Sr. Juan Pablo Aguirre Álvarez
Executive Director
Telephone: (56-2) 718 1400
Fax: (56-2) 672 2484
On April 25th 1991, the Council of Social Development was created with the aim of bridging the gap between the entrepreneurial demand and the University supply, dealing with and systematizing the possible interchange and collaboration enterprise-university. Within this context, an outstanding group of entrepreneurs led by Mr. Gustavo Ramdohr Vargas was invited, to contribute with proposals of joint work and solutions to the problems of linking the enterprise and the University. Its most important approach has been to create a meeting space that has permitted the development of confidence and willingness to work together.
Objectives
- To incorporate and integrate the entrepreneurial and labor world so that they know about the University activities.
- To sponsor the development of specific programs in the areas of scientific and technological research, technical assistance, extension, education and training.
- To support and promote those initiatives that lead to the elaboration of export products with a high added value.
- To promote and structure the analysis and the study to improve the productivity in the medium and small -size enterprises.
According to these objectives, the Council of Entrepreneurial and Social Development makes possible a deeper knowledge about the University problems with more emphasis on the problems that affect the national entrepreneurs, especially those of innovation, technological development and productive improvement. From this perspective, it is part of its functions to study the way in which they can use its infrastructure and equipment to meet the demands of the industry and encourage its researchers and academics to participate in activities and projects that benefit both the University and the industrial sector.
In the meeting of both cultures, the University expects to be acknowledged as an instrument able to empower the enterprise development and, in turn, it is expected that the enterprise supports the achievement of the University’s goals.
The dynamics of the relations with the enterprise demanded the Council to a legal and juridical adjustment through the constitution of the Enterprise-University Foundation in 1994.
The Council of Social Development became the operational entity of the University- Enterprise Foundation.
This new juridical frame permitted to assume the connection from a different perspective giving the involved parts a permanent meeting space between the entrepreneurial and the university culture. This structure has permitted to discuss particular or national problems and looks for joint solutions that meet the requirements and needs of the enterprise and the University.
Functions
- To promote joint projects between the University and the enterprises. It is important to highlight:
- To diffuse state and private instruments that support the national technological development (FONTEC, FONDEF, and others) and can be used jointly by the private sector and the Universidad de Santiago.
- To identify and sign agreements with professional or entrepreneurial associations or related institutions, willing to work on the basis of specific projects. Following this line, agreements with CONUPIA, ASIMET, FECOT and ICT were signed. Within this frame, the Council and the Foundation will carry out a permanent follow up of the agreements and they will continue its search for effective counterparts in the entrepreneurial sector.
- To support the creation of joint enterprises between the University and academics with the private sectors.
- To sponsor and support the organization of activities, that permit showing the available University’s offers for the productive and services sector and, on the other hand, events that help to show the entrepreneurial demand for our higher education institution.
