MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Magallanes and Tasmania in joint Antarctic research

The University of Magallanes has been invited to be part of the International Antarctic Institute, IAI, a world academia organization which will specialize in under and post graduate Antarctic studies and currently has its temporary seat in the University of Tasmania, Hobbart, Australia.

The Dean of Umag Victor Fajardo and the Director of International Relations Claudio Venegas recently spent a week in Australia and New Zealand establishing closer academic links with a specific interest in Antarctic scientific and technological research.

The visit follows on a first event held November 30, 2004 when thirty universities from twelve different countries met to discuss Antarctic issues in the University of Tasmania with the purpose of creating an International Antarctic Institute educational centre.

Mr. Fajardo said that they came back with the idea of extending the IAI network to other Chilean universities and that the next stage is to incorporate the Sub Antarctic region which is "a spectacular natural laboratory".

Besides the IAI initiative the University of Magallanes will be signing with the University of Tasmania a cooperation agreement for a joint academia, research and undergraduate studies development program in several fields.

Next March Julia Jabour from the University of Tasmania will be coming to Punta Arenas to organize joint research programs in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic regions as well as promote a congress scheduled for April 2006.

The Chilean delegates on their way back stopped at New Zealand where they agreed with the universities of Auckland and Victoria on the establishment of a program of Latinamerican Studies and International Relations.

Besides they explored the possibility of academic exchange with the Marine Biology Department of the Auckland University.

"I can say it was a most successful and promising visit", underlined Dean Fajardo.