UCLA attracts the best minds of Chile

Three students from Chile will begin graduate programs at UCLA in summer and fall 2015, courtesy of scholarships provided by the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología.

Chilean landscape with map of Chilean administrative districts. (Photo: Doug Wheller on Flickr, 2009; cropped); CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Map: de:Benutzer:Sansculotte, courtesy of Wikicommons; CC BY-SA 1.0.

UCLA International Institute, July 23, 2015 — The Chilean National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Comisión Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, or CONICYT), has awarded three scholarships to Chilean students to complete graduate degrees at UCLA, starting in the late summer and fall of 2015. The scholarships are among 390 awarded to Chilean students, whose studies are concentrated in engineering, law, public policy and education.

Ibi Abigail Diaz Muñoz will pursue an MFA in animation; Victor Alejandro Contreras Luarte, an M.S. in earthquake (structural) engineering; and Veronica Andrea Simonet Romero, a master’s of law (LLM). “We are thrilled that these students have chosen UCLA for their graduate studies,” said historian Kevin Teraciano, director of the UCLA Latin American Institute. “Not only will they bring high-quality minds and skills to our programs, they will bring new perspectives to our international student body.”

“UCLA looks forward to welcoming these students to campus,” remarked Chris Erickson, senior associate vice provost and director of the International Institute. “U.S. and international graduate students both benefit from establishing links with one another, and with our faculty experts, as they prepare to work in our increasingly integrated world. It is part of our mission to help globalize UCLA and enhance the experience of and the opportunities for everyone on campus. ”

CONICYT is a funding agency of the Chilean government tasked with strengthening the country’s scientific and technological base and developing human capital in those fields. It facilitates access to scientific information on the part of schoolchildren and promotes international networking on the part of Chilean graduate students and researchers. In addition to awarding competitive grants for individual and university research projects on technology, health and astronomy, CONICYT also funds scholarships for graduate education and internships. Originally created in 1967 as a unit of the Ministry of Education of Chile, the agency currently focuses on promoting scientific research, technology and innovation in Chile.

Published: Friday, July 24, 2015