University Heidelberg Center Latin America: Intensive German-Chilean Cooperation
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visits the branch of the University of Heidelberg in Santiago de Chile
In the context of a long-standing partnership between Germany and Chile, including in the field of science, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the Heidelberg Center Lateinamerika (HCLA), a branch of the University of Heidelberg in Santiago de Chile. As part of his Latin America tour, he made a stop at the HCLA in early March to meet with representatives of civil society.
"The President's visit underscores the long-standing and close relationship between Germany and Chile. German-Chilean scientific cooperation boasts more than 70 years of productive collaboration," said Dr. Inés Recio, Academic Director of the HCLA. The President's delegation, which included representatives from science, business, and culture, also featured Prof. Dr. Dominika Wylezalek, an astrophysicist at the University of Heidelberg.
As Dr. Recio emphasizes, Heidelberg plays a special role in the academic and scientific cooperation between Germany and Chile. With the offshore campus of the Heidelberg Center for Latin America established in 2002, the strategic partnerships maintained since 2006 with the Universidad de Chile and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, along with numerous additional networks, the University of Heidelberg has become a driving force in German-Chilean cooperation. As a center of excellence in research and teaching, the HCLA supports the internationalization of the University of Heidelberg, fosters the creation of international research networks, and initiates collaborative teaching through structured study programs with outstanding Latin American universities. The HCLA works with a variety of institutions, such as universities in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, as well as organizations like the German-Chilean Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, and the Deutsche Wissenschafts- und Innovationshaus São Paulo.