Vice President of Global Initiatives at Arizona State University: «We have chosen UNAB as our partner in Chile.»

The strategic alliance signed between Arizona State University (ASU) and Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) is the first agreement of this magnitude that the American state university has signed with a Chilean university. This will strengthen the international experience of UNAB students, and more than 20,000 of them are expected to benefit over the next five years.

During her visit to Chile, Julia Rosen, ASU’s Vice President for Global Initiatives, explained the advantages that this agreement -which contemplates the development of double degrees, graduate programs, the incorporation of co-taught courses with ASU professors, and collaboration in research- will bring to both institutions. In this regard, she said:

We prefer to have fewer but deeper partnerships. Therefore, we choose only one partner in any country or region; in this case, we have chosen UNAB.

She emphasized that during her tour of the Casona de Las Condes and República campuses and the various meetings she held, she witnessed firsthand all the values shared by ASU and UNAB.

Regarding the relevance of internationalization in academic training, the expert explains that this becomes a differentiating element for students, especially in a globalized world such as the one we live in:

This alliance allows UNAB students to be more competitive when seeking employment.

• What elements would you highlight from the strategic alliance signed between Arizona State University and Universidad Andrés Bello?

Arizona State University has been No. 1 in innovation in the United States for nine consecutive years, and part of our global innovation is to find alliances with universities that share our same values. In Chile, we have chosen UNAB to be our partner, and the alliance we are building is comprehensive, including topics such as research or double degrees, so, at a deeper level, what we are doing by working together is contributing to the welfare of society.

• Why did you choose Universidad Andrés Bello as your partner in Chile?

We chose UNAB because it shares many elements with ASU; we are both large, world-class universities of excellence. We also share many values, such as innovation and sustainability, and focus on the development of the country, which are similar to the values of ASU.

• Considering the whole Latin American scenario, why was it important for ASU to have a partner in Chile?

Chile has one of the strongest economies in Latin America, and we are always looking for places where there is a need for more high-level education. I believe that together, UNAB and ASU can provide new offerings for the Chilean market.

Promoting internationality

This alliance is in addition to the more than 340 agreements that UNAB has with prestigious foreign universities, whose objective is to strengthen internationality in the classroom so that every UNAB student has at least one international experience during their career. By 2028, more than 17 thousand UNAB students are expected to take a subject co-taught with ASU professors.

• What is the importance of internationality in the training of students?

Students must have as many skills and knowledge as possible to be competitive and get a job. Knowledge is the traditional part, but abilities, such as speaking English and working in teams or with people from different disciplines, are essential for success in the world of work.

• And apart from this possibility of being more competitive, what benefits would you highlight for UNAB students from an agreement like this?

For example, we are moving forward with dual degree programs: a UNAB student can obtain a master’s, bachelor’s, or bachelor’s degree from ASU without having to spend four years in the United States. For example, a UNAB student can study three years in Chile and one year in the United States, then leave with a bachelor’s degree from UNAB and a bachelor’s degree from ASU. That isn’t easy to achieve, so what we are doing is an exceptional proposal.

• Is there an area where you envision significant opportunities for collaboration between UNAB and ASU?

We see great potential for UNAB to expand its online programs for the working adult segment. There are a lot of adults here in Chile who are working, have families, and cannot attend college face-to-face, and that is the same thing that happens in the United States. Working with UNAB, ASU can increase the number of online programs so that many other Chilean adults can have a master’s or bachelor’s degree to continue fulfilling their personal and professional goals.