• For the third consecutive year, Universidad de Santiago is the only Chilean institution participating at a new version of the National Model United Nations, a forum that gathers together more than five thousand students from different countries in a simulation of the UN main activities. Twenty undergraduate and graduate students at the International Studies Program travelled on March 18th to New York to participate in the activity that will be held between March 22nd- 26th.

Thirteen students at the Bachelor’s Program in International Studies and seven students at the Master’s Program in International Studies will attend the National Model United Nations forum organized at the UN headquarters. The purpose of the activity is to give new professionals a glimpse into the work done by this international organization.
 

The activity will be held in New York between March 22nd-26th and it will bring together more than five thousand students from different countries. They will be able to replicate the operating model of different UN bodies, like the Security Council, for example, by representing other States.
 

In the case of our University students, the will represent France in the Security Council, and Finland, in different UN programs and funds, like UNICEF, UNHCR or UNDP.


Mabel Cobos- who is currently completing her dissertation for her Master’s degree in International Studies- is coordinating this activity and this is the third time that she takes part in the project. The first time she participated as a delegate of the Master’s Program in International Studies, when an academic at Long Island University (USA) prompted students to join this activity. This time, in order to promote an outstanding performance among the participating students, she conducted a training workshop since June last year, in the context of a Teaching Innovation Project.
 

“It is very important for students to attend this type of activity, because more than five thousand people from Europe, USA and Asia are taking part in it; it is also a way of positioning Universidad de Santiago de Chile at a regional and international level. We were the first university of the Southern Cone to participate, and at a Latin American level, few countries participate, like Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico and Brazil, a country that joined the activity last year,” Ms Cobos says.
 

Also, Mabel Cobos highlights the possibility that students are given to make use of their theoretical knowledge and abilities. “This forum is a simulation of what the UN and diplomats do at studying foreign policy guidelines and history of the country to be represented, as well as English language, to take part then in the debate. This allows them (students) not only to speak about cooperation and multilateralism but to also to act making resolutions, working in teams and developing partnerships. In this way, students develop soft skills that are difficult to develop in the classroom setting,” she says.
 

“We have been pioneers in this sense and the University has gained prestige because of this,” she added. Ms Cobos also explains that the best teams receive awards and our university teams have already received them in previous versions of the forum.
  

Prepared for good results

This year, the number of participants has increased to 20 students. Thirteen of them are students at the Bachelor’s Program in International Studies given by the Faculty of Humanities. Catalina Rodríguez, one of the students at this program who will participate in the forum, recognizes that she has high expectations of her performance, “because we have prepared ourselves to stand out and to bring recognition to our program and our university.” She expects her group to receive acknowledgement for their work, just like it happened last year, when students of our university received “position papers” awards. Catalina values the possibility of participating in this activity and capitalizing on experience in the field of international relations.
 

Jaime Rojas is a student at the same program. He expects to have a good performance thanks to the training they received in an eight-month workshop, in which they were able to study in depth the work done by the different UN bodies and funds, with professors of the Department of History and the Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA, in Spanish). “We have made simulations and we are ready to bring recognition to our university and our country, because we are the only Chilean higher-education institution participating. It is also an opportunity to grow and position ourselves both at a national and international level,” he says.
 

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• After the success of Nutrisato- an innovative natural fertilizer that increases by 50% the size of fruits, vegetables and plants- in the international market, its creators opened an agricultural additives company.

In his search for environmentally friendly biotechnological solutions, Alejandro Muñoz, biochemist and student at the Biotechnology doctoral program of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago, developed an interesting plant biostimulant based on organic molecules which is able to increase fruits, vegetables and flowers twice their size in the same period of time.

Later, Carla Céspedes, an agronomist from Universidad de Chile, and Rodrigo Ferreira, student at the Commercial Engineering program of the Faculty of Administration and Economics of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, joined the project team and took the responsibility of placing the product in the agricultural market.

After the positive outcomes of testing Nutrisato in peppers and tomatoes, the students participated in the Brain Chile program contest and won the first place. They used the funds that they were awarded to continue developing the product to a level that they never expected: today, they have their own company called Ingeniería y Biotecnología Limitada, Atama Biotech Ltda.

