• 110 new students from 13 different countries will attend Universidad de Santiago this semester, thanks to the Student Exchange Program promoted by the university since 2007. The President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, welcomed them at a ceremony this week.

110 new students from 13 different countries will attend Universidad de Santiago this semester, thanks to the Student Exchange Program promoted by the university since 2007. The President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, welcomed them at a ceremony this week. Their interest for improving their Spanish level and learning about Chilean history and cultural richness are among the main reasons for them to choose the country, and particularly, Universidad de Santiago.

They are 110 youngsters from 49 higher education institutions abroad. 35 students come from Mexico, 26 from Spain; 9 from Argentina; 8 from France;  8 from Brazil; 6 from Germany; five from Colombia; 4 from Canada; 4 from Austria; 2 from Korea; one from Ecuador; one from Peru and one from Great Britain. This means that 32 out of the 64 programs of the university have at least one foreign student enrolled.

During the welcome ceremony held at the Kepler Room of the Planetarium, President Juan Manuel Zolezzi told the students: “The fact that you have trusted Universidad de Santiago, its excellence level of training and its social responsibility is not by chance. This is why it so important that you are here.”

Dr Zolezzi invited them to “Make the most of your time at this university. It is the moment to develop academic and affective networks that may contribute to your future as students, professionals and persons. Likewise, in a few years, we would like to see you again in our classrooms, in continuing education courses or pursuing master’s and doctoral programs.”

Universidad de Santiago’s quality and excellence 

In the QS World University Rankings and the Shanghai Ranking, Universidad de Santiago has been ranked among the 15 best higher education institutions in Latin America and among the three most important universities nationwide.

In this context, Dr Sergio González, Vice President of Outreach and Engagement, says: “One of the facts that we consider very positive is that we are strengthening our links with universities that continue entrusting their students to us. This confirms the prestige and good image that Universidad de Santiago has abroad, particularly in European and Latin America countries, as most of our exchange students come from those regions.”

Foreign voices

Roxana Vargas is Mexican and she comes from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. “I come from a private university, so the difference with a public university is very big. I am surprised by and satisfied with the way in which the classes are given in the Architecture program,” she says.

She is 21 years old and she seems to have her goals very clear. “I chose Universidad de Santiago de Chile because it offers a wide variety of programs and its facilities and infrastructure are among the most complete in Chile. We know this abroad. I would like to understand the continent where I live. It is important to learn about what is ours. That is one of the goals I set to myself when coming to Chile: to learn about all that richness,” she says.

Song-I Na is 21 years old and she is from South Korea. In her country, she studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. She says she has “A big interest in studying Spanish and history of different countries.” For this reason, she enrolled in the History program. “A Korean friend who lives in Santiago recommended the university to me,” she says. While in Chile, she intends to travel along the country and part of South America.

Myia Newton is 23 years old and she comes from the University of Windsor in Canada. She is part of the first group of Canadian students entering Universidad de Santiago. “I study Modern Languages and Spanish there. Here, I enrolled in the Spanish Teaching program. This university is bigger than my university. My classmates are very kind and they have been very helpful. Teachers are similar in quality. They are kind and close to students. I’m here to improve my Spanish level and learn about a different culture, in a different place, because language is culture,” she says.

Translated by Marcela Contreras