Чилидің техникалық университеті: Тарихы мен жетістіктері

Chilean university

The Federico Santa María Technical University (lang es, UTFSM, or simply Santa Maria University) is a Chilean university member of the Rector's Council, founded in 1931 in Valparaíso, Chile. The university has campuses in Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Santiago (Vitacura and San Joaquín), Concepcion, as well as in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Federico Santa María Technical University is the alma mater of several prominent businessmen, engineers and Chilean scientists. Its students and alumni are known as "Sansanos". The UTFSM was the first Chilean university to confer a doctorate in engineering in 1962 and the first higher education institution in Latin America to confer this degree. The UTFSM university radio is the oldest campus radio in Latin America. The university admission is very competitive and, it is known for its rigorous study requirements, demanding study program. For the years 2011–2016, the UTFSM has an undergraduate retention rate of 82% by the first year of studies, and a 66% by the second year. Less than 1% of its students are international, and most of the available courses are imparted in Spanish. The graduation date is held on 20 December every year, since it commemorates the anniversary of the death of the founder, Federico Santa Maria Carrera, on 20 December 1925.

The university takes its name from Federico Santa María, a Chilean philanthropist that lived in France. He raised a huge fortune as a broker in the sugar market in Paris. Before his death, he donated all his fortune to create a university in Valparaíso, his hometown. Although the exact amount of his fortune is unknown, it is believed to have been around 27 billion dollars of today's currency. While in Paris in 1920, in his testament, Santa María donated his fortune with the idea of building a high standard technical and scientific institution. In his will, Santa María manifested that his desired executors contribute to material progress and expand Chile's cultural horizons; altruistic ideas which sought to facilitate entry into the academic life of outstanding compatriots dispossessed but without further requirement than merit, skills and high academic achievement. This institution would accept and prepare the best students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to gain technical and scientific knowledge that contribute to the progress of the country. The executors were chosen by Santa María to be Agustin Edwards Mac Clure, Juan Brown Caces, Carlos van Buren and Andrew Geddes. Following his philosophy, on March 31, 1926, an institution was created to develop Santa María's legacy. In 1931, the School of Crafts and Arts and School of Engineering José Miguel Carrera was founded. In 1935, its name changed to Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. The condition imposed by Federico Santa María was that, during the first 10 years, the university must receive academics from the best schools of sciences and engineering. Following this imperative, the executor of this project, Agustín Edwards Mac Clure, traveled to Germany where he contacted Karl Laudien, at the time rector of a technical school in the Western Pemerania region, and he became the first rector of the university. From that moment, the university received a strong German influence in its engineering education. Several German engineers and scientists arrived before and after the second world war from institutions such as TU Berlin, Berlin University, and Leipzig University among other German institutions. They brought to the university cutting edge knowledge in physics, chemistry and engineering. For example, Arnold Keller, professor of the Physics department at UTFSM, was involved in the development of the V 1 rockets during the second world war, as part of the team of Wernher von Braun. Research in new areas to the country such as Solar Energy, or Chemistry of Natural Products were created, which delivered two Nacional Science Prize awards, Herbert Appel in 1970, and Juan Garbarino in 1998. In 1934, the Scientia magazine is published, becoming the voice for the university's academic work. In 1937, the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria Radio was created, becoming the first university radio broadcaster in Chile and Latin America, focused to broadcasting information and cultural programs. The radio still broadcasts to this day, in the AM: 1.450 and FM: 99,7 signals in the Valparaiso region. The radio also has an online signal. In 1939, the Alumni association was founded, known today as AEXA (Asociación de Ex Alumnos). In 1960, the Graduate School was created, and its first director was Herbert Appel (1960 1964), offering the PhD study lines for chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering. In 1963 the university became the first higher education institution in Latin America to confer a doctorate in engineering, in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh. In the 1960s the university started a strategy of national and international expansion. In 1966 the Technical campus "Viña del Mar" was founded. In 1972 the campus "Rey Balduino de Bélgica" in the southeast city of Concepción with orientation in technical professional areas was founded. The project received strong financial support from Baudouin King. In 1964, the university grants for the first time a technical degree to a woman, the chemical technician Patricia Guzman. In 1965 Graciela Muñoz graduates as its first female engineer. Around 600 students in 2019 expect to be graduated by 2023, process which will lead to the definitive closure of UTFSM Activities in Ecuador.