Nutrisato in the market

After the Brain Chile Contest, they continued testing Nutrisato. They found that it was harmless to people and the environment and it also “doubled the size of the products, increased the production of fruits by 50% and the production of biomass in vegetables by 30%,” Alejandro Muñoz explained.

Carla Céspedes, who is responsible for the agronomic development of Nutrisato, explained: “The first products in which we tested the biostimulant were harvested in April, but after the contest, they were left abandoned in an area with Andean climate. In that context, we realized that the fertilizer reduced the cold stress in plants and enhanced their hygroscopic properties.”

Supported by recent tests, the researchers confirmed that the fertilizer worked in every product in which they used it, like spinach, celery, parsley, coriander, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes and ornamental plants like tulips, roses and daisies.

Now they are testing the product in hydroponic lettuces and tomatoes, and in berries and citrus fruits, in Valdivia.

With regard to the marketing of the product, Rodrigo Ferreira, who is in charge of the company’s management and sales, says that they created Nutrisato Hogar, a product which is targeted at people who grow their own vegetables in home gardens. The product will be in the market soon.

The researchers say that they have enjoyed their work with Nustrisato, because they are doing what they like to do. For this reason, they have continued developing innovative products, like Raizato. “Raizato is a super soil enhancer that adds organic matter to the soil and enhances the growth of roots and leaves,” Alejandro Muñoz said.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Once again, Universidad de Santiago responds to “the appeal for help from the Chileans affected (by floods and mudslides in the north of the country). And the primary reason for responding is that we are a state and public university that is committed to society and common wealth,” President Juan Manuel Zolezzi said.

• “Our university cannot ignore an emergency situation like this, so we invite everyone to participate in this solidarity campaign,” he stressed during a coordination meeting with Manuel Arrieta, the Vice President of Student Support; Marta Matamala, the President of Feusach, and Diego Flores, a Student Senior Adviser.

• The purpose of the campaign is that all members of our university community contribute with five-liter bottles of water, that are essential good for the affected people in the Antofagasta and Atacama regions.

• Besides, the university continues collecting basic medicines, non-perishable foods, infant formula and baby food, batteries, diapers (both for adults and children) and basic cleaning supplies, in Room #511 (at the EAO facilities), at the Vice Presidency of Student Support’s Office and at the campus main entrance. The goal is to send soon a truck with a shipment of 10 tonnes of goods to help people in the north.

   

  Historically, our University has contributed to society in national emergency situations. This time will not be the exception.

  Facing the tragedy occurred in the north of Chile for the heavy and unusual rains, our University has started a solidarity campaign to help people affected by this tragedy. 

  The challenge is to fill a ten-tonne-capacity truck with basic goods, like non-perishable foods, blankets, mattresses, diapers (for adults and children), cleaning supplies, pet food and, mainly, bottled water. The truck is expected to leave Santiago on April 02^nd for Atacama and Antofagasta.

  With this idea in mind, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago; Manuel Arrieta, Vice President of Student Support; Marta Matamala, President of the Feusach (the University Students Federation), and Diego Flores, a Student Senior Adviser, met on April 31^st. They invited the University community to contribute to the campaign. Donations are being collected at three different points: Room #511 (at the EAO facilities), at the Vice Presidency of Student Support’s Office (Paseo Los Naranjos) and at the campus main entrance (Av Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Estación Central). 

  Social commitment

  During the meeting, President Zolezzi highlighted once again that Universidad de Santiago responds to “the appeal for help from the Chileans affected (by floods and mudslides in the north of the country). And the primary reason for responding is that we are a state and public university that is committed to society and common wealth.”

  “Our university cannot ignore an emergency like this, so we invite everyone to participate in this solidarity campaign,” he said, referring to students, administrative staff and academics.

  “I invite each member of this community to collaborate with this first step: the most urgent supporting help. We want to focus on the motto “one community member, on bottle of water”, in addition to all the other contributions the community may want to make,” Dr Zolezzi added.

