and Transport Engineering, Vinicius Minatogawa.
The agreement aims to promote academic cooperation in various fields through the exchange of faculty, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as members of the technical and administrative staff. For graduate students, this partnership opens opportunities for mobility, co-supervision of theses, joint projects, research stays, and participation in international scientific networks.
For his part, the rector of PUCV, Nelson Vásquez, presented an overview of the growth of our institution and spoke about the expectations for expanding joint initiatives between both universities. “Today we are the fourth largest university in Chile in terms of the number of doctoral students, and we have experienced consistent growth, with an increase of around 40% in the total number of students over the last 15 years,” he stated.
The rector stated that the institution is also undergoing a significant renewal of its faculty, incorporating an increasing number of academics with doctoral degrees. “We have added new generations of highly qualified professors, which is fundamental to sustaining our institutional development. We hope to develop collaborative work with the University of São Paulo in the areas of undergraduate and graduate studies, especially in strategic areas for a path of joint development between our institutions and countries.”
During the meeting, the rector of the Universidad de São Paulo (USP) noted that the Polytechnic School is the academic unit with the highest level of exchange and stated that the institution has intensified its internationalization strategy with the creation of research centers in partnership with foreign institutions.
“We are establishing international centers at USP, such as the Pasteur Institute, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the joint center with the University of Sciences and Letters in Paris. These initiatives strengthen our capacity for scientific production and broaden the scope of our global collaborations.”
The USP Polytechnical School is recognized worldwide for its excellence in engineering and technology. In this way, it becomes a strategic partner for our university, expanding opportunities for scientific collaboration and enhancing advanced training in particularly relevant areas such as automation, intelligent systems, data analytics, optimization, and emerging technologies.
Strategic Communication Department
