Belgian academic delegation visited the FCFM and the CMM as part of the official visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to Chile

Belgian academic delegation visited the FCFM and the CMM as part of the official visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to Chile

As part of the state visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to Chile, on Monday, June 23, the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (FCFM) of the University of Chile welcomed a distinguished Belgian academic delegation with the aim of strengthening scientific and academic ties between the two countries.

 

The delegation was received by the dean of the FCFM, Francisco Martínez, and by Emmanuelle Dienga, representative of Wallonia-Brussels in Chile. The event was attended by academic authorities, diplomatic representatives, and cooperation agencies such as the Chilean Agency for International Development Cooperation (AGCID)—through its executive director Enrique O’Farrill—and the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), and addressed various opportunities for bilateral collaboration in strategic areas.

During the event, ongoing joint projects were presented, such as the collaboration between the University of Liège and the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) on sustainable urban logistics, led by Professor Sabine Limbourg (HEC Liège) and researcher Jorge Amaya (CMM). This long-standing cooperation has been supported through funds from the Chile–Wallonia-Brussels Joint Cooperation Commission (AGCID-WBI). It should be noted that AGCID and Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) have developed strong ties for almost three decades.

Also highlighted was the Copernicus Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (CopernicusLAC Chile) initiative, a collaboration between the European Union and the University of Chile, implemented by the CMM, which offers a regional platform for Earth observation with potential for new links with Belgian institutions in areas such as climate change, natural resource management, mining, and environmental monitoring, among others. The presentation was given by Florencio Utreras, director of CopernicusLAC Chile, and Jaime Ortega, principal investigator at the CMM and scientific director of the center.

Another focus of the day was the development of the University of Chile’s space program, presented by academic Marcos Díaz, as well as possible synergies in astrophysics, astronomy, and data science, disciplines in which there are shared interests and capabilities between both parties.

The visit concluded with a tour of the Center for Mathematical Modeling‘s facilities, where CMM director Héctor Ramírez, along with researchers and representatives from the center, shared with the Belgian delegation the main advances in research and applications in applied modeling, use of satellite data, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing.

The delegation included academic authorities from institutions such as the University of Liège, the Free University of Brussels, and the Catholic University of Louvain, as well as representatives from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Among those in attendance were Annick Castiaux, rector of the University of Namur, Anne-Sophie Nyssen, rector of the University of Liège, and Hervé Jeanmart, vice-rector for International Affairs at the Catholic University of Louvain, underscoring the high level of the delegation and the strategic interest in deepening ties with Chilean institutions. The Director of International Relations at the University of Liège, Oriana Bertucci, highlighted the meeting as an emotional and significant event, underscoring the historical ties between Wallonia-Brussels and Chile, as well as the prospects for future collaboration in research, culture, and higher education.

This activity represented a valuable opportunity to promote new high-impact scientific initiatives between Belgium and Chile, in a context of international cooperation aimed at addressing common challenges through science and innovation.

 

 

Members of the Belgian academic delegation:

  • Prof. Dr. Annick CASTIAUX, Rector, Université de Namur
  • Prof. Dr. Anne-Sophie NYSSEN, Rector, Université de Liège
  • Ms. Oriana BERTUCCI, Director of International Relations, Université de Liège
  • Prof. Dr. Pierre COHEUR, Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Ms. Elodie DECOSTRE, Director of International Relations, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Mr. Hervé JEANMART, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Université Catholique de Louvain
  • Prof. Sabine LIMBOURG, Professor, HEC Management School, Université de Liège
  • Ms. Christel VACELET, Director of International Relations, Université Catholique de Louvain
  • Prof. Sophie VAN ECK, Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles

 

CMM Communications
Photo credits: Andrés Vargas / Belgian Embassy in Chile

Posted on Jul 18, 2025 in News