  For her part, Marta Matamala, President of the Feusach, said that solidarity is a “basic pillar” for building a fairer society.

  “Our University is unique in its social role. We are future professionals, with a commitment to society. Being touched by people in precarious situations is an essential part of the imprint of this University,” she said.

  Volunteers

  Besides sending basic goods, the University Presidenct, the Feusach and the different faculties are evaluating the possibility of doing volunteer works in the affected areas.

  President Zolezzi said that he is in contact with Universidad de Atacama, a former campus of Universidad Técnica del Estado, “because we feel morally committed to it,”  to define the areas of greatest needs.

  The School of Medicine, the School of Obstetrics and Child Care, and the School of Psychology are among the schools and departments that could initially contribute by sending student volunteers.

   

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• In a ceremony held on December 21st, at the Aula Magna, young students from 14 low-income schools of the Metropolitan Region were awarded diplomas after successfully completing the Propedéutico-Unesco Program “New Hope, Better Future”. This educational inclusion initiative is offered since 2007 by our University, what makes it a pioneer in this field. A total of 66 students were granted scholarships to enter the Bachelor’s Program in Science and Humanities. The Academic Vice President, Fernanda Kri, pointed out the University’s commitment when facing the challenges posed by equity, funding and quality. María Galaz, one of the program graduate students, expressed her thanks to Universidad de Santiago for the opportunity given to youngsters.

On December 21st, with the presence of their families, friends, teachers and commune authorities, 91 high-school students were awarded their diplomas for graduating from the Propedéutico-Unesco Program “New Hope, Better Future”, the University’s Preparatory Program.

Among the attendees to the ceremony were the Academic Vice President, Fernanda Kri, on behalf of the University’s President; the Director of the Unesco Chair Program, Francisco Javier Gil; the Program Coordinator of the Unesco Regional Bureau for Education, Paz Portales; the Mayor of San Francisco de Mostazal, Sergio Medel; the Mayor of Graneros, Claudio Segovia; the Director of the Preparatory Program at Universidad de Santiago, Máximo González, the Executive Director of the Preparatory Program, Lorna Figueroa and the Director of the Bachelor’s Program in Science and Humanities, Marcela Orellana.

During its seventh version, the Preparatory Program brought together 146 prominent students from low-income schools. Providing the students with tools and academic contents to face in a better way the challenge posed by higher education is one of the goals of the program. Although some students were not able to complete the program, 91 of them did.

More inclusion

The young students showed themselves happy and grateful for the opportunity that they were offered. María Galaz Molina, a student at Liceo Profesor Misael Lobos, in Graneros, referred to the support that students received from the program’s authorities at all times and to the comprehensive learning program that should facilitate them accessing higher education.

Nayareth Bascuñán agreed with María. Nayareth is a student at Cardenal Oviedo School, in Maipú, who was distinguished by her academic performance during the program. “It has been an unforgettable experience, not only academically: I have also developed myself as a person,” she said.

One innovation in this version of the program was the number of schools. In relation to the previous year, it increased by three schools, by virtue of the work done directly with the municipalities of San Francisco de Mostazal and Graneros. “Due to this initiative, we were able to extend the Propedéutico Program experience to other schools that usually do not have students accessing higher education,” Máximo González, Director of the Program said.

Regarding the above, the Mayor of San Francisco de Mostazal, Sergio Medel, said to U. de Santiago al Día: “This project has been very beneficial to our youngsters, both the ones who participated and the ones who will. It is a measure of justice.”

For his part, the Mayor of Graneros, Claudio Segovia, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity Universidad de Santiago gave to nine families of that locality, where 50 per cent of the people work as seasonal workers. These families now have new hopes that are changing their lives.

Vice President Kri said that thanks to the inclusion of good students in this kind of program, the results obtained and the student follow up during the seven years of the program have supported the decision to continue with this integration line. Regarding our University’s commitment to improve equity, funding, and teaching quality, “They deserve this opportunity and they earned it,” she said.

