• Through the Student Exchange Program of Universidad de Santiago’s Department of International and Inter-University Relations, 108 students from 13 countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia will be attending different programs at our university during the first semester 2016. The high position of the university in national and international rankings explains the foreign students’ interest.

The Student Exchange Program of the Department of International and Inter-University Relations has been receiving an increasing number of student exchange applications due to the university’s position in national and international rankings (third place nationwide, according to the QS Rankings). This semester, 108 foreign students will be attending different programs at Universidad de Santiago. 

According to Carol Johnson, head of this Department, the current figures are very positive, as every academic unit, i.e., the seven faculties plus the School of Architecture, has received foreign students this semester.

“The challenge set by the Student Exchange Program of Universidad de Santiago involves not only increasing the number of foreign students at our institution but including more countries, so that students represent different realities,” she explains.

Fifty percent of the programs are expected to have at least one foreign student and most of them will attend the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Administration, and Economics and the School of Architecture.

The students come from 47 foreign universities in 13 different countries, like FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (South Korea), Sciences Po (France), University of Cadiz (Spain), University of the Basqe Country (Spain), University of Granada (Spain), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and the University of Windsor (Canada). It is worth to mention that this is the first time that Universidad de Santiago receives students from Canada.

The Student Exchange Program started in 2007. That year, the university received 29 students and the number has increased year on year. In 2015, 332 foreign students attended Universidad de Santiago, the largest number since the beginning of the program.

According to Carol Johnson, the steady increase in foreign students interested in coming to our university for one semester is due to the university’s academic excellence. Foreign students become ambassadors for Universidad de Santiago once they return to their home countries.

“Foreign universities have entrusted an increasing number of students to us for the experience that  they enjoy here and then share with their classmates once they go back home,” she said.

Academic excellence and diversity of students

Carol Johnson thinks that our university’s academic excellence and the diversity of our students are the main reasons why foreign students decide to choose Universidad de Santiago for an exchange period.

Our institution has been ranked as the third best university in Chile, and according to the QS Rankings 2015, it is in the 451/460 rank worldwide out of 800 universities surveyed. 

“Receiving foreign students is very important for us, because it means that other universities recognize our academic work,” she added.

Besides, the academic and cultural activities that the university offers are very attractive to students from other countries.

Internationalization strategy for graduate programs

Since 2015, Universidad de Santiago has been working on promoting student exchange at a graduate level and getting funding to allow graduate students to conduct research at foreign universities.

“We have signed some agreements with foreign universities and, this year, we intend to develop a graduate exchange program, similar to the one for undergraduate students. Currently, we have agreements with the University of Sao Paulo and other universities in Latin America and we signed another with the French Embassy to get funding to allow Chilean students to conduct research at French institutions,” Carol Johnson concluded.

Translated by Marcela Contreras