UDP Internacional

Monday July 20th, 2026

The initiative seeks to strengthen interdisciplinary research and internationalization in the University’s classrooms.

Diego Portales University (UDP) continues to expand its international collaboration network. As part of the 2026 call for applications for its Visiting Scholars Program, the institution will host a select group of international researchers, with the goal of integrating new global perspectives directly into its classrooms and laboratories.

This program aims to connect the university community with cutting-edge scientific debates, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration networks, co-authorship in research, and enriching undergraduate and graduate programs through high-level seminars and workshops.

For Carlos Ahumada, Coordinator of Global Cooperation and Training at UDP, this initiative is strategically key to strengthening the University’s internationalization:

“Through these visits, we bring internationally renowned academics into our classrooms and research spaces, allowing students and faculty to access new perspectives, methodologies, and collaborative networks. We aim for these stays to generate a lasting impact, strengthening teaching, research, and the development of international projects for the benefit of the entire UDP community,” explains Ahumada.

The impact of these visits is felt directly in the students’ education, as they have the opportunity to actively interact with the guests:

“Our students will be able to learn directly from leaders in their disciplines, discuss their own research projects, and access cutting-edge methodologies in areas such as artificial intelligence, neuroethics, philosophy of mind, and technological emergency management. It’s an experience that opens doors to mobility and professional development networks outside of Chile,” the coordinator emphasizes.

Among the academics joining this year is Daniel Wladdimiro, associate professor at De Vinci Higher Education (France) and researcher at the prestigious LIP6 laboratory of Sorbonne Université-CNRS. His arrival has a very practical focus on technology transfer applied to engineering.

During his stay at UDP, Wladdimiro will continue a key project he is developing with Nicolás Hidalgo, a professor in the UDP Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, in partnership with researchers from the University of Valparaíso and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Together they are working on the design of a technological platform to support critical decision-making in the face of natural disasters.

For Wladdimiro, the synergy with local researchers like Hidalgo and Víctor Reyes has been fundamental in applying for competitive funding and publishing in international journals. His time in Chile in 2026 will not only enrich the current academic debate but will also consolidate a permanent scientific bridge between UDP and major European research centers like Sorbonne.

The second project awarded under the new Visiting Scholar Program is from the Faculty of Psychology. For three weeks, at the end of July and beginning of August, Professors Allen and Roskies, both from the Department of Philosophy and with joint affiliations with the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UCSB, will be visiting. Dr. Allen’s research focuses on the philosophy of mind and animal cognition, the ethics of artificial intelligence, and the history and philosophy of computer science. Professor Roskies’ research connects the philosophy of mind, neuroethics, and cognitive neuroscience, among other areas.

With a program of activities open to various faculties, the 2026 Visiting Scholar Program reaffirms UDP’s commitment to research connected to the world, raising the standard of its education and generating collaborative networks with a real impact on the country’s development.