Vice President Kri added that this kind of policies, together with mechanisms like the School Grades Ranking (Ranking de Notas, in Spanish), “are going to make changes in the country, because good students coming from any school of Chile will have a real possibility of entering the university. Two years ago, this was unthinkable.”

She referred to the project’s renewal, with the clear intention of reaching earlier stages in high- school education.

Scholarships and opportunities

On Saturday 21st, the names of the students who were benefited with entering Universidad de Santiago’s Bachelor’s Program in Science and Humanities via Propedéutico, without the required University Selection Test (PSU, its acronym in Chile) were known.

52 students were awarded full tuition fee scholarships, while 14 will have their tuition fees covered by their municipalities, at least for a year. However, for the rest of the students, the journey does not end here: Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez and Universidad Alberto Hurtado invited them to become their students.

Francisco Javier Gil, Director of the Unesco Chair Program, agreed that the good results obtained by students, together with mechanisms like the School Grades Ranking, have highlighted the need of reconsidering the higher-education access systems. And although he showed himself very pleased by the seven years of program and by the expansion of the network of universities that are offering these Preparatory Programs (16, from Antofagasta, in the North, to Punta Arenas, in the South), he thinks that there are still challenges to face, like modifying the awarding of PSU- related scholarships. “We only have one thousand admission vacancies in the country, and there are youngsters that make their best efforts and study hard; they want to access higher education, but they cannot. So, there still a long way to say that in Chile, if you want it, you get it.”

The schools participating in 2013 were: Centro Educacional Dr. Armando Neghme, Liceo Polivalente Guillermo Feliú, Complejo Educacional Pedro Prado, Centro Educacional Pudahuel, Liceo Polivalente A-19, in Talagante, Liceo Industrial Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Liceo Poeta Federico García Lorca, Cardenal Carlos Oviedo School, Instituto Femenino Superior de Comercio Eliodoro Domínguez, Centro Educacional Técnico Profesional, Liceo Santiago Bueras, Liceo Profesional Misael Lobos, Liceo Alberto Hurtado and Liceo Elvira Sánchez

Finally, the Director of the Program at Universidad de Santiago, Máximo González, recognized that he hopes that, in the future, Preparatory Programs will not be needed for talented and skilled youngsters to access higher education.

• They shared with 400 youngsters from 71 countries, met 15 Nobel laureates in the fields of science and received recognition for their enthusiasm and creativity in the picture that they took and sent to the organizing committee before their trip.
• Felipe Recabal Rivas and Eduardo Cancino Jaque, students at the Faculty of Science, and Renato Leiva Tubino, student at the Technological Faculty, represented Universidad de Santiago at the first version of this important science meeting for youngsters worldwide.
• The three students, together with Maricarmen Castro Amaro, student at Universidad de Chile, represented Chile in the activity that, according to the surveys, exceeded expectations.
• The group was accompanied by Dr Dora Altbir Drullinsky, director of the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. She said that after the trip, “They came back highly motivated for what they are studying, aware of the impact that science may have on a country’s welfare and of the importance of personal efforts to have good results. This experience will mark them for many years, both personally and at their work in their disciplines.”

Felipe Recabal Rivas and Eduardo Cancino Jaque, students at the Faculty of Science; Renato Leiva Tubino, student at the Technological Faculty, and Maricarmen Castro Amaro, student at Universidad de Chile, were the only Chilean representatives at the first version of the World Science Conference- Israel (WSCI). They were accompanied by Dr Dora Altbir Drullinsky, director of the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

More than 400 students from 71 countries attended the conference, and the four Chilean students fulfilled the requested tasks with enthusiasm and creativity, the abilities that this conference sought to foster.

The Chilean students received recognition for the creative picture that they took of themselves together with a moai a few days before leaving the country, showing their eagerness to participate. With this picture, they won the second place in the contest of most original photographs.

Besides, each student participated in groups made up of students from different countries and science disciplines, to promote collaborative work among scientists. Eduardo Cancino participated in a team that was recognized for its work in making one of the best posters of the conference.

