The Board of Directors of Friends UC Meets in New York City. October 2023

The members of the Board of Directors of Friends UC gathered on October 19th and 20th, 2023, in New York City to review and discuss the progress of projects supported by the Foundation.

The meeting began with two very interesting colloquiums. In the “Innovation and Technology” colloquium, distinguished UC alumni participated: Daniel Undurraga, Co-Founder of Cornershop; José Manuel Moller, Founder and Director of Al Gramo; Agustina Mir, Co-Founder of Sortile; Javiera Riveros, Founder of Bolsolution; and as moderator, Pedro Bouchon, Vice Chancellor of Research and President of the UC Innovation Center. Each participant presented their venture and the impact it generates on society, reflecting on the role of Friends UC in this field.

In the second colloquium on “Chilean Political Situation,” moderated by the Rector of the Catholic University of Chile, Ignacio Sánchez, and participated, by Pepe Auth, political analyst; Cristóbal Bellolio, Chilean politician; Vanessa Palanza, Dean of the Faculty of History, Geography and Political Science; and Arturo Fermandois, constitutional lawyer. The principal focus was the second constitutional process in Chile and the potential consequences of a rejection of the second proposal for a new constitution. In addition to the board members and special guests, both activities were attended by a group of UC alumni living in the United States.

In the afternoon, a cocktail party was held at the Knickerbocker Club with UC alumni residing in the United States, board members, and the special appearance of Rodrigo Valdés, Director of the Western Hemisphere Department of the International Monetary Fund, who spoke about the situation in Latin America and its future development.

Finally, on October 19th, the annual Board of Directors meeting was held, chaired by the President of Friends UC, Sava Thomas. During the session, Rector Ignacio Sánchez gave a presentation on the current situation of the University, highlighting its growth in various aspects. He mentioned the creation of interesting programs such as the “Bachillerato Inicia”, which allows students from Technical Professional Secondary Education to access two years of preparation to continue with a degree offered by the University; the Interculturality Program; the Center for Dialogue and Peace; and the Institute of Earth Sciences.

Regarding the Foundation’s projects, Patricio Donoso, Provost for Institutional Management and Treasurer of Friends UC, reported of the Foundation’s own programs, such as Leading the Way and the Conde Scholarship, as well as the programs it consistently supports, such as the Endowment, Giving Day, Radio Beethoven, Elige Educar, Centro Cuida, among others. Finally, the Provost discused the possibility of Friends UC supporting innovation projects, either by generating networks and contacts that encourage those ventures emerging at the University. Pedro Bouchon reinforced the idea and offered his support to advance in this direction.