The main UTFSM campus (or Casa Central) is located in Valparaíso, covering most of the front area of Los Placeres hill, on the grounds of the former Pudeto fort. The site faces the Pacific coast and it is visible from many parts of the bay of Valparaíso. The building was designed by Josué Smith Solar, one of the most respected Chilean architects of the 20th century, and his son José Smith Miller. The American Neo Gothic style campus is considered one of the foremost works of Chilean architecture. The campus is also recognised for its beautiful gardening, with native and exotic species. In 2001, the illumination of the university frontis was renewed through a contest organised by the Chilean branch of Philips. The main campus has a gothic scholastic architecture with a privileged view to the Pacific Ocean. This campus includes more than 3 hectares of green areas making it the biggest urban park in Valparaiso, despite it being closed to the public. In 2008 it was chosen as one of the most remarkable national architectural works of the 20th century.

In the 1960s, the university formulated an expansion plan. With financial assistance from the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), the support of the Ford Foundation, advice from Dunwoody Industrial Institute in the US, and a donation of land by Chile's Agricultural Development Institute INDAP (from the Spanish "Instituto de Desarrollo Agropecuario"), a fully furnished building was constructed in 1971 in Viña del Mar, and it was named the "Jose Miguel Carrera" branch campus, following the testamentary vision of the university founder, the philanthropist Federico Santa María. This branch is located on the border between the communes of Vina del Mar and Quilpué in Chile.

By the mid 1960s, the university planned to install six schools in different parts of the country. In October 1965, the Kings of Belgium, Baudouin I and Fabiola de Mora y Aragon visited the university headquarters in Valparaíso, were introduced to its educational project and as a result initiated conversations for the construction of a branch campus in the city of Concepción. Meanwhile, our country strengthens their contributions: the government facilitates the exchange of funds provided by Belgium; local businesses such as the San Pedro Sawmills, Cementos Bio Bio, Pacific Steel Company, Fanaloza, Inchalam, Pizarreño, Glasses Lirquén, among others, also contributed in its construction. Additionally, a donation of Archbishop of Concepción provided the land needed for the building construction. Its construction began in 1969. Academic activities started on April 26, 1971, offering the careers of Electronics, Electrical, Structural Mechanics, Maintenance Mechanics, and Chemistry. On February 14, 1972, the campus branch was inaugurated solemnly in the presence of the President of Chile, Salvador Allende Gossens, and the university rector, Jaime Chiang Acosta.

The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. The undergraduate degrees can be of 12 academic semesters (civil engineering), 10 semesters (engineering, pure sciences and architecture), 8 semesters (Applied Engineering) and 6 semesters (technical careers). The graduate degrees offered by this university are Masters (MSc.) and Doctorate (PhD). The Masters of Science degree requires 2 years of study, and the Doctorate degree requires 3 to 5 years of study. All graduate degrees require entrants to have a bachelor's degree.

The Chemical Engineering School at UTFSM was founded together with the foundation of the School of Engineers in 1935, being one of the oldest degrees offered by the university. The first Chilean and Latin American doctorate degree in chemical engineering was given to Walter Gaete Castro in 1962, with a cooperation between UTFSM and University of Pittsburgh, US. The school initially offered PhD study lines in chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering. The first UTFSM PhD graduate was Walter Gaete Castro, with a PhD degree in chemical engineering, becoming the first PhD graduate in Latin America.

Since 2010 UTFSM has been awarded with nearly US$8 million for 76 research projects. Many of these projects involve national and international collaborations with prestigious institutions in Latin America (ANDES Laboratory Project, RIABIN Biotechnology Network), Europe (CERN, Max Planck Institut, Politecnico di Milano), and USA (MIT, SLAC), among others.

The Federico Santa Maria University radio was created on the 7 April 1937, and it is the oldest university radio in Latin America. It can be heard on 1450 kHz in the AM spectrum, on 99.7 MHz in the FM spectrum, and online. The Guayaquil campus in Ecuador also has formed a Choir in 2015, directed by Charles Sampertegui.

