The building located in Puerto Williams officially opened its doors to researchers and the community of the southernmost city in the world. This in the midst of a natural setting considered one of the 24 most pristine sites in the world. The inauguration took place within the framework of the First International Conference: "Global Change and Biocultural Conservation" of the Cape Horn International Center for Global Change Studies and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC).
A historic event for scientific research took place in the remote region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica with the inauguration of the Cape Horn International Center for Global Change (CHIC). The project is funded by ANID and housed at the Universidad de Magallanes and is the result of an unprecedented international collaboration in the area, marking a significant milestone in scientific research and conservation in the southernmost region of the world.
Strategically located at the southern tip of Navarino Island, in the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, the CHIC stands as a refuge for scientists and researchers from Chile and the world, whose main mission today is to promote research, education and conservation of biodiversity and culture.
"This center will make it possible to investigate and monitor the direct and indirect causes of global change, and collaborative work with communities, public services and private organizations is essential," said the director of the University Center and principal investigator of CHIC, Francisca Massardo, who is the director of the unit and principal investigator of the center.
In addition to investigating the impacts of the climate crisis in the area and its global impact, one of the projects promoted by the research team is the conservation of the culture of the local communities.
"Today, the CHIC assumes the role of a sentinel of climate change for Magallanes, Chile and the world. The region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica is at the forefront in scientific infrastructure to achieve knowledge sovereignty (...) from education to hard science, on the biological and cultural conservation of a place that is still one of the 24 most pristine sites that exist in the world," added Massardo.
The inauguration ceremony of the Subantarctic Center building, which houses the CHIC, and the first international conference, was attended by leading scientists, local authorities and representatives of international organizations committed to environmental protection. During the event, the importance of the region and its vital role in the planet's ecological balance were highlighted.
"It is a giant step in the development of science, tourism and, of course, education. The fact that this area of the country has the southernmost forests, the most pristine spaces, makes this center a strategic point for the study and monitoring of climate change. I believe that the research and work carried out here will be essential to consolidate this area as a center of knowledge that will contribute enormously to Chile and the world", said the Minister of Public Works, Jessica López.
Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, this basal center of excellence will allow scientists to carry out cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research in fields such as climatology, marine biodiversity, glaciology, terrestrial biology and education. Financed by the Regional Government of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica with an investment of more than ten billion pesos and more than 2,500 meters built, the structure is one of the largest investment projects in the history of the commune.
"We want to have world-class science. It is something that we have been working on for some time now in the Magallanes Region, and within that, CHIC will undoubtedly be, at the summit of the world, a beacon for the study of climate change," said Regional Governor Jorge Flies.
"In addition, we project that the center will have a direct benefit for the community of Puerto Williams, from its interaction with children from early stages such as pre-school, high school, and even higher education, to scientific transfer, such as studies on red tide," he added.
In this sense, today the CHIC and the Universidad de Magallanes offer the Higher Level Technical Degree in Biocultural Conservation Tourism, the first of its kind in Isla Navarino, which this year received its first generation. There are five students: 2 women and 3 men, one of whom is a recent graduate of the fourth year of secondary school, and another is a 55-year-old woman.
Housed at the Universidad de Magallanes, the center is made up of a consortium of national and international institutions: Pontificia Universidad Católica, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Central, Universidad de Talca, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Universidad de Los Lagos and Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia, CIEP (Aysén), plus an international network coordinated by the University of North Texas, USA. Their collaboration has laid the groundwork for a joint venture that will expand scientific knowledge and promote sustainable conservation in this region.
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