Inspiration

For the students, the conference was a great experience, as “It reflected the great interest that Israel has for scientific activity, as a key part of development,” Felipe Recabal said after the trip.

He highlighted that working with international multidisciplinary teams showed him that “There is always more than one way of interpreting and analyzing a phenomenon, what makes science much more complete.”

Eduardo Cancino stressed how interesting the presentations were, particularly the ones given by researchers whose scientific-technological developments seemed “impressive to him.” “A significant factor was that they had received funding for their studies, what is very encouraging in research matters,” he said.

He added that, from his personal point of view, the experience shared by the speakers made him understand the importance of persistence and hard work. “Once, they were like us, so we have a long way of efforts and dedication to go.”

Renato Leiva highlighted the level of the organization of the conference and its goals. The conference sought “To inspire young scientists, and I feel that, at least in my case, I am now more eager to continue working in science and doing my best to contribute to my country and the world.”

He was surprised by the scientific environment in which Israel lives. “I was able to notice that young Israelis who I talked to are very eager to contribute to their country. I believe this enthusiasm should be replicated in Chile. What all Nobel laureates stressed the most (both in presentations and in conversations) was ‘Do not give up.’ I will use this message in my academic development,” he said.

For Maricarmen Castro, student at Universidad de Chile, the experience was “Out of this world!” “It put into perspective all I had thought about science since I was a girl. Listening to Nobel laureates and see how they got where they are now was very exciting and gave me a lot to learn. Effort, motivation and persistence are the key words to say ‘Eureka’ some day.”

Motivation for the future

For her part, Dr Altbir described the activity as “fantastic.” “The possibility of interacting with such renowned scientists as the 15 Nobel laureates and other scientist from different universities of Israel, plus the huge cultural diversity given by the students of 70 countries, and an environment that fostered creativity and imagination, made this conference a “once in a lifetime experience,” she said.

She added that she has been able to see that the students came back “Highly motivated for what they are studying, aware of the impact that science may have on a country’s welfare and of the importance of personal efforts to have good results. This experience will mark them for many years, both personally and at their work in their disciplines.”

The conference was held in Jerusalem and it was conceived to contribute to the cooperation and the sense of responsibility, for a better future for the new generations of scientists.

The activity was organized by the Hebrew University, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.

The Chilean delegation was supported by the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Cedenna) and the Israeli Embassy in Chile.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Among the different speakers that took part in the Colloquium “Water: a renewable resource?”, one of them, Alfredo Zolezzi, founder of the Advanced Innovation Center, considers that the contrast between technology progress and the poverty and shortage of sanitary resources affecting millions of people is “dramatic”. He says that the solution to this problem is to make sure that innovation reaches people who need it.

The recent celebration of the World Water Day brought again to the national and international agenda the importance of promoting sustainable practices for the good use of water resources in the planet. The Colloquium “Water: a renewable resource?” was held in this context and it was led by the Association of Researchers for Development and Interdisciplinarity (INDI, its Spanish acronym), that groups researchers from the different faculties of Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

The activity brought together three speakers that approached the implications and significance of this strategic resource from very different points of view.

Leyla Noriega, journalist of Red Mi Voz*, who has experience in working with indigenous communities in the north of Chile, gave the presentation “Between the Andean world view and the community’s political core”. She explains that “our philosophy understands water like a living being. The resource is distributed according to its ancestral use by common law; that is to say, based on customs or natural rights.”

However, this expert in communications says that this approach is little respected, as a consequence of a series of processes that have affected the native peoples of the north of the country, like “Chileanization and the disassembly of ancestral authorities.”

Then, Alfredo Zolezzi, founder of the Advanced Innovation Center spoke about “Meaningful innovation”, considering it like a concept that has always been present in the history of humankind. “We have never had as much technology available as we do now, but it is dramatic to see this progress without recognizing that there are millions of people living in poverty, without basic sanitary services,” he says.

Effective solutions

In light of this situation that accounts for a complex reality, specific answers are required. According to Zolezzi, the solution lies in changing the way of doing things and he suggests “doing activism with proposals that make sure that innovation will reach people who need it.”
 
