International Engagement
Since its founding, the Santo Tomás Educational Institutions have had a clear and fruitful international engagement, evidenced by its academic agreements with institutions of higher education on all the continents – joint research projects, student and teacher exchange programs, consultancies in administration and creation of the ICUSTA university network, and academic centers in conjunction with other foreign institutions.
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
Internationalization now plays a role in university policies, leading to a growing exchange of students and faculty among universities, the development of joint plans between institutions and the transfer of information and educational programs.
Santo Tomás currently has agreements with over 100 Universities abroad on the five continents. Of these, 28 belong to ICUSTA, the world network of universities inspired by the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas, and other foreign universities with which Santo Tomás has signed bilateral cooperation agreements.
ICUSTA
The international network of Thomist universities (ICUSTA) was established in 1993 to promote cooperation and academic exchanges among students, faculty and researchers.
As a founding institution, UST is part of this network, comprised of 29 universities and over 200,000 students in five continents. This network allows UST students to connect with students, faculty and growth experiences all over the world.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAM (PEI)
The present need to relate to different cultures improves competitive conditions in the international markets.
The International Experience Program offers students and teachers the possibility of studying or pursuing academic or research internships in foreign institutions and experiencing other cultures for their personal and professional enrichment. It likewise welcomes visiting university students and teachers from abroad, generating interactions between different cultures. Through the International Experience Program, Santo Tomás seeks to contribute to enriching the exchange of ideas and know-how among the members of its professional and technical community, as they interact with students and teachers from different nations.
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Universidad Santo Tomás, as part of its international engagement policy, has developed ties with over 100 institutions of higher learning in all five continents. Nevertheless, UST has assigned top priority to establishing bridges with institutions of higher learning in the People’s Republic of China since, given the excellent diplomatic ties between both countries and increasingly closer commercial relations, academic exchanges between Chile and China are now more important than ever.
Over the past 15 years, this process has resulted in agreements being signed with 11 institutions of higher learning in the People’s Republic of China several joint projects such as:
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Chile – China Research Center
The Chile-China Research Center was born from the close relationship between Universidad Santo Tomás (UST) and China’s Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS). Its aim is to generate new opportunities for academic exchange and cooperation through the creation of interconnections between small and medium-sized companies in the two nations. The Center functions under the guidance of an academic in each of the partnered universities.
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Santo Tomás Institute at Anhui University
An agreement was signed with China’s Anhui University to create a joint institute inside the latter, teaching Business Administration, International Trade and Spanish, with Chinese and Chilean professors.
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Regional Hanban Center for Latin America
In December 2013, an agreement was signed with Hanban (Central Office for the Mandarin Language) to create the Regional center for Latin America at our university, which started operations in March 2014. To this end, our university outfitted a 1,400 m2 building in downtown Santiago together with Hanban.