Students from different parts of the world, such as Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Slovakia, Mexico and the Netherlands, have arrived at Universidad de La Frontera, as well as students from other parts of Chile, who made use of the national mobility agreements between the universities of the Consortium of Universities of the State of Chile (CUECH).

“It is always a motive of joy when we receive the young national and international students who chose our university for their studies,” said Dr. Eduardo Hebel Weiss, the rector of the Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO), at the welcome ceremony for the incoming students at UFROs Aula Magna.

“Here in the south of Chile, they will be able to learn from the virtues and difficulties of our region and our territory. At the same time, they will be able to have an inspiring cultural experience at our university,” he added.

Students from different countries in the world, such as Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Slovakia, Mexico and the Netherlands, have arrived at UFRO, as well as students from other parts of Chile, who made use of the national mobility agreements between the universities of the Consortium of Universities of the State of Chile (CUECH). They will all spend the second semester of 2022 at UFRO.

This new generation of young people came to UFRO reactivating the student mobility that had been carried out virtually during the pandemic. “We are getting back to our mobility in-person,” explained Lorena Vieli, the director of the International Affairs Office. “Today, young people have to be able to move in intercultural contexts and to be connected with the world. In this regard, the presence of students from other countries and cultural contexts at our university enriches the teaching and learning processes,” she concluded.

The international students who join UFRO this semester will be spread across the different faculties and study programs, making use of the agreements and partnerships with leading universities all over the world. To make the arrival easier for this satisfactory number of students, the National and International Student Mobility Unit of the International Affairs Office uses a Buddy Program, which consists of volunteering national UFRO students who help the incoming students to get to know the university and the city, and to adapt.

The welcome ceremony took place at the end of the official orientation week, with participation of the university authorities, the national and international students, the volunteers of the Buddy Program, and the folkloric dance group Magia Chilena, who presented the typical Chilean Cueca dance.

	Betzabe Jimenez Alfonso, National Autonomous University of Mexico “The Chilean landscapes and the good level of education motivated me to come here. Besides, I have never been in such a cold climate, so because of all that, I wanted to come to UFRO. It also motivated me a lot when we went to see the facilities of the campus and the laboratories. I am studying Chemistry and Pharmacy and Biochemistry, and I will try to learn a lot about scientific dissemination.”
	Patricia Viela, University of Navarra, Spain “I study Agri-Food and Rural Engineering and I came to UFRO full of enthusiasm. My brother had already come here and absolutely recommended this beautiful country. My options were Santiago and Temuco, and I chose the Universidad de La Frontera in Temuco to spend a semester at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment. I will take some electives in environmental education transfer and restoration of degraded environments, among others.”
	Jen Van Vuuren, University of Groningen, Netherlands “I am going to sign up for subjects in different fields, such as psychology, pedagogy or social work, because the system is different here and I need to complement the credits. I study International Studies at my university and I came here to improve my Spanish and to gain positive experiences for life. Chile seemed very interesting to me.”