McMaster welcomes Universidad Adolfo Ibánez, Chile, students for Inspiring Research 2026 International Program

From January 19-30, McMaster hosted a student group from Universidad Adolfo Ibánez (UAI), Chile for the Inspiring Research short program though the collaborative efforts of the  Latin American Network at McMaster University (LANMU) and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), with CALDO. 

The two-week interdisciplinary experience highlighted innovative research and teaching practices happening across McMaster, while also showcasing some of the groundbreaking research conducted by Latin American and Canadian researchers, including faculty and graduate students. The short program also aimed to facilitate connections between participants and current Latin American students on campus, as UAI students met with McMaster students who spoke to what it means to be Latin American at McMaster University. The visiting UAI students each had different disciplinary interests that included biomedical engineering, business, psychology, and civil engineering. 

Programming also included visits to McMaster’s Nuclear Reactor, the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy, the W.J. McCallion Planetarium, the Centre for Advanced Light Microscopy, McMaster LIVELab, the McMaster Museum of Art, the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections and more.  

This initiative, developed with Prof Rodrigo Narro Perez’s guidance and insight, has positioned McMaster to further engage with Latin America through short‑term training and experiential learning programs supported by partner institutions or regional funding agencies. From the OIA’s perspective, these programs bring multiple benefits to McMaster, advancing the goals of the Global Engagement Strategy and collaborating with LANMU through meaningful and culturally conscious international partnerships and educational programs. 

The Inspiring Research 2026 International Program builds on the success of last October’s collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), Chile, during which PUCV students took part in a three-day academic immersion experience at McMaster University. You can read more about this previous collaboration here. 

This initiative was also featured in the CBC RCI report, “Inspirar el futuro: del aula en Chile a la investigación en Canadá/Inspiring the future: from the classroom in Chile to research in Canada,” by Paloma Martínez Méndez.   

You can also find a concluding Instagram video that summarizes the visit, put together by Emilio González Maciel (Commerce Level II), here.