Welcome!: A New Group of International Students Arrives at USACH

As is traditional at the beginning of each semester, the Department of International Relations held a welcome orientation for the international students who will be part of various academic programs at the University of Santiago of Chile. The goal was to provide them with essential information for their stay at the university, in the city, and in the country.

 

On this occasion, the event was attended by the Vice-Rector rof Public Engagement and Outreach, Dr. Ana María Fernández Tapia, who joined the activity to personally greet the group of students and offer them all the support that DRII and VIME can provide. She also wished them an excellent semester and a rewarding experience at USACH.

 

Representing the Department of International Relationss were Fernando Olmos Galleguillos, director, and Fernanda Vidal Mendoza, coordinator of Incoming Student Mobility, who provided students with crucial information about regulations, culture, safety, and life on campus and in the city.

 

“It is a great joy to welcome international students to our campus. They bring a different perspective to academic and student life and enrich the university experience culturally,” mentioned the director, who also wished them a semester full of “new experiences and opportunities, during which we hope to accompany them through Usach Internacional.”

 

The coordinator of Incoming Student Mobility indicated that “we will be attentive to the students participating in mobility programs this semester and hope that each of them feels supported by DRII, as well as by each academic unit that receives them. Exchange is a significant stage in their academic and professional development, and we wish their time at our university positively impacts their lives.”

 

This first group comprises 50 students from 11 countries. However, it is expected that this number will increase to 70 or 80 incoming students through other modalities such as research internships, cooperation and/or collaboration, professional internships, or specific course experiences.

 

Among those who attended the welcome session was Loris Coulomb from the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (France), who explained that he wanted to come to USACH “because it seems very interesting. They have a lot of art, a lot of sports—which I particularly like—and also because I wanted to be in Santiago. I study mechanical engineering and wanted to try other methods.”

 

On the other hand, Miriam Orozco from the Autonomous University of Baja California (Mexico) said she chose USACH “because it is one of the main universities here. Additionally, I wanted to come to Chile because it is one of the fastest-growing Latin American countries, and I would like to learn about the culture, its education, and the knowledge here.”

 

Martina Stranges, a student from the Gabriele d'Annunzio University (Italy), said she wanted to come to Chile “because it is very different from Italy, so I took advantage of USACH's agreement with my university to come. I studied Spanish in Salamanca, and now I want to learn Chilean Spanish. I hope to get used to it and learn about the culture.”

 

It is worth noting that during the orientation, students not only received information from DRII but were also joined by other university units, such as the Student Psychological Well-being Promotion Unit, whose participation aimed to inform the students that there is a space available for psychological support if needed, and the Department of Cultures and Arts, which invited them to participate in the various extracurricular cultural activities available on campus.