The University’s development stems from the unique and exceptional natural surroundings of the four cities of Chilean Patagonia where its campuses are located: Valdivia, Osorno, Puerto Montt, and Coyhaique. Our location in Southern Chile offers unique possibilities for the study of both biodiversity and natural resources as well as for high-impact projects related to climate change and the development of sustainability strategies. The university’s ample landholdings represent a natural laboratory for forest restoration and the study and protection of watersheds and their flora and fauna, as well as studies in conservation, invasive species management, aquaculture and silviculture production, and special tourism interest, among other areas.

The College of Engineering at UACh, located in the city of Valdivia, has a current enrollment of about 2000 students among eight undergraduate programs; in addition to 2 MEng and 3 MSc graduate programs in areas such as civil, electrical, mechanical, software, acoustic, industrial, construction, and naval architecture. The Acoustic Engineering and Naval Architecture are unique programs in the country, making the College an attractive place to develop research in those areas.

As a primary objective, the College of Engineering seeks to educate global citizens prepared to tackle the challenges of accelerated technological developments in a connected world, applying solid engineering foundations to develop innovative solutions by interdisciplinary teams. In the last years, curricula have incorporated tools for the development of an entrepreneurial mindset among our students, providing specific classes, seminars and an innovative environment to the development of their ideas.

Taking advantage of their unique areas, the College of Engineering carries out advanced research on fields such as underwater assessment of anthropogenic noise, environmental acoustics, advanced materials, circular economy applied to the development of new paving technologies, underwater robotics, artificial intelligence, industrial ergonomics, energy efficiency, applied hydrodynamics, aquaculture engineering, and ocean renewable energy.

Research is supported by a series of labs equipped with the latest technology in testing, data acquisition, and analysis. Amongst these, some highlights are the anechoic and reverberation chambers, environmental acoustics, materials characterization and pavement labs, and the unique wave/towing tank in the country. These facilities strengthen the education of our students; add value to projects carried out in collaborative efforts with the private sector, supporting updates to existing policies and new legislation for the public sector. Through a diverse faculty and advanced facilities, the College promotes the advance of cutting-edge research on key areas for our country and the world, in collaboration with a strong national and international network which enables us to have joint degree graduate programs with the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Girona University in Spain, and an active study abroad program with Auburn University and Virginia Tech in the US.

At the College of Engineering, we focus our efforts on providing a solid engineering education to our students, generate cutting-edge knowledge and promote an entrepreneurship ecosystem to generate a positive impact on our society contributing to the advancement of engineering from the South of the world.