Students of International Course at UBO toured the hills of Valparaíso

In order to participate in the course “Multidisciplinary Analysis of National and Neighborhood Conflicts in Contemporary Chile”, which is carried out by the Bernardo O’Higgins University, ten students from Belgium and France arrived at UBO.

The course developed by the Center for Political, Cultural and Social Studies of Latin America (EPOCAL), includes, in addition to the classes, visits to historical places in Chile. This time, the students went to Valparaíso with the aim of having a sociocultural experience based on the history of the port city and knowing part of this World Heritage Site.

On the tour, the youth who visit Chile for the first time had the chance to visit one of the houses of the poet Pablo Neruda, La Sebastiana, located on Cerro Florida. In addition, during the day they made a city tour that began in Plaza Sotomayor, in which they toured different points of the port.

The Belgian exchange student, Nathan Godts, in relation to his experience in the country and the university said he is very happy with his experience “because I have seen the city and I like it, people are very nice, teachers are very interesting and the university very organized. Latin America is different, people are very warm and we are learning a lot about Chile which is a country that we do not know very much”.

Meanwhile, the young Belgian Lily Vercruysse, said that “I had never been outside Europe before, but coming to Latin America, even if it’s a long trip, I think it’s a good experience. We spent a lot of time in the city and have known Santiago very well. During the weekend we can go out and take a little trip. I think it’s a good way to learn and visit a country.”

This international course is designed especially for students who come from abroad and is offered in English, French and Spanish. Many of them chose Chile as a destination because of references from classmates and teachers who lived the experience.

The program was designed to allow to understand the challenges posed by a world in constant change and for the student to understand the traditional and emerging conflicts faced by Chile and Latin America.