With the signing of this agreement the UFRO is becoming the only strategic partner in Latin America of that university and the first Chilean institution for higher education to sign an agreement of academic cooperation with multiple projections with them.

The Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) is taking important steps towards internationalization. It has signed a new agreement with the Chinese Zhejiang University of Science and Technology. The agreement supports the links with the Asian country and is a recognition of mutual knowledge.

A delegation composed by Fengmin Wu, the Council of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (ZSTU), academic representatives and Xu Bu, the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Chile were present, together with the university president Dr. Eduardo Hebel, the vice-rectors, deans and directors of the nuclei, in order to make this milestone regarding international relations a reality.

With the signing of this agreement the UFRO is becoming the only strategic partner of that university in Latin America and is the first Chilean institution for higher education to sign an agreement of academic cooperation with them. “Chile and China maintain good relations, a close friendship, and the signing of this agreement allows us to move forward regarding new cooperation strategies,” the authority of ZSTU said.

Dr. Eduardo Hebel appreciates the link with this institution which is located in one of the most powerful regions in the world and which achieved a great development in the areas of teaching, education, science and technology. “This is one of the most important agreements we were able to concretize in the field of internationalization of the UFRO, not only because of the possibilities this implies regarding our academic activities, but also because of what this contributes to the Araucanía Region.”

IMPULSE

One of the benefits an international cooperation agreement offers is the possibility of doing student exchange, joint research and academic collaboration. This is also why the UFRO university community is very satisfied and motivated by this achievement.

This agreement, which has just been signed, starts with the granting of two fully-funded scholarships for the UFRO, so the undergraduate and graduate students can study in Hangzhou or Anji during the second semester of 2020.

For Dr. Lorena Vieli, the director of the International Affairs Office of the Universidad de La Frontera, this is a great achievement regarding the relations with Asia, and in this case China. “Our universities have common fields of interest and the announced scholarships will allow us to start with the first actions resulting from the agreement,” the university authority said.

Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (ZSTU) is a multidisciplinary university with an emphasis on engineering and disciplines incorporated in science, fine arts, economics, administration and education. It combines the successful administration experience of the German universities for practical science with own experiences and explores ways to nurture international talents with innovative spirit and solid skills.

The university has two campuses. The Xiaoheshan Campus is located in Hangzhou, a historical city full of culture and the capital city of Zhejiang, which is one of the most prosperous provinces in China. The other campus is located in Anji, in Anji County, and has been awarded with the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour.