UDP Internacional

Monday March 16th, 2026

On Monday, March 9, authorities from Diego Portales University (UDP) met with a delegation from Leiden University to explore avenues for collaboration between both institutions.

The meeting was presided over by Provost Cristóbal Marín and attended by Maite de Cea, Vice President for Research and Innovation; Dora Altbir, Director of Institutional Projects; and Anoek van den Berg, Director General of International Relations (DGRRII).

“This visit represents a valuable opportunity to continue expanding our collaboration with a very important partner for our University. We signed our first cooperation agreement with Leiden University in 2009, initially focused on graduate student exchange in Political Science. Since then, the relationship has expanded to other areas such as Law, Astrophysics, Philosophy, and Education, where we have developed various types of academic cooperation,” commented Anoek van den Berg.

“This visit has also allowed us to identify new collaboration opportunities with our Faculty of Engineering and Sciences and the field of Medicine, as well as to deepen joint work in Astronomy. From the DGRRII, we will continue to promote initiatives that strengthen and project this collaboration with our international partners,” she said.

The European delegation was led by Jasper Knoester, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Leiden, along with academics and researchers Marcello Bonsangue, Fons Verbeek, Jan van Rijn, Barbara Gravendeel, Yun Tian, and Mara Constantinescu.

“It is very important for universities to be international, beyond their borders and ideologies,” expressed Dean Jasper Knoester. “It is highly relevant to have contact with other universities and see what the collaboration opportunities are for scientists and students (…). We are truly interested in seeing if we can find some collaborations with the University at the doctoral level,” he added.

During the day, the Leiden delegation met with a group of academics from the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences to discuss the academic and research capabilities of both universities.

In that regard, Luciano Ahumada, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, noted that “the meeting was very positive and took place in an atmosphere of open dialogue and mutual interest.” “I would especially highlight the quality of the academic exchange that occurred. The presentation by the representatives of Leiden University allowed us to learn about their research groups, as well as their undergraduate and graduate programs, which made it easier to quickly identify points of convergence between both institutions,” the scholar commented.

Following the dialogue with the Leiden delegation, Professor Ahumada also indicated that several possibilities for collaboration exist between both campuses. “Firstly, there is clear space for developing joint research initiatives, particularly through the formulation and submission of collaborative projects in international calls,” he stated.

“Likewise, opportunities were identified in the graduate field, both in student exchange and in the eventual articulation of joint academic activities, such as thesis co-tutorships, seminars, or research stays, which could be explored over time,” he said.

Through these types of initiatives, Diego Portales University seeks to expand its international networks to improve the quality and visibility of its scientific production. This effort aims to open opportunities for the entire academic community in terms of global training and experience.