Homero Capona, first engineer graduated at the university, UTFSM electrical engineer (1939). Abelardo Quinteros, composer particularly known for his contributions to twelve note composition and serialism. UTFSM industrial design graduate (1941). Carlos Ceruti Gardeazabal, the first Chilean to receive the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by an international institution: University of Pittsburgh, US. Founder council member of the Chilean school of engineers (1958), UTFSM rector (1958 1968). UTFSM mechanical engineer (1941). Mario Luxoro Mariani, First Chilean to earn a PhD degree abroad. National Sciences prize in the year 2000. UTFSM chemical engineer (1948). He later went on to receive a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship and to earn a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957. Subsequently, he became a professor at the Faculty of Medicine and dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Chile in Santiago, Chile. Boris Rotman, First UTFSM alumnus to become professor in an Ivy League University (Brown University). He is recognized for performing the first single molecule experiment in biology, and received the State of Rhode Island Governor's award for Scientific Excellence. UTFSM chemical engineer (1948)
Max von Brand Kuhlmann, Vice president of the Chilean nuclear energy commission (1973 1981). UTFSM professor (1957 1984). UTFSM chemical engineer (1956). Sergio Contreras Navia, Bishop of Temuco (1978 2001) Directed the construction of the new Temuco Cathedral. UTFSM mechanical engineer (1957). He assisted to graduation dressed in cassock. Miguel Kiwi, National Sciences Prize (2007). UTFSM mechanical engineer (1963) and later PhD in physics from the University of Virginia (1967). Eugenio Villaseca, first child of a UTFSM graduate, to also graduate from this university. UTFSM Electrical Engineer (1963) and later PhD in electrical engineering from Arizona State University (1980). Patricia Guzman, first woman to graduate from this university. UTFSM chemical technician (1964)
Graciela Muñoz, first woman to graduate as an engineer at this university. UTFSM chemical engineer (1965)
Raul Zurita, Civil Engineer, Poet, National Literature Prize (2000). UTFSM civil engineer (1967). He completed the study curriculum but did deliver a thesis or graduate. Mario Pérez, astrophysicist. He studied electronic engineering between 1971 and 1976, after working at the European Southern Observatory, ESO in La Serena and Munich he moved to Amsterdam to study astronomy at the University of Amsterdam, after that he moved to the US to continue his doctorate in astrophysics at the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utha, in 1988, his first port doctorate work was as a resident in the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, he also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He is now the Program Scientist for the Cosmic Origins Program, the Kepler/K2 mission and the Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) Program within the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters, Science Mission Directorate. He is also the Program Executive for several Exoplanet Programs such as the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI), W. M. Keck Observatory, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) and the NASA NSF Exoplanet Observational Research (NN EXPLORE) partnership. José Rodríguez Pérez, National Applied Sciences and Technology Prize 2014. UTFSM rector (2006–2014). UTFSM electrical engineer (1977) and later PhD at the University of Erlangen Nuremberg (1985). Ricardo Meruane, Comedian, UTFSM Tooling Technician (1981). Charles Menevau, Member of the Chilean academy of sciences (2006). UTFSM mechanical engineer (1985), and later PhD from Yale University (1989). Professor at the Center for environmental and applied fluid mechanics at the Johns Hopkins University.

Robert Frucht, German Chilean mathematician, known for developing the Frucht's theorem, emeritus professor 1970. PhD from the University of Berlin, was a UTFSM professor (1948 1968). Robert Breusch, mathematician. Breusch was known for his new proof of the prime number theorem and for the many solutions he provided to problems posed in the American Mathematical Monthly. PhD from the University of Berlin, was a UTFSM professor until 1939. Herbert Appel, National Sciences Prize 1971. PhD from Leipzig University, held different roles at the UTFSM chemical engineering department and graduate school (1937 1981). Agustín Edwards Mac Clure, Executor of the will of Federico Santa María. President of the General Assembly of the League of Nations, Interior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cult and Colonization and Plenipotentiary to Great Britain among other position
Francisco Cereceda Cisternas, state minister during both Jorge Alessandri and Carlos Ibañez del Campo governments. UTFSM rector (1936 1958). Juan Garbarino, Natural Sciences National Prize (1998). UTFSM professor from 1981. Chemical Engineer PUC (1959) and later PhD from University of Lausanne (1966).