In his case, innovation became socially meaningful through the creation of the Plasma Water Sanitation System (PWSS), a water purification system that allows transforming polluted water particles into plasma, making it potable.

This system was implemented in 2011, in Fundo San José, a shanty town in Cerrillos, Santiago, thanks to a partnership with Un Techo Para Mi País**. It is worth to mention that this shanty town’s residents were resettled in June, 2013.

The last presentation was given by Dr. Silvio Montalvo, professor at the Department of Chemistry Engineering of our University, who spoke about his research regarding water resources.

At present, he is working on the treatment of sludge generated at sewage water treatment plants, in order to develop technologies to optimize the anaerobic digestion process that allows breaking down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.

“If we are able to preserve the water that we already have and keep it less polluted, we will be contributing to this matter,” the researcher says.

Translator’s notes: *Red Mi Voz is a digital network that promotes the practice of citizen journalism. **Un Techo Para Mi País is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes youth volunteers to fight extreme poverty in Latin America, by constructing transitional housing and implementing social inclusion programs.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The classes given every Friday by IDEA to students who wish to participate in the Model United Nations Conference next year, in New York, will continue until January. The training workshop is addressed to future professionals of the programs of the Faculty of Administration and Economics and the Faculty of Humanities and its purpose is to equal or exceed the performance level reached in the 2015 conference, in which our university’s delegation had an outstanding performance.

Students who will participate in the Model United Nations Conference debates at the UN headquarters (New York), in 2016, are being trained in different workshops held at the facilities of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA, in Spanish) of Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

The cost-free workshop that is being held every Friday at the IDEA facilities will continue until January 2016, and they train the students in different topics, like international policy, leadership skills, negotiating, and English language. All this has the purpose of maintaining the outstanding performance that our university’s delegations have had in this international activity in which the operating model of different UN bodies, like the Security Council or Unicef, is simulated. Every year, this conference gathers more than 5,000 students from all over the world. 

During the third session of the workshop, students were visited by the Director of the Department of History, Dr Igor Goicovic; the Deputy Director of the Department of Administration, Héctor Toledo, and the Head of the International Studies program, Dr Nelson Paulus. They committed themselves to back the efforts to institutionalize the support to this activity in which our university has had an outstanding performance for three consecutive years.

In this regard, Dr Goicovic said that, in the meetings with future and former participants and with the professors in charge of the activity, he has been able to appreciate “The willingness, motivation and academic level to continue participating in this international conference.”

“The students who have already participated in this Model UN debates have gained considerable experience, which was reflected in their achievements during the conference. When they came back to Chile, they officially reported the very positive results of their participation. What they learned, in turn, has had a deep impact on their professional training, and this impact has clearly replicated as experience in their programs,” professor Goicovic said.

“It is essential that the University gradually but systematically takes responsibility for the funding process of this activity, so this Department commits to help in creating these conditions,” he added.

Total commitment

Sofía Schuster, professor at the Bachelor’s Program in International Studies and coordinator of the Model UN workshop, highlighted the high commitment shown by the students of the Public Administration, Translation and International Studies programs who are interested in participating in this activity in 2016.

“During the first session, we asked the students to write a commitment letter. There, we were able to see their willingness to participate in this activity and we learned about their interests and motivation,” she explained.

Professor Schuster also said that they have already submitted a Teaching Innovation Project proposal for 2016 that seeks to have more students of Universidad de Santiago participating in other models’ debates, similar to de Model UN, for example, in the Organization of American States (OAS).

Interested students

Johann Golsworthy, a fourth-year student of the Public Administration program, showed himself very interested in completing his preparation and then participating in the Model UN Conference.

“I read the invitation on the Internet and I got immediately interested in attending the workshops to improve my knowledge on how international policy works in the UN and how international conflicts develop. Now I have to complete my program, but I am really willing to go (to New York),” the student said.

Likewise, Javiera Díaz, a fifth-year student of the English-Portuguese Translation program, said that she has been interested in participating in such an activity for a long time.

