UDP Internacional

Monday August 3rd, 2026

The interdisciplinary project brings together the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design, and the University of Washington, Tacoma.

On Monday, July 27, at the American Corner facilities, a welcome reception was held for the group of academics and students from the University of Washington (Tacoma), who will be collaborating on a project about urban housing.

At the event, faculty members from Diego Portales University, representing the Faculties of Architecture, Art and Design and Engineering and Sciences, met with the nine engineering students who will be conducting their research in the country.

The day began with the presentation of an introductory video about Diego Portales University, showcasing its ten faculties and 48 undergraduate and research programs. A brief introduction of the team was also given.

The welcome address included Alejandra Celedón, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Arts and Design; Nicolás Cabargas, from the UDP School of Architecture; Luciano Ahumada, acting dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences; Hernán Alcayaga, director of the School of Civil Engineering; Jeffrey Walters, professor of Civil Engineering; and Anaid Yerena, architect and professor at the University of Washington.

The project, titled “IRES: A US-Chile Research Experience for Students: Exploring Urban Housing Solutions from a Systems Perspective,” funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, aims to generate models for analyzing socio-technical systems and to investigate the country’s housing policies.

For Anoek van den Berg, this opportunity is very important: “We strive to be an international university, and these kinds of initiatives are very important for the internationalization of research, but also for you to connect with our local students.”

For her part, Riya Marwaha, an engineering student from the University of Washington, stated: “I came here with other students to study housing in Chile and its evolution, from informal settlements to formal housing.”

She added: “This gives me the opportunity to see how cities function and the benefits of having housing for all and transportation systems, and how the densely populated city of Santiago, how all of that is integrated; and this can be applied to other cities, especially my hometown, Tacoma, in Washington.”

Anaid Yerena, a professor of Urban Studies at the University of Washington, explained that this project was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to enable undergraduate students to study internationally. “We chose Chile, specifically the city of Santiago, because we have a partnership with Diego Portales University, and it’s an excellent opportunity to bring students from the United States to experience new parts of the world like Chile,” she emphasized.

Regarding the importance of studying in an international context, Yerena highlighted: “It’s incredibly valuable for students. It’s an opportunity to learn about new cultures, to have access to new information, new ways of life, and new solutions to urban problems, which is precisely what we are interested in studying here.”

For her part, Alejandra Celedón, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Art, and Design, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary work: “This initiative specifically addresses housing, social housing in Chile, on the outskirts of Santiago, and it is therefore important for us to see how the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture, Art, and Design can contribute to solving a real social problem in our communities.”

This project reflects interdisciplinary and global practices encompassing research, teaching, and community engagement.