UMAG and the University of Alaska – Fairbanks Sign Cooperative Agreements

img_7249Between 5 and 20 September, representatives from the Universidad de Magallanes carried out an series of trips to the University of Alaska – Fairbanks (USA) and Tromso University (Norway). The delegation was headed by Dr. Andrés Mansilla, Director of Research and Graduate Programs at UMAG together with Dr. Christopher Anderson, Coordinator of the Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program and Dr. Silvia Murcia, academic of the Master’s of Science in Management and Conservation of Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems.


The academic tour was the result of recommendations from the Chilean National Accreditation Commission, which suggested to UMAG to strengthen its links with other universities in similarly high latitudes, which provides meaningful comparisons and exchanges for research and collaborative projects.


With funding from the Ministry of Education, the Office of Research and Graduate Programs and the Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program, these delegates visited Fairbanks, Alaska; Denton, Texas; and Tromso, Norway to meet with authorities and professors in areas such as Environmental Science, Engineering, Mining, Tourism, Renewable Energy, Conservation, Health, Oceanography & Fisheries and Agriculture, as these topics relate to high latitudes.


This visit resulted in the definition of various projects and the signing of 4 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and the renewal of the existing MOUs with the University of North Texas. According to Dr. Mansilla “this tour was really marvellous. In each place, the UMAG was recognized by our peers as an international collaborator of great relevance, especially for the studies of topics such as global change. At the same time, the experience of Alaska and Norway in areas related to mining, sustainability, renewable energies, etc. is very important for us in Magallanes.”


Photo: Drs. Anderson and Mansilla meet with directors of the International Arctic Research Institute, the Polar Biology Institute and the Office of Research at the University of Alaska – Fairbanks.