“I have always wanted to know more about the international relations field and, in the future, I would like to pursue a Master’s degree related to it. For this reason, I believe this is a great opportunity that should have all the possible support,” she finally said.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Patricio Flores, PhD in Biotechnology, and Yu-Wen Tang, student at the Master´s program in Technology Management- Major in Biotechnology, both from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, were awarded a grant to develop a strategy for marketing an enzyme that has multiple benefits for diagnosing diseases.

As a result of the work they did for a doctoral dissertation and after being granted funds through the “Go To Market, de la Idea al Mercado” Contest organized by Corfo (the Chilean Economic Development Agency), the researchers will get trained in Silicon Valley, in the context of the third stage of the project “Developing a strategy for marketing a highly stable glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) enzyme.”

The project, which was developed under the guidance of Dr. Jenny Blamey, associate professor at Universidad de Santiago, proposes replacing the bovine GLDH enzyme with one from an Antarctic extremophilic microorganism (capable of resisting extreme conditions of temperature, pH, pressure, salinity, among others), which does not have the deficiencies of its predecessor. Its most common application is in the area of clinical laboratories where it is used for diagnosing hepatic and renal diseases

According to researcher Patricio Flores, “having discovered this new enzyme, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), improves the half-life of five different types of diagnostic kits, as its thermal stability is higher than the one of the enzyme used today.” The academic stresses that “what is most important is that it also solves the problem of low half-life of the “old” diagnostic kits, preventing from discarding expired kits that have not been used, improving result reliability, lowering costs, reducing losses for companies and enabling a stock available to give a quick answer to market requirements.”

“The new enzyme is much more stable. It can be stored at room temperature, keeping more than 85% of its activity for 50 days. On the other hand, the bovine enzyme completely loses its activity under the same conditions,” Dr. Flores explains, regarding the results of this project that involves Universidad de Santiago and Fundación Científica y Cultural Biocencia.

Go To Market

“Go To Market, de la Idea al Mercado” is an initiative that seeks to identify research studies conducted at universities, technological centers and Chilean companies that have generated technologies that could potentially benefit the global market.

“The application process for the Corfo’s Go to Market Contest coincided with the last steps to finish my doctoral dissertation in which I developed the product prototype, that is to say, the GLDH enzyme from an Antarctic thermophilic microorganism,” Dr, Flores says.

At present, the project is at its third stage, which involves getting training at the Standford Research Institute (SRI), scheduling meetings with investors and interested clients and developing a marketing strategy to position the product in the market. These will be the activities that the two researchers will have while they stay in USA.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

•  The karate teams of Universidad de Santiago won the first places in women and men categories in the championship coordinated by the University National Federation of Sports, a sports organization that depends on the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities.
• The complete victory of the students who competed became an unprecedented milestone in this type of sports competition, as this is the sixth consecutive time that Universidad de Santiago wins the first place, something that no other higher education institution has done before.
• The karatekas accomplished this unprecedented feat after prevailing over renowned institutions with a strong tradition in sports, like Universidad de Chile, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María and Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, among others.
• According to Mario González, the coach of the karate branch of Universidad de Santiago, the key is the excellence of those who make up the team. “They are strong-willed. They are 100% Universidad de Santiago.”

On October 11^th, the University National Championship of Karate for women and men, FENAUDE 2015, took place at Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. The best specialists in this sporting discipline representing the universities of the National Council of Rectors (Cruch), gathered together at this competition.

The women and men teams of Universidad de Santiago won eight gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze ones, showing their excellence and the importance of sports as part of student training.

In the men category, the team of Universidad de Santiago got 40 points, far from the closest competitor, Universidad de Chile, on 26 points.

Women, for their part, won the first place with 44 points, with a difference of 29 points over Universidad de Chile.

Besides, our university won the team women and team men categories for the sixth consecutive time, something completely unprecedented in this type of competition.

According to Mario González Faúndez, coach of the karate branch of the university, these results are “extremely positive”. He explains that, although the group of sport men and women wanted to continue with the triumphs that the university enjoyed the previous years, “This year the competition was much harder and they had to win all the matches.”

