Collaboration with the Austral University of Chile: conference to advance in equality

During the last week of October, the Vice-Rector’s Office for Research, Development and Artistic Creation, along with the InES project “Knowledge + Gender” at the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), organised two significant events aimed at promoting a critical and transformative perspective on gender equality within the university setting. Lorena Pajares, a Notus researcher, served as a trainer and speaker at these events.

Firstly, two training sessions on gender bias in institutional management were held for UACh authorities and staff, attended by the UACh Rector, Dr Egon Montecinos, the Vice-Rector, Dr Gustavo Blanco, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr Alejandra Zúñiga, the Director of Artistic Creation, Dr María José Bello and other decision-makers.

The objective was to create a collaborative workspace to develop strategies for effectively incorporating a gender perspective into university management, thereby reducing gender gaps within the institution. This work enabled us to identify everyday practices that perpetuate inequalities and explore tools for more equitable management. An audiovisual summary and images from these sessions are available here and here.

To conclude this process, a keynote speech was delivered on the topic of ‘Thinking about the context, transforming the environment: the university from an intersectional approach’. This invited reflection on the structural challenges faced by higher education institutions in creating more inclusive and equitable spaces. The lecture is available on YouTube, and the photographic record can be reviewed here.

Both activities reaffirm the UACh’s institutional commitment to cultural transformation and the construction of fairer and more inclusive university spaces, and Notus appreciates the opportunity to continue learning collectively about all this.