President De la Llera Strengthens UC Chile’s International Presence during US tour

In May 2025, just over a month after taking office, UC Chile President Juan Carlos de la Llera led his first international tour to the United States, accompanied by a high-level delegation of university authorities. The purpose of the visit was to position the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile as a leader in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data science, and interdisciplinary innovation—fields that are central to the university’s new strategic vision under President De la Llera’s leadership.

The cornerstone of the visit was participation in the annual Universitas 21 (U21) Summit, hosted this year by the University of California, Davis. U21 is a prestigious global network of 30 leading research-intensive universities. UC Chile, which joined in 2012, and Tecnológico de Monterrey are the only Latin American members of the network. The summit provided a forum for rectors and senior academic leaders to exchange ideas on how universities can address the world’s most pressing challenges—such as sustainability, equity, technological change, and global mobility—through research, teaching, and public engagement.

Alongside the summit, the UC Chile delegation held an ambitious schedule of meetings and visits designed to deepen academic partnerships and promote collaborative research. These included meetings with leaders and researchers at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Google, among others. The delegation met with Stanford’s AI Meets Education initiative, Stanford Impact Labs, and Nobel Laureate Guido Imbens, discussing the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping education, economic policy, and social impact.

President De la Llera was accompanied by Provost Francisco Gallego, Vice President for Academic Affairs Mario Ponce, Vice President for Research María Angélica Fellenberg, and Vice President for International Affairs María Montt. These university leaders held parallel sessions with scholars and strategic partners in California, reinforcing UC Chile’s commitment to global collaboration across disciplines. A key focus of the visit was to lay the groundwork for the creation of a new Office of the Vice President for Digital Innovation, Data, and Technology, a cornerstone initiative of De la Llera’s presidency.

The delegation also visited Google’s headquarters in the Bay Area, where they explored topics such as ethical AI, knowledge transfer, and opportunities for joint innovation. In addition, the group was received by the Chilean Consulate in San Francisco, where Consul General Patricio Cabezas welcomed the delegation and acknowledged UC Chile’s growing role as a global academic actor.

A particularly memorable and symbolic moment during the tour was a gathering with over 100 UC Chile alumni now working and living in California. Held in an informal setting, the meeting sparked reflections on professional journeys abroad, the role of UC Chile in their careers, and opportunities to strengthen alumni engagement. It also surfaced critical themes such as the brain drain from U.S. universities and the global circulation of doctoral talent—issues that are increasingly relevant to Chile’s academic system and to UC Chile’s efforts to retain and attract world-class researchers.

As Provost Francisco Gallego explained, “It was a dynamic and inspiring gathering. Our alumni expressed deep interest in staying connected to the university and contributing to its future. Their creativity and global outlook are a powerful asset for UC Chile.” Vice President María Montt added: “Seeing our alumni succeed on the world stage is a great source of pride. They are true ambassadors of the university and of Chilean higher education.”

Beyond institutional visits, the tour offered valuable insight into the models of applied research and social innovation promoted by California universities. As Vice President Fellenberg noted, “Institutions like Stanford are aligning academic work with community engagement. Their Impact Labs offer an example of how universities can partner with society to generate measurable results. It’s a model we can learn from as we pursue knowledge with impact.”

The U21 Summit also served as a platform to showcase UC Chile’s leadership. The university actively participates in the network’s working groups and governance, and contributes to initiatives that support early-career researchers, professional development, and student leadership. In 2024, UC Chile law student Rayen Alarcón was recognized with the U21 Leaders of the Future Award for her work on interculturality, a distinction that highlights the university’s global engagement and student talent.

Reflecting on the broader significance of the visit, Vice President Mario Ponce remarked: “This tour allowed us to explore not only academic cooperation but also curricular innovation, student experience, infrastructure models, and the integration of AI in learning. Despite the budgetary differences between institutions, we found many shared challenges and opportunities. We return with renewed confidence that international collaboration will help us grow stronger and more agile.”

President De la Llera concluded: “This has been a deeply revealing and strategic mission. We were able to identify key frontiers in knowledge and digital transformation that will define the future of our university. At the same time, we engaged with global academic trends and reaffirmed our responsibility to lead with ethics, critical thinking, and a commitment to the common good. UC Chile must not merely adapt—we must shape the future.”