With the aim of strengthening collaboration in our country, an Executive delegation from The University of Queensland held a series of high-level meetings with authorities and representatives from government, industry, and academia.
The University of Queensland delegation included its President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry; Peter Varghese, Chancellor; Brett Lovegrove, Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Kayla Warner, Manager, Strategy and Partnerships, Global Partnerships; Rick Valenta, Director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute; and Mark Noppé, CEO of JKTech.
At Codelco’s offices, representatives from UQ and SMI-ICE-Chile were welcomed by Máximo Pacheco, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the copper company; Felipe Lagno, Corporate Manager of Innovation and Technology; Marisol Finch, Corporate Manager of Talent and Diversity; and Gabriel Méndez, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.
Also present on behalf of SMI-ICE-Chile were Doug Aitken and Francisca Rivero, Executive Director and General Manager, respectively.
Given the importance of the meeting and the close ties between Australia and Chile, the Australian Ambassador to Chile, Andrew Martin, and Alejandro Palma, Queensland’s Trade and Investment Commissioner for Latin America, also attended.
SMI-ICE-Chile maintains close collaboration with Codelco, and there are currently six projects underway in areas such as climate change adaptation, acid drainage mitigation, contact water risk analysis, and ecosystem rehabilitation. In addition, at least seven new initiatives are under discussion, projecting a significant expansion of this cooperation.
Last February, SMI-ICE-Chile signed an important innovation agreement with Codelco that enables the joint search for innovative solutions in the areas of the circular economy, climate change, biodiversity conservation, water management, and mining and metallurgical processes.
“The relationship we have been forging with The University of Queensland is extremely important to us because it is strategic and involves exchanging knowledge, developing talent, and learning,” commented Codelco Chairman of the Board, Máximo Pacheco.
Photo credit: The UQ delegation meets senior leaders from Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD).
Another important meeting took place with the executive representatives of the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD), an institution that, through the C+ Research Center of the Faculty of Engineering, has collaborated for years with SMI-ICE-Chile in the development of high-impact projects in the mining industry.
On this occasion, the UQ delegation — along with the Australian Deputy Ambassador to Chile, Chung-Linh Chau — signed a five-year cooperation framework agreement aimed at strengthening joint research, the search for external funding, academic mobility, and the supervision of graduate students.
Representing the Universidad del Desarrollo, other officials included Rector Federico Valdés; Vice-Rector Ernesto Silva; Vice-Rectors for Innovation and Research and Doctoral Programs, Daniel Contesse and José Manuel Munita, respectively; Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Fernando Rojas; and Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Marcela Castillo.
Photo credit: The delegation presenting at the Australian Embassy
Once again, the Australian Embassy in Chile opened its doors to build bridges between Chile and Australia. At his official residence, Ambassador Andrew Martin, with the support of SMI-ICE-Chile, received prominent figures from the mining and academic worlds, including the Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams.
Among the guests who attended were Jorge Riesco, President of the National Mining Society (SONAMI); María Soledad Jeria, Country Manager of Río Tinto; Shu Kato, General Manager of Mitsubishi; and Julio Díaz, Vice President of Mining Resources, Development, and Innovation at CODELCO.
During a brief speech, Deborah Terry thanked the Embassy and Trade and Investment Queensland for their valuable support of The University of Queensland’s work in Chile, emphasizing the emphasis on responsible mining.
“Your leadership in this endeavor,”she said, indicating the Minister, “is widely recognized, and as a university, we are honored by the collaboration we maintain in the responsible production of natural resources (…) We are firmly committed to continuing to strengthen our collaboration with Chile, and what SMI-ICE-Chile has achieved certainly reinforces this commitment.”
Addressing the Minister of Mining, the Chancellor Peter Varghese also highlighted the enormous progress our country has made in integrating women into the mining industry.
“Chile today has 23% female representation in this industry, and Australia 22%… It’s impressive! Congratulations!”
The Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams, concluded by highlighting the enormous bonds of friendship between the two countries and their long-standing shared mining tradition. “Chile has always looked to Australia as a mining benchmark,” she said. “We have had ties with the University of Queensland for years; the fact that its Centre of Excellence is located in Chile and has more than 30 projects under development speaks to the strength of this relationship.”
During their three-day visit to Chile, the UQ delegation also met with executives from Mitsubishi, the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), and officials from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC).
Vice Chancellor Deborah Terry and her delegation also took the time to share views and experiences during a meeting with the entire SMI-ICE-Chile team.