González adds that one of the merits of the group is that they have learned to adapt themselves to the changes every year, when some of the members of the team leave because they complete their academic training in our institution.

“We have won a university national championship for the sixth consecutive year, with six different teams, because they change every year,” Gonzáles says.

He says that, in this regard, their success has been based on the policies that our university has on sport matters, like the outstanding sportsmen/women special admission.

“The university showed that it has the talents and the ‘raw material’ required because of the good selection of sports talents at this special type of admission. First, they are students, and then, sportspeople, so they are even better. Their commitment is the hallmark of the team. They are strong-willed; they are 100% Universidad de Santiago.”

Fair play

Javiera González, a student at the Bachelor’s Program in Physical Activity Sciences, and Jorge Acevedo, a student at the Master’s program in Management and Public Policies of the Faculty of Administration and Economics, were awarded as the best sportsman/woman of the competition, for their uprightness and “fair play” at fighting.

Mario González highlights that “Both of them were impartially chosen by the referees. In the case of women competitors, although there were girls of Universidad de Chile and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María who are part of the national team (of karate), Javiera stood out for her ability to apologize to others when she committed a foul.”

In the case of Jorge, “There were bouts that he won after 20 seconds, just by scoring points and without needing to hit or harm the opponent,” he added.

This way of behaving during competitions is “What happens everyday in the karate branch,” González says. “There are many youngsters who start from scratch and begin to train and to compete representing the university, and others who have a karate background, since their dojos, and know what it is about.” Therefore, “During training sessions, there is a mixture; there is a mystical relation between those who know and those who are learning.”

For example, Alejandro Mellado, a bronze medal winner in the past Santiago 2014 South American Games, is part of the university’s men team and he trains together with the new members of the karate branch and helps them to improve every day.

“Alejandro Mellado practices together with youngsters who do not know much about karate, because they have just started with this sport and he is interested in teaching them when they make mistakes,” González concluded.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Universidad de Santiago’s interdisciplinary research team, led by Dr. Silvia Matiacevich from the Technological Faculty, is focused on developing an edible film that could increase the shelf life of fresh foods by 30%.

Improving the way of preserving foods has been a permanent concern in food industry. This is the reason why packaging is essential for the quality and shelf life of the product. But this packaging should be in harmony with the environment.

In light of this situation, a sustainable alternative for food packaging has been developed: food covering edible films, which are being widely used and have become a world trend nowadays. At Universidad de Santiago, an interdisciplinary research team is trying to replicate this development, giving value added to different national byproducts.

This initiative will be viable thanks to the Associative Dicyt Project called “Bioactive Coatings for Foods”, which gathers together experts from different faculties of the University.

“We will use food industry byproducts which are considered as dispensable or waste material. We are going to give them a value added by adding antioxidant and antimicrobial components to them in order to increase the shelf life of fresh food products,” Dr. Daniel López says.

Academics from three different faculties gathered for this purpose: Dr. Rubén Bustos, from the Faculty of Engineering (Department of Chemical Engineering); Dr. Diego Venegas and Dr. Marlén Gutiérrez, from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology (Department of Materials Chemistry); and Dr. Daniel López and Dr. Silvia Matiacevich, from the Technological Faculty (Department of Food Science and Technology), being Dr. Matiacevich the leader of the project.

During the two years scheduled for the project, the researchers plan to study the synergistic effect of this combination of products and they expect to increase food shelf life by over 30%.

Interdisciplinarity

Most of the academics related to this project are part of a larger group created by the end of 2013 called Indi, Asociación de Investigadores por el Desarrollo e Interdisciplinariedad of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, a group of researchers that promotes development and interdisciplinarity at the university.

“All of us have participated in some of these initiatives at some point, seeking for this interdisciplinarity. This is how we have met other people and created contacts. What is good is that more than just admiring the work of others, we have the real possibility of conducting studies together. For this reason, we value this type of projects, as they promote the integration and interdisciplinarity that define a university,” Dr. Matiacevich says.

Translated by Marcela Contreras